Ankylosing spondylitis can cause valvular heart disease, specifically aortic valve and ascending aortic disease which when not corrected can cause heart failure, atrial fibrillaiton and event ventricular tachycardia. Also, since the conduction system of the heart runs close to the aortic valve, when the valve gets calcified as is the case with Ank Sp, one can develop heart block and require a pacemaker.
If it is this, these patients eventually progress to requiring a pacemaker, as there is disease in the lower part of the electrical conduction system. The timing of this depends on several things, including the intrinsic heart rate, how good the ventricular function is, if there are wide complex escape beats, if there is structural cardiac disease, and if the QTc interval is prolonging (one of the many "measurements" that we make on the ECG).
Hello, sinus tachycardia is a heart rhythm in which the rate of impulses coming from the pacemaker of the heart (the sinoatrial node) is elevated (>100 bpm in adult population). Several factors may be responsible of a persistent sinus tachycardia in a structurally normal heart, but some of the most common are: hyperthyroidism (increased activity of the thyroid gland), anemia, anxiety/stress, and chronic infections/fever.
It is my understanding the risk with block is a slow heart rate and if heart rate is too low a pacemaker may be the therapy. The heart block of interest requires no treatment as long as the ventricular heart rate remains normal. Source: " Should the ventricular rate become low or the condition progresses to Mobitz type II, a drug that speeds the rate of electrical impulse conduction (anticholinergics or sympathomimetics) may be prescribed temporarily and cardiac depressants withheld.
From what I understand, first degree heart block is a delayed transmission, without missed beats, of an impulse from the atria to the ventricles because of an impairment of the conduction (electrical) system and is generally benign. ie usually doesn't progress to complete block as is sometimes the case in 2nd block. What did your doctor say about the type II episodes?
Hopefully it is something easy to correct like an adjustment of meds, BP meds can lower your heart rate, but if not the worst thing is likely the need for a pacemaker. Kind of bothersome to need one but if it helps you feel better it may be worth it but investigate first before any decisions are made. Best of luck. Keep us posted.
Awhile back I posted a quote from a wonderful website as a response to a question similar to this one. The original set of posts can be viewed at http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/600583?personal_page_id=9026&post_id=post_3309923 Just copy and past that address and you can see the whole discussion. The gist of it is listed below....
The following excerpt was taken from an article that was copied from this web address:
http://www.healthandage.
It looks like that the second lead is not in use at all. The 2 parts of your heart synchronise well together . Also, your pacemaker is correcting your heart rhythm 12% of time depending of your effort?"
Me : What is that? I have been told that my pacemaker will fire only below 45?
Pacemaker Technician : We can ask the cardiologist a permission to set it off if you want?
Me : (a bit angry) It is ok, I think I will take an appointment with her personally.
4 weeks later...
Hi! My heart tests were always wonderful. Nothing showed with the event or Holter monitors. If they can, have them check your SA node...if there is a test for that. It's your atria's electrical system. My pacemaker is doing about 70% of my SA node's work. but less than 1% of my VA node's work. Which means my ventricles are doing their own work...not so much my atria.
Tachy-brady syndrome refers to abnormal function of the sinus node, the natural pacemaker of the heart. The heart rate speeds up easily, but also easily slows down too much in response to some medications. This can also happen if there is an atrial arrhythmia, such as atrial flutter or atrial fibrillation, which can abnormally remodel the sinus node. Sometimes patients require a pacemaker for this condition.
Hi, I've seen 2 cases that mentioned the AV node recovery. I'm not sure it was partially or completely? They both already had a pacemaker. These are for after few years ablation. This is not what the EP and patient wants, isn't it? The aim for AV node ablation is hopefully terminated the conduction permanently.
Are you surprising about you have a complete heart block after the AV node ablation?
Alcohol may trigger an irregular beat by changing the chemical structure of the cells in the heart. Thus it is the chemicals that really cause the extra beats. All these drugs change the way cells emit and take in chemicals (potassium, etc). In this way it is intented that all the cells become synchronized--thus no irregular beats.
Thus the real cause is that cells develop the propensity for irregularity, and no one knows why this happens.
The ECG findings are very nonspecific in your case and don't help much with solving your problem. I think a reveal loop recorder may be helpful. The other options is to do an EP study and see what your conduction system is doing. I don't think you should settle for a pacemaker. I am not sure why this was even recommended and I am not sure about why your doctor was concerned about perforation. I would suggest getting a second opinion.
Thank you so much for your comments. I didn't realize it would hit such a nerve! VERY comforting to hear from you all who at least underst& something of what we have been through. Yes, westfield60, it is scary & we were not prepared for the journey we were about to embark on prior to June 28.
The problem which can occur, but rarely, is if the delay in the right ventricle becomes too great, affecting the circulation. Then a pacemaker will just be required. The more common term is right bundle branch block. It means the signal to contract the right ventricle isn't able to follow the normal path of specialised cells, so some of the ventricle gets its signal across the heart muscle causing a slight delay. Yes he can stick to his normal routines and play sport.
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