Conduction Disorders - Living With - Living With

Unless caused by a medicine or blood electrolyte imbalance, conduction disorders are often lifelong conditions for which you will need to continue receiving care.

• Continue to take all medicines prescribed for your condition to help prevent symptoms and complications.
• Continue with any precautions that your doctor has advised.
• Keep any appointments and tests recommended by your doctor.
• Tell your doctor if you have any symptoms.

Return to Treatment to review possible treatment options for your conduction disorder.

Your doctor may recommend the following to monitor your condition:

• Blood tests. If the cause of your conduction disorder is due to abnormal electrolyte blood levels or a metabolic disorder, your doctor may request follow-up blood tests.
• Follow-up EKGs to monitor your conduction disorder and to check for any new complications. Having one conduction disorder may put you at higher risk for having another conduction disorder. For example, AV block is more likely in people who have bundle branch blocks.
• Regular check-ups to monitor the data collected by your pacemaker or ICD. If your ICD delivers a shock to restore your heart’s normal rhythm, contact your doctor right away.

To help prevent complications such as dangerous arrhythmias, your doctor may recommend the following.

• Avoid alcohol if it may trigger an event.
• Avoid any known triggers for your conduction disorder, including emotional or stressful situations.
• Avoid competitive sports and contact sports, if advised by your doctor.
• Avoid medicines or illegal drugs that can make your conduction disorder worse. Ask your doctor about specific medicines you take or plan to take.
• Follow any instructions regarding exercise. Some people are specifically advised not to swim.
• Make recommended changes in what you eat. Your doctor may recommend watching how much potassium you eat.

Even with treatment for a conduction disorder, a repeat event or arrhythmia may occur. Know the signs and symptoms of your conduction disorder and how to recognize other complications, such as sudden cardiac arrest.

Usually, the first sign of sudden cardiac arrest is fainting. At the same time, no heartbeat can be felt. Some people may have a racing heartbeat or feel dizzy or light-headed just before they faint. Within an hour before cardiac arrest, some people have chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, or vomiting. Call 9-1-1 right away if someone has signs or symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest. Look for an automated external defibrillator (AED) nearby and follow the instructions.

If you have a conduction disorder, your doctor may recommend medicines or procedures to help prevent or stop an arrhythmia. These include the following.

• Antiarrhythmics to help prevent an arrhythmia. This class of medicines includes quinidine to treat Brugada syndrome.
• ICD placement to stop an arrhythmia and help prevent sudden cardiac arrest. Survivors of sudden cardiac arrest caused by ventricular fibrillation are at high risk of another arrhythmia. Your doctor may recommend an ICD on its own or with medicines.
• Isoproterenol medicine to suppress a life-threatening arrhythmia.
• Left cardiac sympathetic denervation procedure to reduce the chance of arrhythmia in high-risk patients and those who do not respond to or cannot take certain medicines. This procedure can reduce the release of hormones that stimulate the heart and also make it harder for the heart’s ventricles to produce a dangerous arrhythmia. It reduces the risk of fainting and cardiac arrest.