Health encyclopaedia

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Heart block

Heart block is a condition where the heart beats irregularly or much more slowly than normal.  Sometimes the heart may even stop for up to 20 seconds.  It is caused by a delay or disruption of the electrical signals that usually control the heartbeat.

A healthy heart in an averagely fit person beats between 60 and 80 times a minute.  A heartbeat is when the muscles of the heart contract and push blood around the body.  These muscle contractions are controlled by electrical signals that travel between the heart’s upper chambers (the atria) and lower chambers (the ventricles).

If these electrical impulses are delayed or sometimes stopped (partial heart block), then the heart may not beat regularly.  If the electrical signals are stopped completely (complete heart block), then the heart will only beat around 40 times a minute.

Heart block reduces the heart’s efficiency in pushing blood around the body.  This means that the muscles and brain may not be getting enough oxygen for them to work properly.

• Symptoms
• Causes
• Diagnosis
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