Syncope or temporary loss of consciousness is often regarded as benign by a lot of medical practitioners. However, this may not be the case if the condition is related to arrhythmias, which generally considered as Fatal.
If the two come together, the patient definitely merits a closer checkup by a cardiologist as the combination could be a symptom of a major health issue (particularly of the heart). Syncope that is cardiac in nature falls into this category as well.
Fast Syncope Facts
- As much as 30{50448b9ee8808ace0940482606e8cba4bc5aa69342d7bc3513fe6f9117735e48} of people may suffer from syncope in their entire lifespans, and 25{50448b9ee8808ace0940482606e8cba4bc5aa69342d7bc3513fe6f9117735e48} of them would experience a recurrence.
- The non-cardiac causes of fainting, but they are certainly lesser than those that are directly related to heart issues. They can be neurologic as well since people who suffer from seizures may also get them.
- Neurally mediated syncope is the most common non-cardiac cause of fainting in people, and it’s typically considered as benign.
- Syncope is one of the most prevalent complaints of patients when consulting their cardiologists about their respective heart conditions.
- Age is a risk factor for syncope, with people who are older than 60 being the most susceptible to the said condition.
- Nearly 15{50448b9ee8808ace0940482606e8cba4bc5aa69342d7bc3513fe6f9117735e48} of cardiac syncope is due to arrhythmias.
Two Sub-Types of Cardiac Syncope
Much like any medical condition, cardiac syncope also has sub-categories and they pertain mainly to the cause of the syncope.
They are as follows:
- Mechanical
Syncope has a mechanical cause if the loss of consciousness is the direct result of insufficient or improper blood flow. Conditions that exhibit this symptom range from cardiomyopathy and aortic stenosis to pulmonary hypertension and cardiac tumors, to name few.
- Electrical
Arrhythmias fall mainly on the electrical category of the cardiac syncope. Electrical abnormalities are often the cause of the arrhythmias after all these arrhythmias could either cause the heart to beat too quickly or too slowly. They can also be either ischemic (loss or restriction off blood supply) or not
Stressing the Danger of Ventricular Arrhythmias in Syncope Cases
Ventricular arrhythmias are basically called as such because they pertain to cardiac patients who are suffering from ventricular dysfunction. That being said, ventricular tachycardia is actually the most common culprit behind syncope stemming from cardiac issues. It has the worst prognosis in cardiac syncope, with patients often being given a 1-year mortality rate that can reach as high as 30{50448b9ee8808ace0940482606e8cba4bc5aa69342d7bc3513fe6f9117735e48}. This is certainly one of the most dangerous arrhythmias that a patient can get due to this fact alone.
It’s for this reason why patients that exhibit syncope with accompanying arrhythmias are recommended to receive the most proactive treatment as soon as possible. Otherwise, the patient would have a higher chance of experiencing a sudden death or embolic stroke brought about by atrial fibrillation. What makes things worse is that conservative therapy often proves unreliable.
Signs that You Have High-Risk Cardiac Syncope
Cardiac syncope patients often also have accompanying serious medical conditions that will warrant further evaluation and even immediate treatment. Patients who have experienced syncope and also had the following conditions certainly need to be extra vigilant:
· Cardiac ischemia
- Temporary loss of consciousness from time to time
- Family history of heart disease
- Serious aortic stenosis
- Pulmonary embolism
Diagnosis
The doctors need to examine the person’s medical history and any medications being taken. The diagnosis could be easily done by Holter Monitoring services.
- Holter Monitors
A long-term Holter monitor would certainly be very helpful in providing consistent monitoring of the heart for tell-tale signs and assure rapid response in case an event presents itself.
The efficiency of these devices stands out in the fact that most patients (as much as 65{50448b9ee8808ace0940482606e8cba4bc5aa69342d7bc3513fe6f9117735e48}) that have undiagnosed syncope were confirmed with the help of wearable ECG Holler. The key to its success, of course, lies in extensive and lengthy monitoring that immediately alerts both patient and doctor about any noteworthy event requiring immediate medical attention.
Conclusion
Arrhythmia that also results in occasional syncope is, indeed, a perilous combination. But with the help of timely lifestyle and medical intervention as well as the other treatment options said above, its life-threatening effects can be effectively mitigated. Most patients even show full recovery and experience long, normal lives.
What’s certain is that it should never be overlooked. As soon as a patient is subject to cardiac syncope, it should already be taken as a sign that he needs medical advice and treatment, even if he almost always recovers quickly from the fainting episode. Assessment of the current structure of the heart should be made a priority, as it could immediately pinpoint whether the patient is more prone to subsequent risky syncope episodes. Holter monitors primarily take care of this particular need, highlighting the life-saving quality of the said devices through accurate diagnosis and long-term reporting of the heart’s state.
