Left bundle branch block (LBB) affects the heart’s electrical signals, causing delayed contraction in the left side of the heart. Symptoms may include fainting, and an electrocardiogram (ECG) is used to diagnose it. Treatment involves addressing underlying heart conditions, and patients may need an artificial pacemaker or angioplasty. The outlook is often positive, but LBB following a heart attack increases the risk of complications.
Left bundle branch block (LBB) is a disorder that affects the heart. Normally, the electrical signals that cause the heart muscle to contract pass through specialized heart tissue called the bundle of His before dividing into right and left branches. Each branch delivers electrical impulses rapidly to one side of the heart, and when the left branch is blocked, this can delay contraction in the left side of the heart. Depending on the degree of LBBB, there may be no symptoms or a slow heart rate or fainting may occur. Treatment is not always necessary, but drugs, artificial pacemakers, and a procedure known as coronary angioplasty may be used in some patients.
There are numerous causes of left bundle branch block. Most involve an underlying heart condition, such as cardiomyopathy, in which the heart muscle is abnormally weak or thick, or congestive heart failure, in which the heart no longer pumps blood efficiently. Branch block can also affect the right side of the heart, and causes here include structural abnormalities, heart scar tissue, heart muscle infections, and heart attacks. Hypertension can be a cause of left or right bundle branch block.
Left bundle branch block symptoms may be absent in some patients, so that the condition remains undiagnosed for years. When symptoms do occur, they may include feeling like fainting is about to occur, as well as actually passing out. Diagnosing left bundle branch block involves a test known as an electrocardiogram (ECG). In an EKG, electrodes that sense the heart’s electrical impulses are attached to the chest, and wires pass from these to a machine. The machine records the pattern of the heart’s electrical activity, and the doctor can see if the pattern typically associated with BBS is present.
Treatment of left bundle branch block often involves treating an underlying heart condition. The drugs can be used to treat heart failure, lower blood pressure, and improve blood flow to the heart. Patients who experience fainting may have an artificial pacemaker fitted under the skin of the chest, with a wire connecting it to the heart. This device is able to regulate the rhythm of the heart.
Patients with blocked coronary arteries, which reduce blood supply to the heart, may need to widen those arteries using a procedure known as angioplasty. A tube called a stent can be inserted to keep an artery open. The outlook for patients who develop left bundle branch block is often positive. When left bundle branch block occurs following a heart attack, the risk of death or complications is higher in these patients than in heart attack survivors who do not develop BBS.
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