The technical definition of a heart block is a delay in the flow of electrical impulses that control the heart. There are three different kinds of heart block, and they are unoriginally named first-, second-, and third-degree. The electrical impulses are important, because they control the rhythmic order of the heart. The main point in the heart for these impulses is the atrioventricular node (AV node). The heart block slows down this impulse and the level of reduction in speed is classified by degree type.

The first-degree heart block reduces the electrical signal only by a small amount. The main cause of the reduction is a defective part of the system. If a young child takes a chest blow, it might develop a heart block. This kind of heart block is common. It can be found in anyone from teenagers to athletes. It can be caused by rheumatic fever, heart disease, or drugs. It is hard to know if someone has it, because it produces no symptoms.

The next kind is the second-degree heart block. A second-degree heart block means not all the impulses reach the right place. The amount of stopping could range from every other beat to rarely. If the impulse is prevented enough, a condition called bradycardia might occur. Bradycardia means that the heart has reached a speed of under sixty beats per minute.

Sometime second-degree heart block can transform into third-degree. In this form of heart block, no signal passes by the AV node, so the heart has to send the signals in other ways. The alternate route, that the impulses have to take, slows the heart too much to be effective. Some of the symptoms that result from this heart block include fainting and sudden heart failure. If the heart can keep going above forty beats a minute, the symptoms will be less severe.

Diagnosis for the first two kinds of heart block is not easy. It can only be seen in an electrocardiograph (ECG). The third-degree can be diagnosis from the symptoms and then an ECG can confirm. The treatment depends on the type. People with first-degree will not know they have it, and require no treatment. If someone’s second-degree heart block is severe enough, they will require a pacemaker. Third-degree heart block patients almost always require a pacemaker. The good news is that with treatment and proper care, people with a heart block can have a normal life.