Some people may have episodes on a daily basis, while others may only experience them a few times a year. They normally occur randomly, without any identifiable cause, but they can sometimes be triggered by strenuous exercise or drinking a lot of alcohol or caffeine. See a GP if you keep getting a fast heartbeat. It's important to get it checked out in case it could be something serious. If you've been diagnosed with WPW syndrome and you experience an episode, first try the techniques you've been taught or take any medication you've been given.
When the heart beats, its muscular walls contract tighten and squeeze to force blood out and around the body. They then relax, allowing the heart to fill with blood again. This is controlled by electrical signals. In WPW syndrome, there's an extra electrical connection in the heart, which allows electrical signals to bypass the usual route and form a short circuit. This means the signals travel round and round in a loop, causing episodes where the heart beats very fast.
The extra electrical connection is caused by a strand of heart muscle that grows while the unborn baby is developing in the womb. It's not clear exactly why this happens.
It just seems to occur randomly in some babies, although rare cases have been found to run in families. If your doctor thinks you might have WPW syndrome after assessing your symptoms, they'll probably recommend having an electrocardiogram ECG and will refer you to a cardiologist heart specialist.
An ECG is a test that records your heart's rhythm and electrical activity. For many people, WPW syndrome doesn't cause serious problems. But complications can occur. It's not always possible to know your risk of serious heart-related events. If WPW syndrome is untreated — particularly if you have other heart conditions — you might have:. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.
This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Typical heartbeat Open pop-up dialog box Close. Typical heartbeat In a typical heart rhythm, a tiny cluster of cells at the sinus node sends out an electrical signal. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Di Biase L, et al. Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome: Anatomy, epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and diagnosis.
Accessed Dec. Ferri FF. Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional.
The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website.
All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions and to ascertain whether the particular therapy, service, product or treatment described on the website is suitable in their circumstances. The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website.
Skip to main content. Home Heart. Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. Symptoms Complications The cause is unknown Diagnosis methods Treatment options Long term outlook Where to get help Things to remember. Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is characterised by attacks of rapid heart rate tachycardia , which is shown in an electrocardiogram ECG.
In some people the ECG abnormality may be present without any symptoms such as tachycardia. The heartbeat is regulated by electrical impulses that travel through the atria upper chambers of the heart to a knot of tissue known as the atrioventricular node, and then to the ventricles lower chambers of the heart. Usually electrical impulses pause at the atrioventricular node before prompting the ventricles to contract.
In Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, an extra pathway conducts the electrical impulses to the ventricles without the normal delay. This extra pathway does not usually have serious consequences. This creates a circuit in which each atrial upper chamber beat is followed by a ventricular lower chamber beat, which is then followed by another atrial beat and so on. A form of the condition also runs in families. How often a rapid heart rate occurs varies depending on the person.
Some people with WPW syndrome have only a few episodes of rapid heart rate. Others may have the rapid heart rate once or twice a week or more.
Also, there may be no symptoms at all, so that condition is found when a heart test is done for another reason. A physical exam done during a tachycardia episode will show a heart rate faster than beats per minute. A normal heart rate is 60 to beats per minute in adults, and under beats per minute in newborns, infants, and small children. Blood pressure will be normal or low in most cases.
If the person is not having tachycardia at the time of the exam, the results may be normal. A test called an electrophysiologic study EPS is done using catheters that are placed in the heart. This test may help identify the location of the extra electrical pathway. Medicines, particularly antiarrhythmic drugs such as procainamide or amiodarone, may be used to control or prevent a rapid heartbeat. If the heart rate does not return to normal with medical treatment, doctors may use a type of therapy called electrical cardioversion shock.
The long-term treatment for WPW syndrome is very often catheter ablation.
0コメント