Health-and-Age

I have been diagnosed with left bundle branch block, although apparently I have never had any symptoms or effects from it. I know this means somehow the electrical impulses to my heart are blocked and have to take an alternate route, but I can't get clear answers from my doctor as to what this really means. Are there any symptoms I am to watch out for? How do I know if this is going bad? What can the doctors do about it? Am I going to just drop dead of this someday? Incidently, I had one chemical stress test last year and they want me to have another one this year.
Actually, I had the stress test in 2004 and they want me to have another one this October. The stress test results were normal. Also, I had an echocardiogram which showed no problems.

Dear Carol:
If there is nothing else wrong with your heart, you probably will not feel any symptoms of bundle branch block (BBB). In fact, some people may have bundle branch block for years and never know they have the condition.
So why should we worry about bundle branch block? Because it can be a warning sign of other, more serious heart conditions. For example, it might mean that a small part of your heart is not getting enough oxygen-rich blood. Also, researchers have found that people who have left bundle branch block may be at greater risk for heart disease than are people who do not have the condition.
In the heart we have a normal pacemaker, called the SA node. This is a specialized group of cells located in the heart's right upper chamber (right atrium). Somewhere between 60 and 100 times a minute, this pacemaker emits an electrical impulse. This impulse then travels throughout the heart on a specified route. As the impulse passes through the heart, the heart muscle contracts (beats). The impulse first travels through the upper chambers (the atria). Before it can go to the lower chambers (the ventricles), it must pass through one small group of cells called the AV node. The AV node is located between the atria and the ventricles. After the impulse goes through this AV node, it goes along a track called the "bundle of His." From there, this bundle divides into a right bundle and a left bundle. These two bundles go to the right and left lower chambers of the heart. All of this is much like following the roads on a freeway map.
Normally, the electrical impulse travels down both the right and left branches at the same speed. Thus, both ventricles contract at the same time. But occasionally there's a block in one of the branches. This doesn't mean that one of the ventricles won't contract. It just means that impulses must travel to the affected side by a detour that slows them down. That means one ventricle contracts a fraction of a second slower than the other. Usually if there's nothing else wrong, a person with bundle branch block shows no symptoms. But since we can record the electrical impulses through the heart with an electrocardiogram (ECG), a bundle branch block shows up on the ECG as an abnormality.
If you have bundle branch block, it may have only been noticed when you had an ECG. You may feel fine. However, there's something wrong with the blocked bundle. That's why, if you have bundle branch block, your physician will want to see you regularly to be sure no other changes occur. You may have bundle branch block for many years and still feel fine, but it's important to have regular check-ups
There is no specific therapy for BBB. Patients are usually treated for associated heart diseases. Symptoms of heart disease vary according to the type of heart disease. Unfortunately, some heart diseases cause no symptoms early in their course. When symptoms occur, they vary from person to person. Symptoms may include chest pain, shortness of breath, weakness and fatigue, palpitations (the sensation of the heart beating in the chest), light-headedness, and fainting, or feeling about to faint. This link may be of interest to you. http://www.tmc.edu/thi/bbblock.html
Because LBBB may proceed heart disease, you may find this information is helpful to you in aiding heart disease prevention. Many factors increase the risk of developing coronary artery/heart disease, and stroke. They include: family history of premature coronary heart disease, high levels of cholesterol in the blood, diabetes, menopause without estrogen replacement therapy, smoking, high blood pressure (hypertension), sedentary lifestyle, obesity, and poor stress management. In some cases, atherosclerosis cannot be prevented. Atherosclerosis is a common disorder of the arteries. Fat, cholesterol and other substances accumulate in the walls of arteries and form "atheroma" or plaques. Although you cannot change your age, gender, or family history, you can take steps to lower the other risks For any person with CAD or heart disease, there are important lifestyle changes necessary to preserve optimum health and/or prevent further damage. One should adhere to a healthy diet, free of saturated fats and cholesterol, and containing plenty of fiber (as found in fruits, vegetables and cereals). Also of importance is regular physical exercise, losing extra weight, and maintaining normal weight. Also stress management, NO smoking, and no more than 1-2 glasses of red wine daily are best. The links for these topics are below "How to start exercising" (However, all exercise is good as long as it is regular), stress management and diet advice.. http://www.healthandage.com/Home/gid2=713 http://www.nmha.org/infoctr/factsheets/41.cfm http://wso.williams.edu:8000/orgs/peerh/stress/relax.html
low fat low cholesterol high fiber diet http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=515 http://www.cbvcp.com/heart/aharecip.htm http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/apr97/Dash.htm http://www.healthandage.com/Home?gid2=675 http://www.healthandage.com/Home/gm=20!gc=9!l=2!gid2=2211

I have LBBB, which, it has been suggested, I developed as a result of chemotherapy. For the past 6 months I have experienced extreme fatigue, effecting my energy levels and my cognitive ability. I have had many blood tests, and have been pro-active about taking vitamin supplements and eating the right foods (no animal fats whatsoever; only organically grown produce, etc.), and I am not overweight. Could the fatigue be related to LBBB? And, if so, what shoudl I do about it?

hi, i am no expert but i know from family experience that chemotherapy is very hard on you. it may be the cause of your low energy. i also have a left bundle block and i got really scared i went for a regular check up my doc did a ekg she freaked out rushed me to the emergency room where they kept me in the heart unit for two days and ran extensive test. my blood pressure dropped in the middle of the night when a half ass nurse case in and stuck a big needle in my hand. i almost blacked out . they scared the hell out of me. my advice to you is dont smoke cut caffine almost completely. it is so important. it really makes a differance it can mess with your heart rate. i take a good womens mulit vitamin cal mag &zinc and omega 3 fish oil. i work out daily try trendmill walking free weights what ever you can do . and you must eat healthy. imean no junk no sweets . i eat eggbeaters fake sausage fresh fruit for mid morning snack salad for lunch fresh vegtables for mid afternoon and a healthy dinner. i cut out white flour everthing is whole grain. and for dessert fat free pudding or angle cake. i do have one or to at most glasses of red or white wine. i drink decaff water and unsweet tea. sounds like a lot of hard work and it is. but you are worth it and once you get use to it you will feel great. i sure hope this helps you. take care brenda

heather i am sorry for the nurse statement. she was not a r.n.

I was diagnosed recently with a murmur, SVT, and bundle block. Are they all realted? I'm female, 39 and in good health. My main complaints are arryythmia and fatigue. The fatigue is getting to be a problem.

Hi Carol, I have been diagnosed with LBBB and they did a CT angiogram just to make sure there were no blocked arteries. Everything came out normal but unlike you I have had symptoms of major flip flopping of my heart. I have found out that it is nothing to worry about, but it is annoying. Hopefully, you won't have to worry about that but you should see a cardiologist, just in case there's something else wrong.