5 symptoms of respiratory arrhythmia in adults and children

There are several types of arrhythmia, and one of them is sinus respiratory arrhythmia, which is expressed in an increase in the heart rate (HR) during inhalation (tachyarrhythmia) and a slowdown during exhalation (bradyarrhythmia). This form of cardiac arrhythmia is an independent nosological unit. It is confirmed by the fact that she has her own code according to ICD-10 - the tenth version of the International Classification of Diseases, in which each pathology known to specialists is indicated by an alphanumeric code, which is done for ease of classification and simplification of diagnosis. In the classifier, this pathology is designated as R00.

Causes and risks of development

Respiratory arrhythmia (RA) is much more common in children than in adults, and debilitated and premature infants are at risk. The main cause of the chronic form of pathology is the insufficient maturity of the nervous system, which is responsible for regulating the work of the heart in the human body.

1. High intracranial pressure, which can be the result of both congenital cerebral pathologies and trauma to the baby during an unfavorable course of labor in a woman.
2. Rickets - a lack of vitamins in a child's body not only leads to disruption of the normal development of his musculoskeletal system, but also causes dysfunction in the central nervous system, affecting the degree of its excitability.
3. Significant excess of the norm of weight - it should be recognized that among today's children and adolescents, representatives of the generation that sits for hours on social networks on the Internet and replaces a healthy diet with the use of Coca-Cola, chips and hamburgers, this phenomenon occurs quite often. Meanwhile, evolution over many generations has calculated the "standard parameters" of the load and the normal level of functional activity of all human organs. The fact that a child weighs significantly more than he should for his age and physique does not mean that the size of his heart will increase simultaneously with the addition of extra pounds. The children's heart muscle, forced to provide a full-fledged blood supply to the “non-childish” body weight, works with chronic overstrain, which leads, among other things, to rhythmic failures, the result of which is respiratory arrhythmia;
4. Adolescent vegetovascular dystonia, the cause of which is the intensive growth of a child at puberty - a period when explosive hormonal changes begin in the body. The children's cardiovascular system at first may not keep up with the rapidly developing musculoskeletal system, but over time the process is synchronized.

Parents of children who have been diagnosed with such a form of cardiac dysfunction as respiratory arrhythmia should not be too scared and upset. Experts believe that children's respiratory arrhythmia cannot be called a disease in the full sense of the word, since in itself it does not threaten the life or health of the baby and disappears without treatment as it grows up, strengthens the child's body and normalizes the regulatory function. Respiratory arrhythmia does not cause any discomfort to the child, has practically no external symptoms and can only be detected during a cardiological examination, when taking an ECG - an electrocardiogram. However, the results of such an examination cannot be ignored, since respiratory arrhythmia can also be a sign of a serious illness that needs to be identified and treated in a timely manner. Therefore, doctors take children with signs of respiratory arrhythmia under systematic observation from the moment it is diagnosed and until such time as the teenager crosses the line between transitional and adolescence.

• coronary heart disease (CHD);
• vegetovascular dystonia, which in adults, unlike teenagers of adolescence, is a serious disease;
• pathologies of the thyroid gland;
• rheumatic heart disease, or rheumatism of the heart;
• osteochondrosis of the spine, in which they are the result of pinched nerve endings;
• febrile body temperature (above 38-39 ° C) - one of the main
• signs of viral and inflammatory infections.

• prolonged physical exhaustion - this is facilitated by "weight loss" diets;
• chronic fatigue, often found in workaholics;
• strong nervous tension, stress - an inevitable companion of the super-intense pace of modern life;
• intoxication of the body with nicotine, alcohol, drugs, chemicals;
• uncontrolled intake of certain medications without a doctor's prescription.

All these situations affect the state of the nervous system and lead to a failure of its regulatory mechanisms, causing heart rhythm disturbances. Since biological rhythms in adults are stable and the body has long been well adapted to them, such disorders in the work of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, unlike children, cause them very noticeable discomfort.

Types and symptoms

Respiratory arrhythmia can have three forms of manifestation: mild, moderate and severe. A mild form of DA is a fairly common occurrence during pregnancy, and the cause of its occurrence, as in adolescence, is hormonal changes. In addition, the growing fetus takes away most of the nutrients, vitamins, microelements, such as calcium, potassium and magnesium from the mother's body, and their deficiency in the body negatively affects the state of the woman's cardiovascular system. In addition, the enlarging uterus begins to press on the diaphragm, lifting it up and leading to a decrease in free space in the chest, which can cause discomfort in the heart and lungs. But it has a latent (hidden) or mild character and does not cause much concern to the expectant mother. After the birth of a child, discomfort usually disappears completely.

However, in the event that the symptoms become sufficiently pronounced, the woman should be sure to inform the doctor observing her and undergo a thorough cardiological examination. If it proves that respiratory arrhythmia is a consequence of changes in the body caused by pregnancy, the doctor prescribes a vitamin-mineral complex of drugs, the intake of which restores the disturbed balance. If other causes of pathological manifestations are found, the efforts of physicians are focused on their elimination and treatment of diseases that caused respiratory arrhythmia.

With a moderate form of respiratory arrhythmia, a state of discomfort also occurs, but the attacks are short-lived and occur occasionally. This form indicates the occurrence of pathological changes in the body, and when such symptoms appear, a person needs to undergo a detailed medical examination to find out their cause.

A picture of moderate DA may also indicate an improvement in the patient's condition. This happens when a person recovers after a myocardial infarction, rheumatic heart disease, severe diseases of an infectious and inflammatory nature - for example, pneumonia.

include :

1. Shortness of breath, frequent shortness of breath.
2. Pain in the chest in the region of the heart.
3. Cyanosis - blue lips and nasolabial triangle, fingernails.
4. Fast fatiguability.
5. Dizziness, headache, frequent fainting.

In addition to classification according to the severity of symptoms, experts divide respiratory arrhythmia into two main types, depending on the nature and moment of manifestation of the symptoms of the disease.

• typical - it is characterized by chest pain that occurs with increased physical activity. The pain syndrome is caused by a violation of the rhythm of contraction of the heart ventricles, which becomes more frequent, acquiring a chaotic character, due to which there is a violation of the supply of the heart and lungs with oxygen;
• paroxysmal - inhaling air, a person experiences a sensation resembling a blow to the chest. In this case, there is a sharp increase in heart rate, the pulse can reach up to two hundred beats per minute. Attacks of paroxysmal respiratory arrhythmia can last for several hours, and deliver to the patient not just discomfort, but a painful condition.

Both of these types of DA are observed in both adults and young people. But if at a young age they indicate functional disorders of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, which may disappear on their own over time, then for adults it is a signal of the body about chronic cardiopathologies of an organic nature, in which diagnosis and therapy are an urgent need.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of respiratory arrhythmia begins with a visual examination of the patient by a doctor and auscultation of his chest with a phonendoscope. In addition, the doctor conducts a survey of the patient, finding out his complaints and the nature of pathological sensations, as well as asking about past diseases that may be the cause of arrhythmia. After that, he recommends that the patient undergo a series of examinations in order to confirm or refute the alleged diagnosis.

Another method of cardiac examination for respiratory arrhythmia is the removal of an echocardiogram or echocardiogram, which is often called an ultrasound examination - ultrasound of the heart. The diagnosis is made by the nature of the ultrasonic pulses reflected from the heart tissues, recorded by the sensor.

Ultrasound examination of the heart can be one-dimensional and two-dimensional. In the first case, the reflected impulses are displayed on the screen in the form of a graph that needs to be decoded, similar to the decoding of an ECG. With a two-dimensional ultrasound, an image of the heart appears on the echocardiograph monitor, which allows the doctor to visually observe its contractile activity, correlating it with the indications of arterial pulsation, and, depending on this, draw conclusions about the nature of cardiac arrhythmias.

• biochemical analysis of blood;
• a blood test to determine the level of hormones;
• clinical analysis of urine.

All these tests are necessary to determine the nature of the disorders in the body that caused the development of respiratory arrhythmia. Only after the final confidence in the primary source of the pathological symptom, the doctor decides which therapeutic technique should be used to correct the situation.

Treatment and prevention of respiratory arrhythmia

For emergency assistance during an attack of respiratory arrhythmia and symptom relief, you can use the following techniques:

1. Carotid massage. Light stroking and tapping in the neck area closer to the cheekbone for 10-15 seconds - first on the left, then on the right side, with a minute break after each dose.
2. Also, the simultaneous tension of the abdominal muscles, buttocks and hips for 10-15 seconds, interspersed with the same period of relaxation, helps to stop the beginning attack.

• pharmacy vitamin complexes;
• restorative means;
• in the case of a pronounced form - antiarrhythmic drugs and cardiac glycosides.

The appointment of drug therapy is the prerogative of physicians. Self-medication is not recommended.

Respiratory arrhythmia may be a symptom of some other pathology. Then it is not her that should be treated, but the disease that became the root cause of the development of DA.

Due to the fact that this type of arrhythmia does not have a clear etiology, that is, certain causes of development, it is impossible to foresee its occurrence and take preventive measures to guarantee the prevention of this phenomenon. DA prevention is a measure known as a healthy lifestyle.

1. Compliance with the regime of work and rest in order to avoid chronic overwork.
2. Stop smoking and alcohol abuse.
3. Moderate exercise and sports to train the heart muscle.
4. Daily stay in the fresh air - at least 3-4 hours a day.
5. Hardening procedures that reduce the risk of developing infectious diseases, which sometimes become a "trigger" for respiratory arrhythmia.
6. If possible, avoid stress that negatively affects the state of the heart.
7. Complete nutrition: the diet should include a full range of all substances necessary for the body - proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and trace elements.

The number of preventive measures also includes mastering the technique of self-control of breathing by performing special exercises to arbitrarily accelerate and slow down the respiratory rhythm. Since there is a kind of feedback between the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, such exercises have a beneficial effect on the heart rate.