Right bundle branch block

[Bowcat]

Hi,

I've been suffering from long covid for quite a few months now and I had an ECG a couple of weeks ago also saw the Cardiologist who said L. C has caused my heart problems again. I've been getting prep fainting spells every day and breathlessness. I received a letter today saying I have right bundle branch block with left axis deviation. Can anyone explain this to me please? I'm also being sent for a heart monitor and echo!

Thanks in Advance.

[Autumn_Leaves]

First of all, don’t worry! I’m sorry to read about your experiences with LC. I have ME/CFS and there seems to be a lot of overlap with the realities of living with LC.

There are some people in this forum who have AF and LBBB who can talk you through their experiences and how to live with it. I’m not sure whether left axis deviation is significant in your case but it may just be one of those incidental findings.

Please don’t worry about your echocardiogram. They are routine when people are found to have arrhythmias. Echocardiograms look at the structure of your heart to determine whether there is anything there to explain your arrhythmias. Sometimes there are minor changes but they mostly have no clinical significance, and if so, they may recommend a repeat echocardiogram every few years to see if there is any progression or improvement. It doesn’t mean you are doomed! Sometimes your echocardiogram is fine with no recommendations for any future echocardiograms

If you are having a 24h ECG (or longer) there’s nothing much to worry about. They can be a lot more useful than the standard ECG in that they can detect abnormal heart rhythms that might not show up on an ECG that only records over a few seconds. If you feel faint or dizzy you can make a note of when it happens in the diary sheet

I know that hearing these terms for the first time sound scary, but knowledge is power and at at least you are under the care of a cardiologist.

The BHF forum is also a good place for helpful information.

[Bowcat in reply to Autumn_Leaves]

Thank you for your response. I have had AF for 7 years and I have had heart monitors, echoes and 2 Ablations but I just wanted to know if anyone knew what it meant, RBBB and left axis deviation?

[Autumn_Leaves in reply to Bowcat]

Sorry, I thought this was all a recent onset.

There have been people on this forum who live with AF and bundle branch blocks, so perhaps someone will post about it soon.

[Bowcat in reply to Autumn_Leaves]

That's OK no problem at all! Thank you

[Buffafly]

This is copied from the BHF website:

Bundle branch blocks

A bundle branch block is when electrical impulses travel through the ventricles (the bottom chambers of your heart) slower than is normal, because of a block in the electrical pathway. This delay doesn’t cause symptoms.

The delay or block can happen on the pathway that sends electrical signals to either the left or right side of the ventricles. The blockages can be seen as a particular pattern on an ECG.

There are two types of bundle branch blocks:

Left bundle branch block - which could be a sign of an underlying heart condition which you may need treatment for.

Right bundle branch block - can happen naturally in people with no heart disease, but can also be caused by an underlying heart condition.

A bundle branch block itself doesn’t need any treatment but if there is an underlying heart condition, you may need treatment for that condition.

Can’t help with left axis deviation though.

[Bowcat in reply to Buffafly]

Thank you so much for your response. I understand it a bit better now.

[Ppiman]

I have LBBB as opposed to your, more common, RBBB. I was told that these bundle branch blocks are not uncommon and generally of no consequence. The block refers to some changes to a conduction pathway between the upper and lower heart chambers (the atrium and the ventricles); this pathway is called the bundle of His and Purkinje fibres, and it splits into two, a left and right. That's where our issue occurs. The existence of the BBB forces the ventricles to contract a little later because the conduction route is less direct and more diffuse.

I was told generally that these forms of heart block are generally safe and won't cause symptoms, but that they can. I have rea, but not been told, that RBBB is better to have, in that respect. Finding out much more hasn't been easy but I was prescribed a blood pressure drug called losartan, not because I had high BP, but because it has been shown to protect the heart's health and output over time.

Steve

[Bowcat]

Thanks for your response Steve. I had LBBB before I had my Ablations but now it's right. I do have symptoms, fainting spells every day. Interesting about your blood pressure meds, I'm opposite to High I have low blood pressure. This maybe something I could ask the Dr. Thank you.