What is sick sinus syndrome?

病窦综合征(SSS)是一种位于右上心室(右心房)的心脏自然起搏器受损，不能再以正常速率产生正常心跳的疾病. 这可能是由于其他医疗条件，损害窦房结(窦房结)随着时间的推移，或可能是某些药物的结果. This can result in heartbeats that are too slow, 太快-或者心跳在快与慢之间交替. 

What causes sick sinus syndrome?

任何可能导致心脏损伤的情况都可能损害窦房结. This includes:

• Coronary artery disease
• Prior heart attack
• Atrial fibrillation
• Heart failure or cardiomyopathy
• Taking certain medicines such as beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, digoxin, and antiarrhythmics
• Severe hypothyroidism
• 累及心脏的炎症(风湿热), Chagas disease, pericarditis, myocarditis)
• 浸润性心脏病(结节病、淀粉样变性、硬皮病、血色素沉着症)
• Electrolyte abnormalities such as high potassium levels
• Rare familial disease
• Trauma

甲状腺功能减退、体温过低和电解质问题通常是可逆的.

What are the risk factors for sick sinus syndrome?

病态窦性综合症对男性和女性的影响是平等的，并且可以发生在任何年龄. But most cases of SSS occur in people over age 70, 因为衰老会减慢心率，降低窦房结功能.

如果你有以下任何一种情况，你患SSS的风险更大:

• Coronary artery disease or history of heart attack
• Heart failure or cardiomyopathy
• Atrial fibrillation
• 可累及心脏的炎症，如风湿热, pericarditis, Chagas disease, or myocarditis
• 浸润性心脏病，如结节病、淀粉样变性、血色素沉着症或硬皮病
• Hypothyroidism
• Rare familial diseases
• Trauma

你也有更大的风险，你服用药物，如-受体阻滞剂, calcium channel blockers, digoxin, antiarrhythmics.

What are the symptoms of sick sinus syndrome?

You may have sick sinus syndrome with few or no symptoms. If you do have symptoms, they may include:

• Dizziness
• Fainting
• Shortness of breath, especially with exertion
• Heart palpitations
• Chest pain

How is sick sinus syndrome diagnosed?

您的医疗保健提供者可能会根据您的症状怀疑病态窦综合征, but they are common in many other diseases. 为了诊断你的病情，医生会给你做心电图(ECG)检查。. This is a machine that records your heart's rate and rhythm. 如果你在心电图检查时没有症状，它可能看起来很正常.

Other possible tests include:

• An ECG while you walk on a treadmill (stress test)
• 动态心电图监护仪，一种可以随身携带超过24小时的记录仪，可以记录心电图

• 一个事件记录仪，一个你可以戴上几天的记录仪，它可以记录你的心率
• Electrophysiologic testing, 一种通过大腿静脉将导管插入心脏的医院手术
• 心脏超声检查，可以检查心脏的结构性问题

How is sick sinus syndrome treated?

你可能没有任何症状，也不需要治疗. 但是，如果您确实有症状并需要治疗，则有以下选择:

• Medicine change. 如果您正在服用任何已知会引起病态窦性综合征的药物，您的医疗保健提供者可能会改变您的药物.
• Blood thinners. 因为这会增加在心脏形成血块并导致中风的风险, you may need to take a blood thinner as a preventive step.
• Pacemaker. 对于没有可识别的可逆原因的症状患者，最常见的治疗方法是植入起搏器. This is a small, 电池供电的装置，它代替你的窦房结，调节你的心率. 在小手术过程中，医生会在你的胸部皮肤下放置起搏器. 电线被放置在心脏内，可以监测心率，并在需要时刺激心跳.

What are the complications of sick sinus syndrome?

Sick sinus syndrome often progresses over time. 当你的心跳过慢或太快时，都会导致并发症:

• You may be injured if you pass out during an arrhythmia.
• 心脏血流受损可能导致其他器官损伤，如脑和肾脏功能

Living with sick sinus syndrome

窦房结的老化是大多数病窦综合征的原因, and there’s no way to prevent that. 但你可以通过尽可能多地了解这种疾病，并与你的心脏病专家密切合作，找到最好的治疗方法，来帮助预防并发症.

You can also make healthy lifestyle changes:

• Don't smoke.
• 与你的医疗保健提供者合作，控制高胆固醇和高血压等疾病.
• Eat a heart-healthy diet.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Get regular exercise.
• Tell your healthcare provider if you have any symptoms.

Key points

• Sick sinus syndrome is a slow heart rate.
• 最常见的原因是随着年龄的增长窦房结功能逐渐丧失.
• 你可能没有任何症状，也可能感到头晕、昏厥、呼吸急促或疲劳.
• 病态窦性综合症可以通过改变你的药物来治疗, treating underlying medical conditions, or inserting a pacemaker.
• Not smoking, keeping your cholesterol and blood pressure under control, eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, 有规律的锻炼可以帮助降低患病窦性综合症的风险.

Next steps

帮助您从医疗保健提供者那里获得最大收益的建议:

• Know the reason for your visit and what you want to happen.
• Before your visit, write down questions you want answered.
• 带一个人来帮你问问题，记住你的医生告诉你的.
• 在就诊时，写下新诊断的名称，以及任何新的药物、治疗方法或测试. Also write down any new instructions your provider gives you.
• 了解为什么要开一种新药或治疗方法，以及它将如何帮助你. Also know what the side effects are.
• Ask if your condition can be treated in other ways.
• 了解为什么要推荐一个测试或程序，以及结果可能意味着什么.
• 知道如果你不吃药或不做检查或不做手术会发生什么.
• 如果你有后续预约，写下日期、时间和目的.
• 知道如果你有问题如何联系你的供应商.