The Long Q-T Syndrome : What Is It?
The long Q-T syndrome is a disease that usually targets young adults or children only. Cases of this condition in adults are quite rare, although possible. It is a hereditary disease and is characterized by the abnormality in the electrical rhythm of the heart. In order for us to understand this disease, it is important to know first how the heart functions.
The heart emits an electrical signal every time it contracts. The signal that the heart generates is recorded in a medical device commonly used to diagnose heart diseases, the electrocardiogram or ECG. The ECG is a medical device that produces a waveform to characterize the heart’s signals.
Every waveform produced using ECG is broken down into parts. And each part is assigned a corresponding letter. The letters P, Q, R, S, and T are the ones used. Given that, the Q-T interval signifies the time of electrical inactivation and activation of the heart ventricles, or more particularly, the lower chambers of the heart. The Q-T internal normally occurs in a fraction of a second. If the Q-T interval takes longer than usual, a disease is diagnosed and we know it as the long Q-T interval.
Symptoms of Long Q-T Syndrome
When the Q-T interval of a person is observed as unusually long, symptoms would occur. Arrhythmia, or the abnormal beating and rhythm of the heart, is expected. Arrhythmia may cause the heart muscles not to contract efficiently. And so the amount of blood supplied to the body is reduced. The organ most affected with this condition is the brain. It is a given fact that when a person’s brain becomes short of oxygen, he faints almost instantly.
Now fainting is only the milder effect of arrhythmia. It is important to realize that if arrhythmia is left untreated, it can become fatal. Arrhythmia may cause the heart to go into seizures. Usually, the next stage of arrhythmia is ventricular fibrillation. And that’s a disease that requires immediate medical emergency treatment as death could follow in a matter of minutes.
Causes of Long Q-T Syndrome
The long Q-T syndrome is hereditary. This means that the people who have a family history of it are more likely to develop the disease. And because they are a higher risk, extraneous physical exercises may bring the disease forward. Intense emotions like pain, anger, or fright will also qualify as a cause of it. On most people, even a startling noise could trigger an episode of the long Q-T syndrome.
Treatment of Long Q-T Syndrome
Drugs can treat mild cases of long Q-T syndrome. Beta-blockers are usually given to control it. Beta-blockers are known to slow down the rate of the heart. The common examples of this drug are nadolol and propranolol.
Increased potassium intake is also prescribed. Potassium is a mineral that improves the heart’s electrical system. And it is effective in shortening a prolonged Q-T interval reading of patients. Food rich in potassium may be taken, along with supplementary drugs that can be bought either over-the-counter or with prescription.
If drugs can’t do the job, artificial pacemakers are the next step. Artificial pacemakers are also referred to as cardioverter-defibrillator implants. These small devices are placed under the skin just very near the chest. Its job is to monitor heartbeats and rhythms and it stops arrhythmia before it starts.
And if drugs and pacemakers prove to be useless, surgery is the last option. The procedure performed is called left sided sympathetic denervation surgery. Here, certain nerves that are located in the chest are cut surgically. The nerves cut are the ones that regulate the heart’s rhythm. Only patients who have very high risks of developing serious complications due to the disease undergo it.
