Heart Blocks

Heart block is a type of arrhythmia that affects the rate (number of beats per minute) or rhythm (the pattern of pulses produced) of your heartbeat. 

During heart block, electricity isn’t able to travel all the way through the chambers of your heart. Some people are born with this condition, known as congenital heart block, but most develop it over the course of their lifetime.

Expert Care and Cutting-Edge Heart Block Treatment

Heart specialists at Houston Methodist use the latest technology to diagnose heart block and work as a team to design the most effective heart block treatment plan for your unique needs and lifestyle.

If heart block is suspected, our experts perform a full cardiac evaluation, testing for heart blockage using an electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG). If heart block is detected and requires treatment, we have expert electrophysiologists, specialists who treat conditions that affect the heart's electrical system.

If you’re experiencing severe heart block symptoms, our specialists are also experts at the surgical techniques needed to implant a pacemaker, which can help restore and control your heart’s proper rhythm.

Types of Heart Block

There are three types of heart block, differing by symptoms and degree of severity.

First-degree heart block

First-degree heart block may not cause any severe symptoms. It can be common in elite athletes or caused by certain medications, such as beta-blockers.

Second-degree heart block

Second-degree heart block may result in the heart skipping one or more beats — causing dizziness or fainting. This type of heart block is further broken down into two subtypes:

• Second-degree type 1 heart block – the less serious form of second-degree heart block
• Second-degree type 2 heart block – a more serious form of second-degree heart block, resulting in a heartbeat that’s significantly slower than normal

Third-degree heart block

Third-degree heart block may lead to dizziness, fainting or fatigue, but could also result in cardiac arrest or death.