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Are junctional beats normal
I get junctional beats while asleep when my heart rate goes as low as 39bpm. Is this normal.
I don't honestly know if this is "normal" or not. My guess is that it's not normal, but considering your age, is acceptable. I would continue to monitor this. You and your physician are aware of it, so let him make the call.
2 Comments
Perfectly normal.
Basically the heart works like this..
Most folks hearts rely on the atria to keep ticking.. The atria beats at rates above 60 bpm in most cases.
If for any reason the atria stops working.. Or slows down below 40- 60 bpm the Junction takes over. This is a healthy mechanism that has evolved to act as a "fail safe" in case something goes wrong.
When the junction takes over the heart rate will fall to about 40- 60 bpm until the atria is ready to take back over again.
Should the junction fail or fall below 20- 40 the ventricles take over. This is the third and finak failsafe designed to keep us alive.. The ventricles pump at rates below 40 bpm and provide just enough blood to sustain us a bit longer in hopes the junction or atria will recover.
9 times out of 10.. When our nervous system sends signals in the form of adrenaline or hormones to our hearts.. Some of these hormones "spill" into the ventricles, jumpstarting them into attempting to take over. We call this phenomenon a PVC :)
Anyways when we sleep at might our adrenaline levels are low and our adenosine and acetylcholine a bit higher.. This means our heart beats slower.. However if the amount of these chemicals that reach the atria doesnt have an appropriate balance with the amount delivered to the junction this may cause the junction to remain "awake" and sense a "failure" in the atrial pacemakers.
Its a common mix up that oresents no danger.. Once you wake up it stops happening. At no point is your heart at risk of stopping in your sleep or anything because the junction is still very active and capable of sustaining the human body for months if need be.
Basically the heart works like this..
Most folks hearts rely on the atria to keep ticking.. The atria beats at rates above 60 bpm in most cases.
If for any reason the atria stops working.. Or slows down below 40- 60 bpm the Junction takes over. This is a healthy mechanism that has evolved to act as a "fail safe" in case something goes wrong.
When the junction takes over the heart rate will fall to about 40- 60 bpm until the atria is ready to take back over again.
Should the junction fail or fall below 20- 40 the ventricles take over. This is the third and finak failsafe designed to keep us alive.. The ventricles pump at rates below 40 bpm and provide just enough blood to sustain us a bit longer in hopes the junction or atria will recover.
9 times out of 10.. When our nervous system sends signals in the form of adrenaline or hormones to our hearts.. Some of these hormones "spill" into the ventricles, jumpstarting them into attempting to take over. We call this phenomenon a PVC :)
Anyways when we sleep at might our adrenaline levels are low and our adenosine and acetylcholine a bit higher.. This means our heart beats slower.. However if the amount of these chemicals that reach the atria doesnt have an appropriate balance with the amount delivered to the junction this may cause the junction to remain "awake" and sense a "failure" in the atrial pacemakers.
Its a common mix up that oresents no danger.. Once you wake up it stops happening. At no point is your heart at risk of stopping in your sleep or anything because the junction is still very active and capable of sustaining the human body for months if need be.
In fact.. Id say this is a reassuring phenomenon.
Isolated junctional escape or even full blown junctional rhythm in certain circumstances (transiently during sleep), tells me that the AV Junction is healthy and ready to pick up the pace.
Its evidence that should some sort of unusual event occur with the atrial conduction system, the heart will default to a junctional rhythm capable of sustaining the body for weeks or even months maybe even years as opposed to a much more serious idioventricular rhythm capable of just a few days.
Isolated junctional escape or even full blown junctional rhythm in certain circumstances (transiently during sleep), tells me that the AV Junction is healthy and ready to pick up the pace.
Its evidence that should some sort of unusual event occur with the atrial conduction system, the heart will default to a junctional rhythm capable of sustaining the body for weeks or even months maybe even years as opposed to a much more serious idioventricular rhythm capable of just a few days.
These junctional beats sometimes occur in athletic, young adults during the sleep cycle. You didn't mention your age. At the other end of the spectrum they can also present themselves in people with sick sinus syndrome. Just as long as your physician is aware of them. Curious though: How did you know you were having them?
1 Comments
I'm 18 and I had an 24hr ECG monitor
I believe junctional rhythms are kind if like a protective mechanism when the heart rate falls into your area. I believe its normal only in a sense that the protective mechanism is doing what it's supposed to do. Are you seeing a physician about this? That is a very low heart rate.
1 Comments
No I'm not when my doctor went through my 24hr tape results he didn't look concerned about it or say anything about it.
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