• Home

Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)

Toggle: English / Spanish

Sick sinus syndrome

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

Bradycardia-tachycardia syndrome; Sinus node dysfunction

Symptoms:

• Fainting or near-fainting
• Dizziness or light-headedness
• Confusion or other changes in mental status
• Sensation of feeling the heart beat ( palpitations )
• Chest pain or angina
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue

Usually, no symptoms occur.

Signs and tests:

The symptoms are non-specific and may mimic other disorders. The patient's heart rate may be very slow at any time. Blood pressure may be normal or low.

Sick sinus syndrome may cause symptoms of heart failure to occur or worsen. Sick sinus syndrome is diagnosed when the symptoms occur only during episodes of arrhythmia. However, this often is difficult to prove.

An ECG may show various arrhythmias characteristic of sick sinus syndrome. Exercise testing has not proven particularly effective as a screening tool.

Holter monitoring is an effective tool for diagnosing sick sinus syndrome because of the episodic nature of the disorder. Extremely slow heart rate and prolonged pauses may be seen during Holter monitoring, along with episodes of atrial tachycardias. An EPS (intracardiac electrophysiology study) is a very specific test for this disorder, although it is often unable to confirm the diagnosis.

• Review Date: 11/6/2006
• Reviewed By: Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process . A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2007 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.