That day, 36-year-old Mr. Zhang just finished work, suddenly felt flustered chest tightness, pale, colleagues hurriedly sent him to the hospital. After the doctor made a comprehensive examination, he found that Mr. Zhang had atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is a kind of arrhythmia, which occurs in all kinds of heart disease patients.
But after examination, Mr. Chen’s heart itself was not damaged. So, who is the real culprit that caused Mr. Zhang’s arrhythmia?
Hyperthyroidism is in the heart [playing tricks]
Mr. Zhang suffered from hyperthyroidism (hyperthyroidism for short) for 5 years. Doctors said it was [hyperthyroidism heart disease] that made him appear at the beginning of the article.
Hyperthyroidism heart disease is one of the common complications of hyperthyroidism, with an incidence rate of 10% ~ 22%. Atrial fibrillation is only one of the manifestations of hyperthyroidism heart disease.
In hyperthyroidism, the thyroid gland produces and releases excessive thyroid hormones, which act on various systems of the body, thus causing corresponding symptoms. For example, sympathetic nerve excitation is manifested as excitability, hand shaking, insomnia, etc. In the digestive system, intestinal peristalsis can be excited and stool frequency increases.
In the cardiovascular system, thyroid hormone can act on the heart, accelerate and strengthen the contraction of the heart, increase the oxygen consumption of the heart, and is prone to ischemia and hypoxia. Over time, the heart is hypertrophic and enlarged, and severe cases will suffer from heart failure, thus affecting the conduction function of the heart, causing arrhythmia, such as atrial fibrillation, atrial premature beats, etc.
These reactions acting on cardiovascular system give patients intuitive feelings of palpitation, chest tightness, shortness of breath and severe chest pain, which may be signs of angina pectoris or even myocardial infarction, endangering life and requiring immediate medical treatment.
Mr. Zhang accepted the treatment of antithyroid drugs, but for 5 years, he took the medicine intermittently and did not follow the doctor’s advice to review regularly. Thyroid function has been under poor control, which led to this disaster. Therefore, under the doctor’s advice, Mr. Zhang chose radioactive iodine therapy. After the hyperthyroidism function was controlled, Mr. Zhang’s atrial fibrillation disappeared.
When hyperthyroidism strikes, do not drop it lightly [heart]
Radioiodine therapy is only one of the methods to treat hyperthyroidism. Other treatment methods include oral antithyroid drug therapy and surgical treatment.
At present, oral antithyroid drugs are widely used as the first choice in China.
The people favored by hyperthyroidism heart disease are:
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The reasons for the long-term poor control of thyroid function include intermittent medication, secondary failure of anti-hyperthyroidism drugs, and severe hyperthyroidism patients with poor curative effect of oral drugs.
Severe hyperthyroidism refers to those with obvious hyperthyroidism symptoms, obvious thyroid swelling and heart rate > 120 beats/minute before treatment.
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Repeated recurrence of hyperthyroidism is more common in patients who use oral drugs, and the recurrence rate is 30% ~ 50%.
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The middle-aged and the elderly and those who have already suffered from heart disease.
None of the above-mentioned people should be treated with light [heart]. When oral drug therapy is ineffective or cannot be adhered to or serious adverse drug reactions occur, such as liver injury and leukopenia, radioiodine therapy or surgical treatment can be selected.
The old saying is that hyperthyroidism patients receiving oral drug therapy must be treated according to the doctor’s advice. All hyperthyroidism patients need regular reexamination. At the same time, they should not overwork, ensure rest, relax and avoid nervousness.
How can we prevent the heart from being affected?
Hyperthyroidism heart disease is caused by hyperthyroidism, so-called “capture the thief first capture the king”.
First of all, hyperthyroidism should be actively controlled. Oral anti-hyperthyroidism drugs include methimazole or propylthiouracil, combined with drug receptor blockers such as propranolol, which slow down heart rate.
Then there is the symptomatic treatment. Patients with myocardial ischemia use nitrate drugs to dilate blood vessels, while patients with heart failure and edema use diuretics or cardiotonic drugs.
Serious hyperthyroidism heart disease can be considered radioiodine therapy or surgical treatment.
When hyperthyroidism is controlled, most hyperthyroidism heart diseases can be relieved or even cured.
At the same time, hyperthyroidism patients should pay attention to whether there are cardiovascular symptoms such as palpitation, chest tightness, shortness of breath, chest pain, Touch your pulse every day in a resting and quiet state, and it should be controlled at 60-80 times per minute, and the rhythm should be neat. If the pulse beats more than 100 times per minute, even the rhythm is disordered, or the above cardiovascular symptoms occur, you should seek medical treatment as soon as possible to eliminate the possibility of hyperthyroidism heart disease.