Heart Stopped

I received a pacer after my cardiologist pressed my left carotid artery and my heart stopped completely. Can you describe how and why this occurs? Have hx of SVOP with two ablations and first degree heart block and now very mld v-fib. Thank you.

[kenkeith]

I haven't ever heard  the heart can be stopped by pressing a corotid artery.  An individual can pass out by reducing the blood flow to the brain.  When checking the carotid pulse, and if one presses too hard it can cause a reflex action that slows the heart.

Vertigo-symptoms.com. The etiology would be if the carotid bodies sense a decrease in blood pressure they send a message to increase the heart rate and stroke volume of the heart. If the pressure increases, they tell the heart to slow down. This is why a person can press on specific areas of the neck and have a response in their heart. This procedure, called carotid massage, can induce changes in blood pressure and can even cause a person to stop having an arrhythmia, or irregular heart beat.

Thanks for your question and if you have any other questions or comments you are invited to respond.  Take care,

Ken

[ed34]

I remember reading something about this years ago when studying martial arts and in many forms of self defence or unarmed combat the carotid arteries are a focal point. I can't remember the exact details, but something about compressing the carotid arteries causes vasodilation in the vessels in the brain. The vagus nerve tells the heart to slow its rate, usually by about a third in most people. However in some people this can invoke asystole.

[erijon]

Ed is correct, one of the self treatments cardiologists give to patients with an elevated or very rapid heart rate is to massage the carotoid arteries as it stimulates a vasovagal response which slows the heart. This can also lead to a vasovagal syncope which can slow the heart enough to cause the patient to pass out. Your physiology may cause the heart to slow so much that it feels like it has stopped.

Try Google for vasovagal response, it's very interesting to read about.

Hope this helps,

Jon

[kenkeith]

Two different etiologies:
There is a risk of death with CAROTID MASSAGE massage can also possibly dislodge a thrombus, or some plaque. This could lead to any number of life threatening effects, including stroke.

Sourced: "CAROTID SINUS REFLEX death is a disputed mechanism of death in which manual stimulation of the carotid sinus allegedly causes strong glossopharyngeal nerve (Vagus nerve is for aortic arch baroreceptors) impulses leading to terminal cardiac arrest". This type of corotid pressure has been in the news many times as an erotic asphyxiation.  I don't know the significance with matrial arts, but I'll ask Lester who I know and is heavy weight title holder in martial arts and has a number of college wrestling trophies in ND. I doubt there is an erotic sensation involved...but you never know! :) I have experienced snycope a number of times with blood flow cut off in a wrestling match.  I don't believe OP was referring to CSR as the content of the question invovled a pacer.

Ken

[kenkeith]

Correction to spelling Brock Lesner.

[ed34]

" I don't know the significance with matrial arts"

It's a well known pressure point.

Blood and blood pressure
The baroreceptors in the carotid artery are pressure-sensitive, supplying the brain with information to control systemic blood pressure. Pressure against this region will send signals which indicate that blood pressure is too high and lead to a lowering of blood pressure. Therefore striking this area can cause unconsciousness using the same mechanism, also relying on the force being transmitted to the reticular activating system.

[kenkeith]

True, it is a pressure point (we all know that!) and had been mentioned in a prior post, but what you said at the outset refers to some erotic thing from what I have read in the newspapers and not relevant in MMA from my understanding.  Compressing in your first post has some validity but incorrectly referenced, and now you have incorporated the word strike to the offensive act.:)

Mixed martial arts refers to holds, locks, triangle lock, standing lock, head lock etc. for COMPRESSION type submission tactics. There is no striking point with a fist on the neck that is taught for a KO except a rabbit punch and that can render an opponent unconscience or worse. That is hitting at the back of the head/neck and not permitted. Nerve points of the neck and the front of the neck are vulnerable but not taught as any MMA tactic as the hand is a gloved fist, but a judo chop can be an effective blow causing death or serious injury in a competitive matchup and probably not allowed. I haven't heard go for the neck scenario other than compression holds?  But there may be schools for it, just haven't heard.

Thanks for your comment, take care,.


  

[ed34]

"but what you said at the outset refers to some erotic thing"

where?

[ed34]

"But there may be schools for it, just haven't heard"

There certainly are. In my many years of training I was taught turning, side kicks to the side of the neck and hand strikes which can make an opponent very unstable. I wasn't trained for rules in cages etc or tournaments, I was trained to defend myself against violent attackers in the streets. If someone approaches me with a knife, I'm hardly going to apply rules, I will be all out to survive.
Anyway, the point was, does it slow or stop the heart and the question is answered.