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If you are diagnosed with a conduction disorder, your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes, medicines, surgery, or another procedure to treat your condition. Conduction disorders can be a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment in a hospital emergency department.

To diagnose a conduction disorder, your doctor will ask about your medical history, any signs and symptoms, and your family’s medical history, and he or she will perform a physical exam. Your doctor may also recommend tests to look at your heart’s electrical activity and structure and to determine if you have genetic changes that may signal a conduction disorder.

Many people who have conduction disorders, such as first-degree AV block, may have no obvious signs or symptoms. Others may have signs and symptoms that occur in specific situations, such as when you experience physical or emotional stress or when you sleep. Conduction disorders can lead to life-threatening arrhythmias if undiagnosed or untreated.

You may have an increased risk for conduction disorders because of your age, family history and genetics, medical conditions, medicines, race or ethnicity, or sex. These factors can differ by the type of conduction disorder you have.

Conduction disorders may be caused by structural problems in the heart or other medical conditions. Some people have a conduction disorder at birth, while others develop it later in life.