How a VC Can Affect Your Heart

PVCs are common and may be experienced by many people without causing any problems. If they happen frequently, PVCs may weaken your heart and increase your risk of heart failure.

The heart's rhythm is controlled by a bundle of fibers located in the upper right corner of your heart. This is called the sinoatrial node or SA. Electrical signals travel to ventricles, or lower chambers of the heart.

Causes

PVCs occur when the electrical impulse that typically initiates your heartbeat in a part called the sinus node (also known as the sinoatrial or SA node) isn't. The impulse actually begins in the ventricles, which causes an irregular heartbeat. These extra beats are also known as ventricular tachycardia, and ventricular fibrillation. They may feel like the heart beats faster or feels like it is fluttering. They may happen rarely and cause no symptoms, or they may occur frequently enough to interfere with your daily life. If they occur frequently or cause weakness, dizziness, or fatigue, your doctor may treat them with medication.

PVCs are generally safe and do not increase your risk of developing heart disease. A lot of PVCs, however, can weaken the heart muscle over time. This is especially true if the PVCs result from conditions like dilated cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenic right ventricle cardiomyopathy which can cause heart failure.

The signs of PVCs include feeling like your heart skips a beat or flutters, and you may feel exhausted. The fluttering could be more evident when you exercise or have certain drinks or food items. People who experience chronic anxiety or stress can have more PVCs and certain medications like amiodarone digoxin, and cocaine may increase the chance of developing them.

If you experience occasional PVCs Your doctor may suggest lifestyle changes and medications. If they are a regular occurrence, you may need to stay clear of certain foods and beverages like alcohol and caffeine. You can also take steps to lessen your stress levels, and get plenty of sleep and exercise.

If you have many PVCs Your windows doctor may recommend a medical procedure referred to as radiofrequency catheter ablation, which destroys the cells that cause them. This procedure is performed by a specialist, known as an electrophysiologist. It is typically effective in treating PVCs and reducing symptoms however it does not stop them from occurring in the future. In certain cases, it may increase the risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AFib) which is which can lead to stroke. This is rare but it could be life-threatening.

Signs and symptoms

Premature ventricular contractions or PVCs, may make your heart appear to flutter or skip one beat. These heartbeats can be harmless, however, you should consult your physician if you have frequent episodes or other symptoms such as dizziness or weakness.

Normally, electrical signals start in the sinoatrial node located in the top right side of the heart, and travel down to the lower chambers (or ventricles) that pump blood. The ventricles expand to push blood into your lungs, and return to the heart to start the next pumping cycle. However, a PVC begins at a different spot, from the bundle of fibers called the Purkinje fibers, in the bottom left portion of the heart.

When PVCs occur, they cause the heart pound or feel like it skipped a beat. If you've experienced just a few episodes but no other symptoms, the cardiologist probably won't treat you. However, if you have number of PVCs and you have other symptoms, your doctor might recommend an electrocardiogram, also known as an ECG to gauge your heart rate over a 24-hour period. They may also suggest wearing a Holter monitor that records your heartbeat over time to determine how many PVCs you have.

If you've had an earlier heart attack or cardiomyopathy, an illness that affects the way the heart pumps blood - should take their PVCs very seriously and speak to a cardiologist about lifestyle changes. These include cutting down on caffeine, alcohol and smoking, managing stress and anxiety, and getting enough rest. A cardiologist can prescribe beta blockers to slow the heartbeat.

Even if you don't experience any other symptoms, you should still get PVCs examined by an expert in cardiology if they occur frequently. These extra heartbeats can point to problems with the structure of your heart or other health conditions and, over time when they are frequent enough, they may weaken the heart muscle. But most people with PVCs do not experience any issues. They want to know if the fluttering heartbeats or skipping heartbeats is normal.

Diagnosis

PVCs can appear to be fluttering or skip heartbeats, particularly when they're intense or frequent. People who experience a lot of them may feel they're going to faint. Exercise can cause them, but most athletes who experience them have no heart or health problems. PVCs can show up in tests like an electrocardiogram, or Holter monitor. They use sticky patches with sensors that record electrical impulses coming from your heart. A cardiologist may also use an ultrasound echocardiogram to study the heart.

A doctor can often tell whether a patient has PVCs by looking at them and taking a medical history. Sometimes however, they might only notice PVCs when examining a patient for another reason such as following an accident or a surgery. Ambulatory ECG monitoring systems also assist in detecting PVCs and other arrhythmias, and can be used in the event of any suspicion of a cardiac condition.

If your cardiologist finds that your heart is structurally normal, reassurance is the only treatment required. If your symptoms are troubling or cause you to feel anxious, staying away from alcohol, caffeine and over-the prescription decongestants, as well as reducing stress may aid. Regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight and drinking enough fluids can all help to reduce the frequency of PVCs. If your symptoms continue or are severe, speak to your doctor about possible medication options to treat the symptoms.

Treatment

If PVCs are rare or do not cause symptoms, they don't usually require treatment. If they occur frequently your doctor may want to check for heart issues or suggest lifestyle changes. You may also undergo an operation to rid yourself of them (called radiofrequency catheter ablation).

If you suffer from PVCs in your heart, the electrical signal which triggers your heartbeat starts somewhere outside of the sinoatrial (SA) node located in the upper right corner of your heart. This can cause your heart to feel like it skips a beating or has extra beats. It's not known what causes these symptoms, but they're common in people with other heart issues. PVCs may increase in frequency as we age and can occur more often during exercise.

A doctor should conduct an ECG and an echocardiogram on a patient who suffers from frequent and painful PVCs to rule out structural heart diseases. The doctor window will also likely conduct an exercise stress test in order to determine if the additional heartbeats are caused by physical exercise. A heart catheterization, cardiac MRI or nuclear perfusion study could be conducted to determine other reasons for the additional beats.

The majority of people with PVCs have no complications and live an ordinary life. However, they may increase the risk of developing dangerous heart rhythm issues, especially if you have certain patterns of them. In some instances, this means that the heart muscle becomes weaker and it is more difficult to pump blood throughout your body.

Regular exercise and a balanced diet can lower your risk of developing PVCs. Avoid foods that are high in fat and sodium as well as reduce your intake of caffeine and tobacco. Also, you should try to get enough rest and manage stress. Certain medicines can also increase your risk of PVCs. If you're taking one of these medications it is important to follow the doctor's advice about eating well, exercising and taking your medication.

In studies of patients suffering from Pvc Doctor burdens that are high (more than 20% of heartbeats) there was a higher incidence of arrhythmia-induced myopathy in the heart was observed. This could lead to the need for a transplant in some patients.