How a VC Can Affect Your Heart

PVCs are common and can be experienced by a variety of people with no cause for concern. If they occur regularly, PVCs can weaken your heart muscle and increase your risk of heart failure.

A bundle of fibers in the upper right part of your heart (the sinoatrial, or SA, node) usually controls your heart's rhythm. Electrical signals travel from there to the lower heart chambers, or ventricles.

Causes

PVCs occur when the electrical impulse that usually initiates your heartbeat in a region called the sinus node (also known as the sinoatrial or SA Node) doesn't. The impulse actually begins in the ventricles, which causes a mistimed heartbeat. These extra beats, known as ventricular tachycardia, or ventricular fibrillation, could feel as if your heart skipped a beat or is like it is fluttering. They can occur rarely and not cause any symptoms, but they may be frequent enough to affect your quality of living. Your doctor may prescribe medicine if they are frequent or cause dizziness, weakness or fatigue.

In most people, PVCs are harmless and aren't likely to increase your risk of heart disease or other health problems. Over time, frequent PVCs can weaken the heart muscle. This is especially true if the PVCs result from a condition like dilated cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenic right-ventricular cardiomyopathy, which can cause heart failure.

The symptoms of PVCs include a feeling that your heart beats faster or it flutters. You may feel exhausted. The fluttering may be more noticeable if you exercise, or eat or drink certain beverages or foods. PVCs are more prevalent in people with chronic stress or anxiety. Some drugs, like digoxin, the door doctor amiodarone and cocaine, may increase the risk.

If you experience occasional PVCs Your doctor might recommend lifestyle changes and medicines. If they're a frequent occurrence, you may have to avoid some drinks and foods like caffeine and alcohol. You can also take steps to lessen your stress, and make sure you get enough sleep and exercise.

If you have a lot of PVCs Your doctor might recommend a medical procedure referred to as radiofrequency catheter ablation. This procedure destroys the cells that cause them. Electrophysiologists are the ones who execute this procedure. The treatment is usually effective in treating PVCs, reducing symptoms but it does not stop them from becoming recurring in the future. In some cases it can increase the risk of having atrial fibrillation (AFib) which is which can result in stroke. This isn't common however it could be life-threatening.

Signs and symptoms

Premature ventricular contractions or PVCs, can make your heart seem to skip or flutter one beat. These extra heartbeats can be harmless, however you might be advised to consult your physician in the event of frequent heartbeats or if you experience symptoms like dizziness or fatigue.

Normally, electrical signals start in the sinoatrial node located in the upper right side of the heart. They travel down to the lower chambers (or ventricles) that pump blood. The ventricles expand to push the blood into the lung. They then return to the center to begin the next cycle of pumping. A pvc doctor begins at a different spot in the Purkinje fibres bundle at the bottom left of the heart.

When PVCs occur, they make the heart pound or feel like it skipped one beat. If you have a few episodes and no other symptoms, your upvc doctor will probably not treat you. If you've got a large number of PVCs, the doctor may recommend an electrocardiogram, or ECG to gauge your heart rate over the course of 24 hours. The doctor may also recommend wearing a Holter Monitor which tracks your heart rhythm and counts the number of PVCs.

Anyone who has had a previous heart attack or have cardiomyopathy -- a condition that affects how the heart pumps blood- must be aware of their PVCs and speak with an expert in cardiology about lifestyle changes. This includes abstaining from alcohol, caffeine and smoking, reducing anxiety and stress, and ensuring adequate sleep. A cardiologist can prescribe beta blockers to slow down the heartbeat.

If you experience frequent PVCs even if you don't have any other symptoms you should see a cardiologist. These extra heartbeats may signal a problem with the structure of your heart or lungs, and if they occur often enough, can weaken your heart muscle. But the majority of people with PVCs don't have any issues. They would like to know if rapid heartbeats, or the skipping of heartbeats is normal.

Diagnosis

PVCs can feel like heartbeats that are fluttering particularly if they're frequent and intense. People who experience them regularly may feel weak. They can also occur during training, even though many athletes who experience them do not have any issues in their heart or health. PVCs may show up on tests such as an electrocardiogram or a Holter monitor. These are sticky patches that have sensors on them to record electrical impulses coming from your heart. A cardiologist may also perform an echocardiogram that uses ultrasound to study the heart and observe how it's working.

A doctor can often tell the presence of PVCs by looking at them and taking a medical history. But sometimes they might only be able to detect them when they examine the patient for different reasons, like following an accident or surgery. Ambulatory ECG monitoring systems also assist in detecting PVCs and other arrhythmias and they might be used when there is a concern of cardiac disease.

If your cardiologist concludes that your heart is structurally normal, reassurance will be the only treatment required. If your symptoms are troubling or make you feel anxious, staying away from alcohol, caffeine and over-the drug decongestants and decreasing stress can aid. Getting regular exercise, staying at a healthy weight, and drinking enough fluids can reduce your episodes of PVCs. If you are experiencing symptoms that are persistent or severe, talk to your pvc doctor near me about medications that could be able to control the symptoms.

Treatment

If PVCs aren't causing symptoms or happen rarely they aren't usually in need of treatment. If you experience them frequently, your doctor may want to examine for other heart conditions and recommend lifestyle changes or medication. You may also undergo a procedure (called radiofrequency cathode ablation) to eliminate them.

If you suffer from PVCs, the electrical signal that triggers your heartbeat begins somewhere other than the sinoatrial node (SA node) located in the upper right side of your heart. This can cause your heart to feel like it skips beats or has extra beats. It's not clear what causes these, but they're more common in people who have other heart conditions. PVCs may increase in frequency as you age, and may be more frequent during exercising.

If a patient has frequent and painful PVCs the doctor should perform an ECG and an echocardiogram to rule out structural heart disease. They should also conduct an exercise stress test to determine whether the additional beats are a result of physical activity. A heart catheterization or cardiac MRI or nuclear perfusion study can be performed to find other causes of the additional beats.

The majority of people with PVCs do not suffer from any problems and can enjoy a normal lifestyle. However, they may increase your risk of having dangerous heart rhythm issues especially if you are suffering from certain patterns of them. In certain cases, it means that the heart muscle becomes weaker and is unable to pump blood through your body.

A healthy, regular diet and regular exercise can reduce the risk of developing PVCs. Avoid foods that are high in fat and sodium, and limit your intake of tobacco and caffeine. Sleep and stress are equally important. Certain medications can increase the risk of developing PVCs. So if you take one of these medications it is important to follow the doctor's advice about eating well, exercising and taking your medication.

Studies of patients suffering from a high amount of PVCs (that's more than 20% of their total heart beats) discovered that they had a higher incidence of arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy. Certain people may require a heart transplant.