How a VC Can Affect Your Heart

PVCs are common and can be experienced by a wide range of people with no cause for concern. If they occur often, PVCs may weaken your heart and increase the risk for heart failure.

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

Causes

PVCs are caused when the electrical impulse that normally starts your heartbeat at the Sinus Node (also called the Sinoatrial or SA node) is not initiated. The impulse actually begins in the ventricles, causing an irregular heartbeat. These extra beats are known as ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation. They may feel like the heart skipped a beat or feels like it is fluttering. They can occur rarely without causing any symptoms, but they could be frequent enough to affect your quality of life. If they happen frequently or cause dizziness, weakness or fatigue, your doctor might treat them with medication.

PVCs are generally safe and do not increase your risk of heart disease. Over time, frequent PVCs can weaken the heart muscle. This is especially the case if they are caused by a heart-related condition like dilated cardiomyopathy, or arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy which may lead to symptomatic heart failure.

PVCs can cause symptoms, such as a sensation of your heart beating an beat, or fluttering. You might also feel breathless. The fluttering can be more evident if you exercise, or consume certain foods or beverages. People with chronic stress or anxiety can have more PVCs and certain medications like amiodarone digoxin and cocaine can increase the chance of developing them.

If you have occasional PVCs your doctor might suggest lifestyle changes and medications. If you experience frequent PVCs, your doctor may recommend avoiding certain foods and drinks 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 many PVCs Your doctor may suggest a medical procedure known as radiofrequency catheter ablation. It eliminates the cells that are responsible for them. Electrophysiologists are the ones who carry out this procedure. The treatment is usually effective in treating PVCs, reducing symptoms but it does not stop them from returning in the future. In certain instances, it can increase the risk of having atrial fibrillation (AFib) which is a condition that can result in stroke. It is not common, but it could be life-threatening.

Symptoms

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

The electrical signals normally begin in the sinoatrial, located in the upper right corner of the heart. They then move to the lower chambers, or ventricles, where blood pumps are located. The ventricles then expand to push blood into the lungs, and then return to the heart and start the next pumping cycle. But a PVC begins in a different place, from the bundle of fibers called the Purkinje fibers, in the lower left part of the heart.

When PVCs happen and the heart is affected, it may appear to be racing or pounding. If you only have a few episodes, and no other symptoms are present the cardiologist will likely not be able to treat you. If you have a lot of PVCs the doctor may suggest that you undergo an electrocardiogram (ECG) to measure the heartbeat for 24 hours. They might also recommend 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 heart's blood flow - should take their PVCs very seriously and consult an expert in cardiology about lifestyle modifications. These include the avoidance of alcohol, caffeine, and smoking, reducing anxiety and stress, and ensuring adequate sleep. A cardiologist might prescribe medications to slow heartbeat, for example, beta blockers.

Even if you don't have any other symptoms however, you should have PVCs examined by an expert in cardiology if they occur often. These irregular heartbeats could be a sign of a problem 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 the majority of people with PVCs do not experience any issues. They want to know if the rapid heartbeats, or the skipping of heartbeats is normal.

Diagnosis

PVCs may feel like heartbeats that are fluttering, particularly if they're frequent and intense. People who experience a lot of them may feel they're going to faint. They can also happen with exercise, though many athletes who experience them don't have issues with their health or heart. PVCs can show up on tests such as an electrocardiogram or a Holter monitor. These patches contain sensors that record electrical impulses from your heart. A cardiologist might also use an echocardiogram, which uses ultrasound to study the heart and observe how it's working.

Most of the time, a doctor will be able to tell whether a person has PVCs from a history and physical exam. Sometimes however, they might only be able to detect PVCs when they examine patients for a different reason, such as after an accident or surgical procedure. Ambulatory ECG monitors can detect PVCs as well as other arrhythmias. They are able to detect heart disease when there is a concerns.

If your cardiologist has determined that your heart is structurally healthy, reassurance may be all you need. If your symptoms are causing discomfort or cause you to feel anxious, staying away from caffeine, alcohol and over-the-counter decongestants as well as reducing stress levels can aid. Regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight and drinking enough fluids can help to reduce the frequency of PVCs. If your symptoms continue or are severe, speak to your doctor about treatments that could help control these symptoms.

Treatment

If PVCs are rare or don't cause symptoms, they do not usually need treatment. If they happen frequently, your doctor might need to examine for heart problems or suggest lifestyle changes. You may also undergo an operation (called radiofrequency cathode ablation) to get rid them.

If you suffer from PVCs the electrical signal that causes your heartbeat begins somewhere different than the sinoatrial nerve (SA node) in the top right corner of your heart. This can make it feel like your heart skips beats or is beating faster. It's unclear what causes these symptoms, but they're frequent in those with other heart conditions. PVCs may increase in frequency as you age, and could be more frequent during exercises.

A doctor window should perform an ECG along with an echocardiogram for a patient who suffers from frequent and painful PVCs to determine if there are structural heart problems. They may also perform an exercise stress test to see whether the extra beats are caused by physical exercise. A heart catheterization, cardiac MRI or nuclear perfusion study can be performed to find other reasons for the extra beats.

Most people with PVCs do not experience any issues and can live an ordinary life. They may increase the risk of developing heart rhythm disorders that can be dangerous particularly if they happen in certain patterns. In some instances, this means that the heart muscle becomes weaker and has difficulty pumping blood throughout the body.

A healthy and balanced diet and regular exercise can reduce your risk of developing PVCs. Avoid foods that are high in fat and sodium, and limit your consumption of tobacco and caffeine. Also, you should try to sleep enough and manage stress. Certain medicines can also increase your risk of getting PVCs. If you take any of these medications, it is important to follow the advice of your doctor about eating healthy exercising, as well as taking your medication.

In studies of patients with pvc Doctor burdens that are excessive (more than 20% of the total heartbeats) there was a higher incidence of arrhythmia-induced cardiac myopathy was discovered. This could lead to the need for a transplant in some patients.