How a VC Can Affect Your Heart

A lot of people experience occasional PVCs without any problems. If they happen frequently, PVCs may weaken your heart and increase the risk for heart failure.

A bundle of fibers located in the upper right-hand corner of your heart (the sinoatrial, or SA, node) typically regulates the heart's rhythm. Electrical signals travel from there to the lower heart chambers, or ventricles.

Causes

PVCs happen when the electrical impulse that typically initiates your heartbeat in a part known as the sinus node (also called the sinoatrial or SA Node) isn't. The impulse actually begins in the ventricles, which causes a mistimed heartbeat. These extra beats, also called ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation, could feel as if your heart skipped a beat, or it feels like it is like it's fluttering. They can occur infrequently and have no symptoms or they can occur frequently enough to affect your daily life. Your doctor may prescribe medication if they are frequent or cause weakness, dizziness or fatigue.

PVCs are generally harmless and do not increase your risk of heart disease. Regular PVCs however, could weaken your heart muscle over time. This is especially relevant if they are triggered by a heart disease like dilated cardiomyopathy, or arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy which could lead to symptoms of heart failure.

PVCs can trigger symptoms such as a feeling of your heart beating one beat, or even the feeling of your heart fluttering. It is also possible to feel exhausted. The fluttering can be more noticeable when you exercise or have certain drinks or food items. People who experience chronic stress or anxiety can have more PVCs and certain drugs like amiodarone digoxin, and cocaine can increase the likelihood of developing them.

If you experience occasional PVCs, your doctor may suggest lifestyle changes and medications. If they're a frequent occurrence, you may have to avoid some drinks and foods like caffeine and alcohol. You can also lower your stress by getting enough sleep and exercising.

If you have a lot of PVCs, your door 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. It is usually effective in treating PVCs and reducing symptoms, however, it doesn't prevent them from recurring in the future. In certain instances, it can increase the risk of having atrial fibrillation (AFib), an illness that can lead to stroke. It's not common, but it can be life-threatening.

Signs and symptoms

Premature ventricular contractions, or PVCs, can cause your heart appear to flutter or skip one beat. These heartbeats can be harmless, however, you should consult your physician when you experience frequent episodes or signs like dizziness or weakness.

The electrical signals typically begin in the sinoatrial node located in the upper right-hand side of the heart. These signals move down to the lower chambers (or ventricles) which pump blood. The ventricles expand to push the blood into the lung. They return to the heart's center to begin the next cycle of pumping. However, a PVC starts at a different spot, from the bundle of fibers called the Purkinje fibers in the left-hand side of the heart.

When PVCs occur, they can make the heart pound or feel as if it skipped a beat. If you've experienced just a few episodes but no other symptoms, the doctor will probably not treat you. But if you have a number of PVCs and you have other symptoms, your doctor might recommend an electrocardiogram, or ECG, to measure the heart's rate over a 24-hour period. They may also recommend wearing a Holter monitor that will track the heart's rhythm over time, allowing you to see how many PVCs you have.

If you've had a previous heart attack or have cardiomyopathy -an illness that alters the way the heart pumps blood must be aware of their PVCs and talk to an expert in cardiology about lifestyle changes. This includes the avoidance of alcohol, caffeine, and smoking, reducing stress and anxiety and getting enough sleep. A cardiologist may prescribe beta blockers to slow the heartbeat.

If you have frequent PVCs even if you do not have other symptoms you should see a cardiologist. These heartbeats that are irregular can point to a problem with the structure of your heart or other health conditions and, over time, when they are frequent enough, they could weaken the heart muscle. Most people who suffer from PVCs don't experience any issues. They want to know if the rapid heartbeats, or the skipping of heartbeats is normal.

Diagnosis

PVCs can be akin to heartbeats that flutter, particularly if they're frequent and intense. People who experience a lot of them might feel like they're going to faint. Exercise can cause them, but most athletes who experience them have no heart or health problems. PVCs may show up on tests such as an electrocardiogram, or Holter monitor. These patches have sensors that record electrical impulses coming from your heart. A cardiologist might also use an echocardiogram, which uses ultrasound to look at the heart and see how it's working.

A doctor will usually be able to determine the presence of PVCs by examining them and taking their medical history. Sometimes it is possible that they only be able to detect PVCs when they examine patients for a different reason such as following an accident or surgery. Ambulatory ECG monitoring systems can assist in detecting PVCs and other arrhythmias, and they might be used in the event of any suspicion of cardiac disease.

If your cardiologist has determined that your heart is structurally healthy, reassurance could be all that's needed. 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. Engaging in regular exercise, keeping at a healthy weight and drinking enough water can also decrease the likelihood of PVCs. If your symptoms persist or severe, talk to your doctor about medications that could be able to manage the symptoms.

Treatment

If PVCs don't cause symptoms or happen rarely generally, they don't require treatment. If you are frequently affected and frequently, your Window & Door Doctor might want to examine for any other heart problems and recommend lifestyle changes or medications. You may also undergo a procedure (called radiofrequency cathode ablation) to eliminate of them.

If you suffer from PVCs in your heart, the electrical signal which triggers your heartbeat starts somewhere other than at the sinoatrial (SA) node located in the upper right-hand corner of your heart. It can feel like your heart skips a beat or has extra beats. It's not clear what causes these, but they're more common in people with other heart issues. PVCs can become more frequent as you age, and might occur more frequently during exercises.

If a patient experiences frequent and painful PVCs the glass doctor should conduct an ECG and an echocardiogram to rule out structural heart disease. They may also perform an exercise stress test to see whether the additional beats are due to physical activity. To find out if there are other causes for the door doctor increased beats an invasive heart catheterization or an MRI is possible.

The majority of people who suffer from PVCs do not experience any problems and can enjoy a normal lifestyle. But they can increase the risk of developing dangerous heart rhythm issues especially if you are suffering from certain patterns of them. In some cases this means that the heart muscle becomes weaker and it is more difficult to pump blood throughout your body.

A healthy and balanced diet and a lot of exercise can reduce the risk of developing PVCs. Avoid foods that are high in fat and sodium and limit your consumption of tobacco and caffeine. Stress and sleep are also crucial. Certain medicines can also increase the risk of getting PVCs. If you're taking one of these medications it's crucial to follow your doctor's instructions about a healthy diet, exercise and taking your medication.

In studies of patients with high PVC burdens (more than 20% of heartbeats) there was a higher incidence of arrhythmia-induced cardiac myopathy was discovered. Some people may need a heart transplant.