How a VC Can Affect Your Heart
A lot of people experience occasional PVCs with no problems. 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 node, also known as SA) typically regulates your heart rhythm. Electrical signals travel from this node to the lower chambers of your heart or ventricles.
Causes
PVCs happen when the electrical impulse that typically begins your heartbeat in a region called the sinus node (also called the sinoatrial or SA node) does not. The impulse actually starts in the ventricles and causes a mistimed heartbeat. These extra beats, called ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation, could feel as if your heart skipped a beat, or it feels like it is fluttering. They can happen infrequently without causing any symptoms, but they can occur frequently enough to impact your quality of life. If they happen frequently or cause weakness, dizziness, or fatigue, your doctor could treat them with medication.
PVCs are generally harmless and do not increase your risk of heart disease. A lot of PVCs however, could weaken the heart muscle over time. This is especially true if the PVCs are triggered by an illness like dilated Cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenic right-ventricular cardiomyopathy, which could lead to heart failure.
The symptoms of PVCs include a feeling that your heart skips a beat or flutters, and you may feel exhausted. The fluttering may be more noticeable when you exercise or consume certain drinks or foods. PVCs are more prevalent for those who suffer from chronic anxiety or stress. Some medications, such as digoxin, amiodarone, and cocaine, transom
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If you have occasional PVCs, your doctor may suggest lifestyle changes and medications. If they're a frequent occurrence, you may need to avoid certain drinks and foods like caffeine and alcohol. You can also take steps to lessen your stress and get plenty of sleep and exercise.
If you have a lot of PVCs, your doctor may suggest a medical procedure called radiofrequency catheter ablation. This procedure eliminates the cells that are responsible for them. The procedure is carried out by a specialist known as an electrophysiologist. The treatment is generally successful in treating PVCs and reducing symptoms, but it does not stop them from recurring in the future. In certain cases, it can increase the risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AFib), which can lead to stroke. It's not common, but it can be life-threatening.
Signs and symptoms
Premature ventricular contractions, or PVCs, may make your heart seem to skip or flutter one beat. These heartbeats that are not normal can be harmless, however you might need to see your doctor if they are frequent or if you experience symptoms like dizziness or fatigue.
Normaly, electrical signals begin in the sinoatrial region, which is in the upper right part of the heart. They then travel to the lower chambers, or ventricles, which pump blood. Then, the ventricles contract to propel blood into your lungs, and then return to your heart and start the next cycle of pumping. However, a PVC begins at a different spot that is separate from the bundle of fibers known as the Purkinje fibers, located in the lower left part of the heart.
When PVCs happen, the heart may feel as if it's skipping a beat or pounding. If you experience only a few episodes, and there are no other symptoms your cardiologist may not prescribe treatment. If you've got a number of PVCs, the doctor may recommend an electrocardiogram, also known as an ECG to determine the heart's rate over the course of 24 hours. He or she might also recommend wearing a Holter Monitor, which records the heart's rhythm and count the number of PVCs.
People who have suffered an earlier heart attack or cardiomyopathy - an illness that affects method by which the heart pumps blood - should take their PVCs very seriously and speak to a cardiologist about lifestyle modifications. Those include abstaining from alcohol, caffeine and smoking, managing stress and anxiety and getting enough rest. A cardiologist may prescribe beta blockers to slow down the heartbeat.
If you experience frequent PVCs, even if you do not have any other symptoms, you should consult an expert in cardiology. These extra heartbeats can be a sign of a problem with the structure of your heart or to other health conditions and, over time when they are frequent enough, they can weaken the heart muscle. But the majority of people with PVCs don't experience any problems. They simply want to be aware that the fluttering or racing heartbeats aren't normal.
Diagnosis
PVCs can feel like fluttering or skipped heartbeats, especially when they're intense or frequent. People who experience them often may feel faint. They can also occur with training, even though many athletes who suffer from them don't have issues in their heart or health. PVCs can be detected in tests like an electrocardiogram (ECG) or Holter monitor. They use sticky patches with sensors on them to record electrical impulses coming from your heart. A cardiologist could also employ an echocardiogram, which uses ultrasound to look at the heart and observe how it's functioning.
Most of the time, a doctor will be able to tell whether a person is suffering from PVCs through a medical history and physical examination. Sometimes, they may only be able to detect them when they examine the patient for different reasons, like after a surgery or accident. Ambulatory ECG monitors can detect PVCs as well as other arrhythmias. They can be used to detect cardiac disease in the event of any concerns.
If your cardiologist concludes that your heart's structure is normal, reassurance will be the only treatment needed. However, if your symptoms are bothersome or cause you to feel anxious, staying away from alcohol, caffeine, and other decongestants as well as reducing stress levels can aid. Regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight and drinking enough fluids can aid in reducing the frequency of PVCs. If the symptoms persist or are extreme, talk to your doctor about treatments that could help control the symptoms.
Treatment
If PVCs are rare or don't cause symptoms, they rarely need treatment. If they occur frequently your doctor may need to examine for heart conditions or recommend lifestyle changes. You may also undergo an intervention to get rid of them (called radiofrequency catheter ablation).
If you suffer from PVCs in your heart, the electrical signal which triggers your heartbeat starts somewhere other than at the sinoatrial (SA) node that is located in the upper right corner of your heart. This can cause your heart to feel as if it skips beats or has additional beats. It's not clear what causes them, but they're more common in people with other heart issues. PVCs can increase in frequency with age and might happen more often during exercising.
If a patient is experiencing frequent and painful PVCs the doctor should conduct an ECG and an echocardiogram to rule out structural heart disease. The doctor will also perform an exercise stress test in order to determine if the extra heartbeats are related to physical activity. To determine if there are other causes for the increased beats an invasive heart catheterization or an MRI could be conducted.
The majority of people with PVCs have no complications and can live a normal life. However, they can increase the risk of developing dangerous heart rhythm issues particularly if you have certain patterns of them. In some instances, this means the heart muscle gets weaker and is unable to pump blood through your body.