How a VC Can Affect Your Heart
Many people have occasional PVCs with no problems. If they occur often, PVCs may weaken your heart and increase the chance of suffering from heart failure.
The rhythm of your heart is usually controlled by a bundle of fibers located in the upper right part of your heart. This is called the sinoatrial node, or SA. Electrical signals travel to the lower heart chambers or ventricles.
Causes
PVCs occur when the electrical impulse that normally starts your heartbeat at the Sinus Node (also called the Sinoatrial or the SA node) is not initiated. Instead, the impulse is generated in a different part of your heart, the ventricles, and causes a wrongly timed beat. These extra beats are called ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. It may feel like the heart beats faster or feels fluttering. They may happen rarely and not cause any symptoms, or they can happen often enough to impact your daily life. If they occur frequently or cause dizziness, weakness, or fatigue, your doctor could treat them with medicine.
For the majority of people, PVCs are harmless and aren't likely to increase your risk of developing heart disease or other health issues. Regular PVCs however, could weaken the heart muscle over time. This is especially the case if they are caused by a heart condition like dilated cardiomyopathy, or arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, which can lead to symptomatic heart failure.
PVCs can trigger symptoms such as a feeling of your heart beating a beat, or the feeling of your heart fluttering. You may also feel breathless. The fluttering can be more evident when you exercise or have certain drinks or food items. People with chronic stress or anxiety can have more PVCs and certain medications such as amiodarone, digoxin, and cocaine can increase the chance of developing them.
If you experience occasional PVCs Your doctor might suggest lifestyle changes and medication. If they are a regular occurrence, you may need to avoid certain foods and beverages like caffeine and alcohol. You can also take steps to reduce your stress and get plenty of sleep and exercise.
If you're suffering from many PVCs, he may suggest a medical treatment called radiofrequency catheter ablation, which destroys the cells that are responsible for PVCs. Electrophysiologists are the ones who carry out this procedure. The treatment is generally effective in treating PVCs which reduce symptoms, but does not prevent them from becoming recurring in the future. In some cases it can increase your risk of having atrial fibrillation (AFib) which could result in a stroke. This is rare but it could be life-threatening.
Signs and symptoms
Premature ventricular contractions or PVCs may cause your heart to skip or be fluttering. These extra heartbeats are harmless, but you may need to see your doctor when they occur frequently or if you are experiencing symptoms like dizziness or fatigue.
The normal electrical signals start in the sinoatrial, located in the upper right part of the heart. They then travel to the lower chambers, or ventricles, that pump blood. The ventricles expand to push blood into your lungs and then return to your heart and start the next pumping cycle. But a PVC begins at a different spot and is located in the bundle of fibers known as the Purkinje fibers, in the lower left part of the heart.
When PVCs occur, they make the heart beat faster or feel as if it skipped the beat. If you've experienced only a few episodes, but no other symptoms, the doctor will probably not treat you. If you've got a lot of PVCs and your doctor might suggest that you undergo an electrocardiogram (ECG) to determine the heartbeat for 24 hours. The doctor may also recommend wearing a Holter monitor, which will record the heart's rhythm over time, allowing you to see the number of PVCs you have.
Anyone who has had a prior heart attack or suffer from cardiomyopathy -- a condition that alters the way the heart pumps blood - must be aware of their PVCs and consult a cardiologist about changes to their lifestyle. Those include avoiding caffeine, alcohol and smoking, managing anxiety and stress and getting enough sleep. A cardiologist may prescribe beta blockers to slow the heartbeat.
If you experience frequent PVCs, even if you do not have any other symptoms you should see an expert in cardiology. These extra heartbeats can point to problems with the structure of your heart or other health issues, and over time, when they happen frequently enough, they could weaken the heart muscle. The majority of people with PVCs do not have any problems. They are interested in knowing if the rapid heartbeats, or the skipping of heartbeats is normal.
the window doctor might feel like fluttering or skipped heartbeats, especially when they're frequent or intense. People who experience them frequently might feel faint. Exercise can cause them, but many athletes who suffer from these symptoms do not have heart or health problems. PVCs may show up in tests such as an electrocardiogram (ECG) or Holter monitor. They use sticky patches with sensors to record electrical signals from your heart. A cardiologist can also perform an ultrasound echocardiogram to study the heart.
A doctor can often tell if a patient has PVCs by looking at them and taking a medical history. Sometimes, however, they may only notice PVCs when examining patients for a different reason such as following an accident or surgical procedure. Ambulatory ECG monitoring systems also aid in detecting PVCs and other arrhythmias and can be used if there's any concern of cardiac disease.
If your cardiologist concludes that your heart's structure is normal, reassurance will be the only treatment required. If your symptoms are bothersome or cause you to feel anxious, staying away from alcohol, caffeine, and over the prescription decongestants, as well as decreasing stress can help. Regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and drinking enough fluids can all help reduce the frequency of PVCs. If you are experiencing symptoms that are persistent or extreme, consult your doctor about medication that could help control these symptoms.
Treatment
If PVCs do not cause any symptoms or are not frequent they aren't usually in need of treatment. If they are frequent your doctor may need to examine for heart problems or suggest lifestyle adjustments. 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 that creates your heartbeat is located other than at the sinoatrial (SA) node that is located in the upper right-hand corner of your heart. It can feel like your heart skips a beat or is beating faster. It's not known what causes these symptoms, but they're common in people with other heart conditions. PVCs can increase in frequency as you age, and may occur more frequently during exercising.
If a patient has frequent and painful PVCs the doctor is required to 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 caused by physical activity. To determine whether there are any other causes for the extra beats, a heart catheterization or a cardiac MRI could be conducted.
The majority of people who suffer from PVCs do not have any issues and can live the normal life. They could increase the risk of heart rhythm disorders that can be dangerous particularly if they happen in certain patterns. In some cases, this means that the heart muscle gets weaker and has difficulty pumping blood throughout your body.
A regular, healthy diet and regular exercise can help reduce your risk of developing PVCs. Avoid foods high in fat and sodium and limit your consumption of tobacco and caffeine. Also, you should try to get enough sleep and reduce stress. Some medicines can also increase the risk of developing PVCs. If you take any of these medicines it is essential to follow your doctor's recommendations regarding eating a healthy diet and exercising as well as taking your medication.
In studies of patients suffering from high PVC burdens (more than 20% of total heartbeats) the higher rate of arrhythmia-induced myopathy in the heart was observed. Some patients may require a heart transplant.