How a VC Can Affect Your Heart
PVCs are commonplace and can be experienced by many people without causing any issues. However, if they happen frequently, 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) typically regulates the heart's rhythm. Electrical signals travel to ventricles or lower chambers of your heart.
Causes
PVCs are caused when the electrical impulse that typically begins your heartbeat in a region called the sinus node (also known as the sinoatrial or SA Node) doesn't. Instead, the impulse begins in another area of your heart--the ventricles--and causes a mistimed beat. These extra beats are known as ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation. They may feel like the heart skipped a beating or feels fluttering. They can happen infrequently, causing no symptoms, but they could also happen frequently enough to affect your standard of living. Your doctor might prescribe medication when they occur frequently or cause weakness, dizziness or fatigue.
For most people, PVCs are harmless and do not increase the risk of heart disease or other health issues. Over time, frequent PVCs can weaken the heart muscle. This is particularly true if they are caused by a heart condition like dilated cardiomyopathy, or arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy which can lead to symptomatic heart failure.
The symptoms of PVCs include feeling like your heart beats slower or it flutters. You may feel exhausted. The fluttering could be more noticeable when you exercise or have certain foods or drinks. People with chronic anxiety or stress can have more PVCs, and some medications like amiodarone digoxin, and cocaine can increase the risk of developing them.
If you have occasional PVCs your doctor might suggest lifestyle changes and medications. If they are a regular occurrence, you may need to avoid certain foods and beverages, such as alcohol and caffeine. You can also reduce your stress levels by having enough sleep and exercising.
If you've got a lot of PVCs Your doctor might recommend a medical procedure referred to as radiofrequency catheter ablation, which eliminates the cells that are responsible for them. The procedure is carried out by a specialist called an electrophysiologist. It is typically effective in treating PVCs and reducing symptoms, however, it doesn't prevent them from occurring in the future. In some instances, it can increase your risk of atrial fibrillation (AFib), which can lead to stroke. It is not common, but it could be life-threatening.
Symptoms
Premature ventricular contractions, or PVCs, can make your heart appear to skip or flutter one beat. These extra heartbeats can be harmless, but you may need to see your doctor in the event of frequent heartbeats or if you experience symptoms like dizziness or fatigue.
Normaly, electrical signals begin in the sinoatrial, located in the upper right-hand corner of the heart. They then move to the lower chambers, or ventricles, which pump blood. The ventricles expand to push blood into your lungs and then return to the heart and start the next cycle of pumping. However, a PVC starts in a different place 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 can make the heart beat faster or feel as if it skipped the beat. If you have only just a few episodes and there are no other symptoms, your cardiologist will probably not treat you. But if you have a lot of PVCs and you have other symptoms, your doctor might recommend an electrocardiogram, also known as an ECG to gauge your heartbeat over a 24-hour period. He or she may also suggest wearing a Holter monitor, which will record the heart's rhythm over time, allowing you to see how many PVCs you have.
If you've had a prior heart attack or have cardiomyopathy -an illness that alters the way the heart pumps blood should be aware of their PVCs and speak with a cardiologist about changes to their lifestyle. These include avoiding alcohol, caffeine and smoking, managing anxiety and stress, and getting enough rest. A cardiologist might prescribe medications to slow the heartbeat, for example, a beta blocker.
Even if you don't experience any other symptoms it is still recommended to have PVCs checked by an expert in cardiology if they occur frequently. These heartbeats that are irregular can be a sign of an issue with the structure of your heart or other health conditions, and over time, when they are frequent enough, they could weaken the heart muscle. But the majority of people with PVCs don't experience any problems. They are interested in knowing if the rapid heartbeats, or the skipping of heartbeats is normal.
Diagnosis
PVCs may feel like heartbeats that are fluttering especially if they are frequent and intense. Patients who have a lot of them may feel they're about to faint. Exercise can cause them, but most athletes who experience them do not have heart or health issues. PVCs can show up on tests such as an electrocardiogram or a Holter monitor. These patches have sensors that record electrical impulses from your heart. A cardiologist can also perform an ultrasound echocardiogram to examine the heart.
A doctor is often able to tell whether a patient has PVCs by conducting a thorough examination and taking a medical history. Sometimes, however, they may only notice PVCs when examining the patient for another reason such as following an accident or surgery. Ambulatory ECG monitors can detect PVCs as well as other arrhythmias. They may be used to detect cardiac disease if there is any concern.
If your cardiologist concludes that your heart is structurally normal, reassurance will be the only treatment needed. If your symptoms are bothersome, or cause you to be anxious, avoiding alcohol, caffeine and over-the counter decongestants, and reducing stress may help. Regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight and drinking enough fluids can help to reduce the frequency of PVCs. If your symptoms persist or severe, talk to your doctor about medication that could be able to reduce them.
Treatment
If PVCs aren't common or don't cause symptoms, they rarely require treatment. If you experience them frequently or frequently, your doctor may wish to check for any other heart problems and suggest lifestyle changes or medicine. You could also undergo a procedure (called radiofrequency cathode ablation) to get rid them.
If you suffer from PVCs in your heart the electrical signal that creates your heartbeat is located outside of the sinoatrial (SA) node, which is located in the upper right corner of your heart. This can make it feel like your heart skips a beat or is beating faster. PVCs are more prevalent among people who suffer from heart issues however it's unclear the reason behind them. PVCs can become more frequent as you age, and they could be more frequent during exercising.
If a patient experiences frequent and painful PVCs, a physician is required to perform an ECG and an echocardiogram to rule out heart disease that is structural. They may also perform an exercise stress test to see whether the extra beats are a result of physical exercise. A heart catheterization, cardiac MRI or nuclear perfusion study could be conducted to determine other causes of the extra beats.
The majority of people who suffer from PVCs do not experience any problems and can enjoy an ordinary life. However, they may increase your risk of having dangerous heart rhythm issues especially if you are suffering from certain patterns of them. In some cases, that means the heart muscle gets weaker and is unable to pump blood throughout your body.
window doctor repairmywindowsanddoors and a healthy diet can lower the chances of developing PVCs. Avoid foods high in fat and sodium and limit your intake of tobacco and caffeine. Sleep and stress are equally important. Certain medicines can also increase the risk of developing PVCs. If you're taking one of these medicines it's crucial to follow your doctor's instructions about eating well, exercising and taking your medication.
Studies of patients with a high burden of PVCs (that's more than 20 percent of their total heart beats) discovered that they had a higher rate of arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy. This could lead to a need for a heart transplant in certain individuals.