How a VC Can Affect Your Heart
PVCs are commonplace and can be experienced by many people with no cause for concern. If they happen frequently, PVCs may weaken your heart and increase the risk for heart failure.
The heart's rhythm is controlled by a bundle of fibers that are located in the upper right part of your heart. This is known as the sinoatrial node, or SA. Electrical signals travel from there to the lower heart chambers or ventricles.
Causes
PVCs are caused when the electrical impulse that normally initiates your heartbeat in a part called the sinus node (also known as the sinoatrial node or SA node) isn't. The impulse actually begins in the ventricles, which causes a mistimed heartbeat. These extra beats, called ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation, may feel like your heart skipped a beat, or it feels like it is like it is fluttering. They may happen rarely and cause no symptoms, or they may occur frequently enough to impact your daily life. If they are very frequent or cause dizziness, weakness or fatigue, your doctor might treat them with medication.
PVCs are generally harmless and do not increase your risk of developing heart disease. In time, frequent PVCs can weaken the heart muscle. This is particularly relevant if the PVCs are caused by conditions like dilated cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenic right-ventricular cardiomyopathy, which can cause heart failure.
PVCs can trigger symptoms, such as a sensation of your heart skipping an beat, or fluttering. You might also feel exhausted. The fluttering could be more apparent when you exercise or have certain drinks or foods. People who suffer from 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 have occasional PVCs, your doctor may suggest lifestyle changes and medication. If they're a frequent occurrence, you may need to avoid certain foods and beverages like caffeine and alcohol. You can also take steps to reduce your stress levels, and get plenty of sleep and exercise.
If you have many PVCs Your doctor might suggest a medical procedure called radiofrequency catheter ablation, which eliminates the cells responsible for them. This is done by a specialist, known as an electrophysiologist. The treatment is typically successful in treating PVCs, reducing symptoms but does not prevent them from becoming recurring in the future. In some cases it may increase your risk of atrial fibrillation (AFib), which can result in stroke. This is rare but can be life-threatening.
Signs and symptoms
Premature ventricular contractions or PVCs, can cause your heart seem to skip or flutter a beat. These extra heartbeats are harmless, however you might need to see your doctor if they are frequent or if you are experiencing symptoms such as dizziness or fatigue.
Normaly, electrical signals begin in the sinoatrial area, which is located in the upper right corner of the heart. They then travel to the lower chambers, or ventricles, where blood pumps are located. The ventricles contract to push the blood into the lungs. They then return to the center to start the next cycle of pumping. However, a PVC starts at a different spot and is located in the bundle of fibers called the Purkinje fibers in the bottom left portion of the heart.
When PVCs happen they can make the heart appear to be racing or pounding. If you have a few episodes and no other symptoms, your cardiologist probably won't treat you. If you have many PVCs, your doctor may suggest that you undergo an electrocardiogram (ECG) to determine the heartbeat over the course of 24 hours. The doctor may also suggest wearing a Holter Monitor that records your heart rhythm and counts the number of PVCs.
If you've had an earlier heart attack or cardiomyopathy - an illness that affects the way the heart pumps blood - must take their PVCs seriously and speak to an expert in cardiology about lifestyle modifications. Those include abstaining from alcohol, caffeine and smoking, reducing stress and anxiety and getting enough rest. A cardiologist might prescribe medication to slow heartbeat, such as beta blockers.
If you are experiencing frequent PVCs even if do not have any other symptoms, you should consult a cardiologist. These heartbeats that are irregular can indicate a problem with the structure of your heart or other health issues and, over time when they happen frequently enough, they may weaken the heart muscle. Most people with PVCs do not have any problems. They would like to know if fluttering heartbeats or skipping heartbeats is normal.
Diagnosis
PVCs might feel like fluttering or skipped heartbeats, especially when they're intense or frequent. People who get lots of them might feel like they're going to faint. They can also happen with exercising, but most athletes who get them don't have issues with their health or heart. PVCs can show up on tests such as an electrocardiogram or Holter monitor. They use sticky patches with sensors to record electrical signals from your heart. A cardiologist could also employ an ultrasound echocardiogram to examine the heart.
Most of the time, a doctor will be able to determine if a person has PVCs from a history and physical examination. Sometimes, however, they may only notice PVCs when examining a patient for another reason, such as after an accident or surgery. Ambulatory ECG monitoring systems also aid in detecting PVCs and other arrhythmias and can be used if there's any concern of a cardiac condition.
If your cardiologist determines that your heart is structurally 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 drug decongestants and decreasing stress can help. Regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight, and drinking enough fluids can aid in reducing the frequency of PVCs. If your symptoms are persistent or severe, talk to your doctor about medications that could help control them.
Treatment
If PVCs don't cause symptoms or occur rarely, they usually don't need treatment. If you experience them frequently or frequently, your doctor may wish to examine for any other heart problems and suggest lifestyle changes or medicine. You may also undergo an operation to rid yourself of them (called radiofrequency catheter ablation).
If you suffer from PVCs The electrical signal that triggers your heartbeat begins somewhere different than the sinoatrial nerve (SA node) located in the upper right side of your heart. This could cause your heart to feel like it skips beats or has extra beats. They're more common among people who suffer from heart issues however it's unclear the reason behind them. www.repairmywindowsanddoors.co.uk can become more frequent as you age, and may be more frequent during exercises.
A physician should perform an ECG along with an echocardiogram on 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 determine whether the extra beats are due to physical exercise. A heart catheterization, cardiac MRI or nuclear perfusion study could be done to look for other reasons for the increased beats.
The majority of people with PVCs do not suffer from any issues and can live a normal lifestyle. However, they may increase your risk of having dangerous heart rhythm problems especially if you are suffering from certain patterns of them. In some instances, this means that the heart muscle gets weaker and it is more difficult to pump blood throughout the body.
A healthy and balanced diet and plenty of exercise can help reduce your chances of developing PVCs. Avoid foods that are high in sodium and fat as well as reduce your intake of caffeine and tobacco. Sleep and stress are equally important. Certain medicines can also increase your risk of getting PVCs. So if you take one of these drugs it is important to follow your doctor's recommendations about eating well, exercising and taking your medication.
Studies of patients who had an excessive amount of PVCs (that's more than 20 percent of their total heart beats) found that they had a higher rate of arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy. Certain people may require an organ transplant.