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How a VC Can Affect Your Heart

PVCs are commonplace and can be experienced by many people without causing any issues. If they occur often, PVCs may weaken your heart and increase the chance of suffering from heart failure.

A bundle of fibers located in the top right portion of your heart (the sinoatrial, or SA, node) typically controls your heart rhythm. Electrical signals are transmitted to the ventricles or lower chambers of your heart.

Causes

PVCs occur when the electrical impulse that normally starts your heartbeat at the Sinus Node (also called the Sinoatrial or SA node) does not. The impulse actually begins in the ventricles and causes an irregular heartbeat. These extra beats are called ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. They may feel like the heart skipped a beat or feels fluttering. They can happen infrequently, causing no symptoms, but they can also happen frequently enough to affect your quality of living. If they happen frequently or cause weakness, dizziness or fatigue, your doctor might treat them with medicine.

PVCs are generally harmless and don't increase the risk of heart disease. In time, repeated PVCs can weaken the heart muscle. This is especially relevant if they are triggered by a heart condition like dilated cardiomyopathy, or arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy which may lead to symptomatic heart failure.

The signs of PVCs include a feeling that your heart beats slower or flutters, and you may feel breathless. The fluttering could be more apparent when you exercise or consume certain drinks or food items. PVCs are more prevalent in people with chronic stress or anxiety. Certain drugs, like digoxin, amiodarone and cocaine, can also increase the risk of developing PVCs.

If you are experiencing occasional PVCs, your doctor may suggest lifestyle changes and medications. If you have frequent PVCs, your physician may recommend avoiding certain foods and drinks such as caffeine and alcohol. You can also lessen your stress levels by taking enough rest and exercising.

If you've got a lot of PVCs, your doctor may suggest a medical procedure called radiofrequency catheter ablation, which destroys the cells that cause them. Electrophysiologists are the ones who carry out this procedure. The treatment is generally successful in treating PVCs which reduce symptoms, but it does not stop them from returning in the future. In certain cases it may increase your risk of having atrial fibrillation (AFib), which can cause a stroke. It is not common, but it could be life-threatening.

Symptoms

Premature ventricular contractions, or PVCs can cause your heart to skip or to flutter. These heartbeats that are not normal can be harmless, but you might need to see your doctor if they are frequent or if you notice symptoms like dizziness, or fatigue.

Normally, electrical signals start in the sinoatrial node located in the upper right portion of the heart. They travel down to the lower chambers (or ventricles) that pump blood. The ventricles expand to push blood into your lungs, and return to the heart and start the next pumping cycle. But a PVC starts in a different location that is separate from the bundle of fibers known as the Purkinje fibers, located in the lower left part of the heart.

When PVCs occur, the heart may feel like it is beating faster or slower. If you experience just a few episodes but no other symptoms, your doctor probably won't be able to treat you. However, if you have lot of PVCs, the doctor may recommend an electrocardiogram, also known as an ECG to determine the heart's rate over a 24-hour period. He or she might also recommend wearing a Holter monitor, which will record your heartbeat over time to determine the number of PVCs you have.

People who have had a prior heart attack or suffer from cardiomyopathy -which alters the way the heart pumps blood -and must be aware of their PVCs and talk to an expert in cardiology about lifestyle changes. This includes avoiding alcohol, caffeine and smoking, reducing stress and anxiety, as well as getting enough rest. A cardiologist may prescribe medications to slow the heartbeat such as a beta blocker.

If you have frequent PVCs, even if you don't have any other signs, you should see an expert in cardiology. These irregular heartbeats could indicate a problem in the structure of your heart or lungs and if they happen often enough, it could weaken your heart muscle. The majority of people with PVCs don't experience any issues. They simply want to know that the fluttering or racing heartbeats aren't normal.

Diagnosis

PVCs might feel like fluttering or skipped heartbeats, especially if they're intense or frequent. Patients who have a lot of them may feel they're about to faint. Exercise can trigger PVCs, but a lot of athletes who suffer from them do not have heart or health problems. PVCs can be detected in tests like an electrocardiogram (ECG) or Holter monitor. They have sensors which record electrical impulses that come from your heart. A cardiologist could also employ an echocardiogram that uses ultrasound to look at the heart and observe how it's functioning.

A doctor will usually be able to determine the presence of PVCs by looking at them and taking a medical history. But sometimes they might not be aware of them until they examine the patient for different reasons, like following an accident or surgery. Ambulatory ECG monitors are able to detect PVCs as well as other arrhythmias. They may be used to detect cardiac disease in the event of any concern.

If your cardiologist has determined that your heart is structurally healthy, reassurance could be all you need. If your symptoms are troubling, or cause you to feel anxious, avoiding alcohol, caffeine and other over the counter decongestants, and reducing stress may help. Regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight and drinking enough fluids can help to reduce the frequency of PVCs. If you are experiencing symptoms that are persistent or severe, talk to your doctor about medication that may be able to control these symptoms.

Treatment

If PVCs aren't common or don't cause symptoms, they do not usually require treatment. If you experience them frequently and frequently, your doctor might want to check for historic awning window repair repair - similar site, other heart issues and suggest lifestyle changes or medications. You could also have a procedure to get rid of them (called radiofrequency catheter ablation).

If you have PVCs in your heart the electrical signal that causes your heartbeat begins somewhere different than 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. It's unclear what causes these, but they're more common in people who have other heart conditions. PVCs can become more frequent as you age, and may be more frequent during exercises.

A doctor should perform an ECG as well as an echocardiogram for a patient who has frequent and painful PVCs to rule out structural heart diseases. They will probably also do an exercise stress test to determine if the extra beats are due to physical exercise. A heart catheterization, skylight window Repair cardiac MRI or nuclear perfusion study can be conducted to determine other causes of the extra beats.

Most people with PVCs do not have any issues and can live the normal life. However, they can increase your risk of having dangerous heart rhythm problems particularly if you have certain patterns of them. In some cases, that means that the heart muscle becomes weaker and has trouble pumping blood through your body.

Regular exercise and a healthy diet can lower the chances of developing PVCs. Avoid foods high in fat and sodium, and limit your consumption of tobacco and caffeine. It is also important to get enough sleep and manage stress. Certain medicines can also increase your risk for PVCs. If you take any of these medicines, it is important to follow your doctor's advice regarding eating a healthy diet, exercising, and taking your medication.

Studies of patients suffering from a high burden of PVCs (that's more than 20 percent of their total heart beats) discovered that they had a higher risk of arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy. This could lead to a need for a heart transplant in some people.