How a VC Can Affect Your Heart

PVCs are common and may be experienced by many people without causing any problems. But if they occur frequently, PVCs can weaken your heart muscle and increase your risk of heart failure.

The heart's rhythm is usually controlled by a group 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 this node to the lower heart chambers, or ventricles.

Causes

PVCs are caused when the electrical impulse that typically initiates your heartbeat in a region known as the sinus node (also called the sinoatrial node or SA node) does not. Instead, the impulse is generated in a different area of your heart--the ventricles--and causes a wrongly timed beat. These extra beats, called ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation, can feel like your heart skipped a beat or is like it is fluttering. They can happen infrequently and cause no symptoms, or they can occur frequently enough to affect your daily life. Your doctor might prescribe medication in the event that they are frequent or cause weakness, dizziness or fatigue.

PVCs are generally harmless and do not increase your risk of heart disease. Frequent PVCs however, could weaken the heart muscle over time. This is particularly true if they are caused by a heart condition such as dilated cardiomyopathy or arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy which could lead to symptoms of heart failure.

PVCs can trigger symptoms, such as a sensation of your heart racing a beat, or fluttering. You might also feel breathless. The fluttering may be more apparent when you exercise, or eat or drink certain foods or beverages. People who suffer from chronic anxiety or stress may have more PVCs and certain medications such as amiodarone, digoxin and cocaine can increase the double glazing doctor likelihood of developing them.

If you experience occasional PVCs your doctor may suggest lifestyle changes and medications. If you experience frequent PVCs, your doctor may recommend avoiding certain foods and drinks, such as caffeine and alcohol. You can also reduce your stress levels by having enough sleep and exercising.

If you've got a lot of PVCs Your doctor might suggest a medical procedure called radiofrequency catheter ablation. This procedure eliminates the cells that are responsible for them. This is done by a specialist known as an electrophysiologist. It is generally successful in treating the PVCs and reducing symptoms however, it doesn't prevent them from recurring in the future. In certain instances, it can increase the risk of having atrial fibrillation (AFib), a condition that can result in stroke. This is rare but can be life-threatening.

Signs and symptoms

Premature ventricular contractions or PVCs, may make your heart seem to flutter or skip one beat. These extra heartbeats are harmless, but you may want to consult your doctor in the event of frequent heartbeats or if you notice symptoms such as 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. The ventricles then contract to push the blood into the lungs. They return to the heart's center to start the next cycle of pumping. A Pvc doctor begins at a different spot, the Purkinje fibers are located in the left side of the heart.

When PVCs occur they can make the heart feel like it is racing or pounding. If you've experienced a few episodes and no other symptoms, your cardiologist probably won't treat you. If you've got a lot of PVCs and you have other symptoms, your window doctor might recommend an electrocardiogram, or ECG to gauge the heart's rate over the course of 24 hours. He or she might also suggest wearing a Holter Monitor which tracks the heart's rhythm and count the number of PVCs.

People who have suffered an earlier heart attack or cardiomyopathy, a condition which affects the way the heart pumps blood - should take their PVCs seriously and speak to a cardiologist about lifestyle changes. This includes abstaining from caffeine, alcohol, and smoking, reducing stress and anxiety, and getting enough rest. A cardiologist may prescribe medication to slow the heartbeat for example, a beta blocker.

Even if there aren't any other symptoms it is still recommended to have PVCs examined by an expert in cardiology if they occur often. These extra heartbeats may indicate a problem in the structure of your heart or lungs and if they occur often enough, can weaken the heart muscle. Most people with PVCs do not have any issues. They want to know if the fluttering heartbeats or skipping heartbeats is normal.

Diagnosis

PVCs may feel like heartbeats that flutter, particularly if they're frequent and intense. People who experience them frequently may feel faint. They can also occur with exercise, though many athletes who experience them don't have any problems with their heart or health. PVCs may show up on tests such as an electrocardiogram, or Holter monitor. These patches contain sensors that record electrical impulses coming from your heart. A cardiologist could also employ an ultrasound echocardiogram to examine the heart.

A doctor may be able to identify if the patient has PVCs through a medical history and physical examination. Sometimes however, they might only notice PVCs when examining a patient for another reason, such as after an accident or surgery. Ambulatory ECG monitoring systems can assist in detecting PVCs and other arrhythmias and can be used when there is a concern of cardiac disease.

If your cardiologist concludes that your heart is structurally normal, reassurance will be the only treatment needed. If your symptoms are troubling, or cause you to be anxious, avoiding alcohol, caffeine and over-the drug 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 the symptoms.

Treatment

If PVCs aren't common or don't cause symptoms, they rarely require treatment. If you experience them frequently, your doctor may want to check for any other heart problems and suggest lifestyle changes or medicine. You could also have a procedure (called radiofrequency cathode ablation) to eliminate of them.

If you have PVCs the electrical signal that causes your heartbeat starts somewhere outside of the sinoatrial node (SA node) in the top right part of your heart. This could cause it to feel like your heart skips a beat or is beating faster. They're more common among people with heart problems however, it's not clear the reason behind them. PVCs may increase in frequency as you age, and they could be more frequent during exercising.

If a patient experiences frequent and painful PVCs the doctor should conduct an ECG and an echocardiogram to rule out heart disease that is structural. They will probably also do an exercise stress test to determine if the extra beats are caused by physical exercise. To determine whether there are other reasons for the extra beatings, a heart catheterization or a cardiac MRI can be performed.

The majority of people who suffer from PVCs do not suffer from any issues and can live a normal lifestyle. However, they can increase the risk of developing dangerous heart rhythm issues, especially if you have certain patterns of them. In some cases, that means the heart muscle gets weaker and is having difficulty pumping blood through your body.

Regular exercise and a balanced diet can reduce your chances of developing PVCs. Avoid foods high in fat and sodium, and limit your intake of caffeine and tobacco. Sleep and stress are also important. Certain medicines can also increase your risk of getting PVCs. If you're taking one of these medications it's crucial to follow the doctor's advice about a healthy diet, exercise and taking your medication.

In studies of patients with PVC burdens that are high (more than 20% of heartbeats) the higher rate of arrhythmia-induced myopathy in the heart was observed. Some patients may require a heart transplant.