How a VC Can Affect Your Heart
A lot of people experience occasional PVCs with no problems. However, if they happen frequently, PVCs can weaken your heart muscle and increase the risk of heart failure.
A bundle of fibers in the top right portion of your heart (the sinoatrial, or SA, node) typically regulates your heart rhythm. Electrical signals are transmitted from there to the lower heart chambers, or ventricles.
Causes
PVCs happen by the electrical impulse that normally initiates your heartbeat at the Sinus Node (also called the Sinoatrial or SA node) is not initiated. The impulse actually begins in the ventricles and causes an untimed heartbeat. These extra beats are known as ventricular tachycardia, and ventricular fibrillation. It could feel as if the heart skipped a beating or feels fluttering. They can happen infrequently, causing no symptoms, but they could be frequent enough to affect your quality of living. If they happen frequently or cause dizziness, weakness, or fatigue, your doctor may treat them with medication.
For the majority of people, PVCs are harmless and don't increase your risk of developing heart disease or other health problems. why not try these out of PVCs however, may weaken your heart muscle over time. This is especially relevant if the PVCs result from an illness like dilated Cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenic right ventricle cardiomyopathy that can lead to heart failure.
PVCs can cause symptoms such as a feeling of your heart skipping a beat, or the feeling of your heart fluttering. You might also feel exhausted. The fluttering may be more evident when you exercise or have certain drinks or food items. People who experience chronic anxiety or stress can have more PVCs and certain drugs like amiodarone digoxin, and cocaine may increase the risk of developing them.
If you have occasional PVCs Your doctor may suggest lifestyle changes and medications. If you have frequent PVCs, your doctor might recommend avoiding certain drinks and foods, like caffeine and alcohol. You can also take steps to reduce your stress levels, and make sure you get enough sleep and exercise.
If you have lots of PVCs The doctor may suggest a medical treatment called radiofrequency catheter ablation, which destroys the cells that are responsible for PVCs. This is done by a specialist called an electrophysiologist. The treatment is generally effective in treating PVCs and reducing symptoms, but does not prevent them from becoming recurring in the future. In some cases it can increase the risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AFib) which is a condition that can result in stroke. This isn't common but it could be life-threatening.
Signs and symptoms
Premature ventricular contractions, or PVCs, can cause your heart seem to skip or flutter one beat. These extra heartbeats are usually harmless, but you should talk to your doctor in case you experience frequent episodes or signs like dizziness or weakness.
Normally, electrical signals start at the sinoatrial junction, located in the top right portion of the heart. These signals descend to the lower chambers (or ventricles) which pump blood. The ventricles expand to push blood into your lungs, and then return to the heart to begin the next pumping cycle. But a PVC starts in a different location 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 or feel like it skipped the beat. If you have a few episodes and no other symptoms, the doctor probably won't be able to treat you. If you have a lot of PVCs and your doctor might suggest that you undergo an electrocardiogram (ECG) to determine the heartbeat for a period of 24 hours. He or she might also recommend wearing a Holter monitor that records your heart rhythm over time, allowing you to see how many PVCs you have.
If you've had a previous heart attack or cardiomyopathy - a condition which affects the heart's blood flow - must take their PVCs seriously and speak to a cardiologist regarding lifestyle changes. These include the avoidance of alcohol, caffeine, and smoking, managing stress and anxiety and ensuring adequate sleep. A cardiologist might prescribe medication to slow the heartbeat for example, beta blockers.
Even if there aren't any other symptoms, you should still get PVCs examined by an cardiologist if they occur often. These irregular heartbeats could signal a problem with the structure of your heart or lungs, and if they occur frequently enough, they can weaken your heart muscle. However, most people with PVCs do not experience any issues. They simply want to be aware that the fluttering and skipping heartbeats aren't normal.
Diagnosis
PVCs may feel like heartbeats that are fluttering particularly if they're frequent and intense. People who experience them often might feel faint. They can also occur with exercising, but most athletes who experience them don't have any problems in their heart or health. PVCs can show up in tests like an electrocardiogram or Holter monitor. These are sticky patches that have sensors on them to record electrical impulses coming from your heart. A cardiologist could also employ an ultrasound echocardiogram to study the heart.
A doctor can often tell whether a patient has PVCs by examining them and taking their medical history. Sometimes it is possible that they only be able to detect PVCs when they examine patients for a different reason, such as after an accident or a surgery. Ambulatory ECG monitors are able to detect PVCs and other arrhythmias. They may be used to identify cardiac problems if there is any reason to be concerned.
If your cardiologist has determined that your heart is structurally healthy, reassurance may be all that's needed. If your symptoms are causing you discomfort or cause you to feel anxious, staying away from alcohol, caffeine and other over the drug decongestants and decreasing stress can help. Regular exercise, being at a healthy weight, and drinking enough water can help reduce the frequency of PVCs. If you are experiencing symptoms that are persistent or severe, speak to your doctor about medications that could help manage them.
Treatment
If PVCs do not cause any symptoms or happen rarely generally, they don't require treatment. If they are frequent, your doctor might need to examine for heart conditions or recommend lifestyle modifications. You might also get an intervention to get rid of them (called radiofrequency catheter ablation).
If you suffer from PVCs the electrical signal that causes your heartbeat is generated from a place different than the sinoatrial nerve (SA node) located in the upper right side of your heart. This could cause it to feel like your heart skips beats or has extra beats. It's unclear what causes these symptoms, but they're common in people who have other heart issues. PVCs are more frequent with age and might happen more frequently during exercises.
A doctor should conduct an ECG and an echocardiogram on a patient who suffers from frequent and painful PVCs to determine if there are structural heart problems. The doctor will also likely perform an exercise stress test in order to determine if the extra heartbeats are caused by physical exercise. A heart catheterization or cardiac MRI or nuclear perfusion study can be conducted to determine other causes for the increased beats.
Most people with PVCs do not have any issues and live a normal life. They can increase your risk for heart rhythm disorders that can be dangerous particularly if they happen in certain patterns. In some cases, this means that the heart muscle becomes weaker and has difficulty pumping blood throughout your body.
A regular, healthy diet and plenty of exercise can reduce the chances of developing PVCs. You should avoid foods that are high in fat and sodium as well as reduce your intake of caffeine and tobacco. Also, you should try to get enough rest and reduce stress. Certain medications can increase your risk of PVCs. If you are taking any of these medicines, it is important that you follow your doctor's advice about eating healthy and exercising as well as taking your medication.
Studies of patients with a high amount 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 can lead to the need for a heart transplant in a few people.