How a VC Can Affect Your Heart
PVCs are common and may be experienced by many people without causing any problems. If they are frequent, PVCs may weaken your heart and increase your risk for heart failure.
A bundle of fibers in the upper right-hand corner of your heart (the sinoatrial, or SA, node) usually controls your heart rhythm. Electrical signals travel to ventricles or lower chambers of your heart.
Causes
PVCs occur when the electrical impulse that usually begins your heartbeat in a region called the sinus node (also known as the sinoatrial node or SA node) doesn't. The impulse actually starts in the ventricles, which causes an irregular heartbeat. These extra beats are called ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. It may feel like the heart beats faster or feels like it is fluttering. They may occur infrequently and not cause any symptoms, but they can occur frequently enough to impact your quality of living. window doctor Repair My Windows And Doors may prescribe medicine when they occur frequently or cause dizziness, weakness or fatigue.
PVCs are generally harmless and don't increase the risk of heart disease. Frequent PVCs however, may weaken your heart muscle over time. This is particularly true if the PVCs result from conditions like dilated cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenic right ventricle cardiomyopathy that can cause heart failure.
PVCs can cause symptoms such as a feeling of your heart beating an beat, or the feeling of your heart fluttering. It is also possible to feel exhausted. The fluttering can be more noticeable when you exercise or consume certain foods or beverages. People with chronic anxiety or stress can have more PVCs, and some medications such as amiodarone, digoxin, and cocaine can increase the likelihood of developing them.
If you experience occasional PVCs your doctor might suggest lifestyle changes and medication. If you are prone to frequent PVCs, your physician may recommend avoiding certain drinks and foods, like caffeine and alcohol. You can also lower stress by having enough sleep and exercising.
If you're experiencing lots of PVCs, he may suggest a medical procedure called radiofrequency catheter ablation. It destroys cells that cause PVCs. Electrophysiologists are the ones who execute this procedure. The treatment is generally successful in treating PVCs and reducing symptoms, but it does not stop them from recurring in the future. In certain cases, it can increase your risk of having atrial fibrillation (AFib) which can cause stroke. This isn't common, but it can be life-threatening.
Signs and symptoms
Premature ventricular contracts PVCs, also known as PVCs, can cause your heart to skip or to flutter. These extra heartbeats can be harmless, but you might need to see your doctor if they are frequent or if you experience symptoms like dizziness, or fatigue.
The electrical signals normally begin in the sinoatrial region, which is in the upper right-hand corner of the heart. They then travel to the lower chambers, or ventricles, that pump blood. The ventricles contract to propel the blood into the lungs, and then return to the heart to start the next pumping cycle. However, a PVC starts in a different place that is separate from the bundle of fibers, known as the Purkinje fibers in the left-hand side of the heart.
When PVCs occur they can make the heart feel like it is skipping a beat or pounding. If you experience only one or two episodes, and there are no other symptoms, your cardiologist will probably not prescribe treatment. But if you have a number of PVCs the doctor may suggest an electrocardiogram, or ECG to gauge your heart rate over a 24-hour period. The doctor might also recommend wearing a Holter monitor that records your heartbeat over time to see how many PVCs you have.
People who have suffered previously from a heart attack or cardiomyopathy - a condition which affects the method by which the heart pumps blood - must take their PVCs seriously and consult a cardiologist about lifestyle modifications. These include abstaining from alcohol, caffeine and smoking, managing anxiety and stress and getting enough rest. A cardiologist may prescribe beta blockers to slow down the heartbeat.
If you are experiencing frequent PVCs even if you do not have other signs, you should see a cardiologist. These heartbeats that are irregular could signal a problem with the structure of your heart or lungs, and if they occur often enough, can weaken the heart muscle. However, most people with PVCs don't have any issues. They want to know if the rapid heartbeats, or the skipping of heartbeats is normal.
Diagnosis
PVCs might appear to be fluttering or skip heartbeats, particularly when they're frequent or intense. People who get lots of them might feel like they're about to faint. Exercise can trigger PVCs, but a lot of athletes who suffer from them have no heart or health issues. PVCs may show up on tests such as an electrocardiogram or a Holter monitor. These are sticky patches that have sensors to record electrical impulses from your heart. A cardiologist could also employ an ultrasound echocardiogram to examine the heart.
A doctor can often tell whether a patient has PVCs by conducting a thorough examination and taking a medical history. Sometimes however, they might only notice PVCs when examining the patient for another reason, like following an accident or surgical procedure. Ambulatory ECG monitoring systems can aid in detecting PVCs and other arrhythmias and they might be used when there is a concern of cardiac disease.
If your cardiologist determines that your heart is structurally normal, reassurance is the only treatment required. If your symptoms are bothersome or make you feel anxious, staying away from alcohol, caffeine and other decongestants and reducing stress may aid. Regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight and drinking enough fluids can all help reduce the frequency of PVCs. If your symptoms are persistent or extreme, consult your physician about the medications that could help manage them.
Treatment
If PVCs are rare or do not cause symptoms, they rarely require treatment. If you have them often, your doctor may want to look for other heart issues and recommend lifestyle changes or medications. You could also undergo an operation (called radiofrequency cathode ablation) to eliminate them.
If you have PVCs The electrical signal that triggers your heartbeat begins somewhere different than the sinoatrial nerve (SA node) in the top right side of your heart. This can cause your heart to feel like it skips a beating or has additional beats. It's not known what causes these symptoms, but they're frequent in those with other heart issues. PVCs are more likely to occur as you age, and they could be more frequent during exercising.
A physician should perform an ECG as well as an echocardiogram on a patient that has frequent and painful PVCs to determine if there are structural heart problems. The doctor may also conduct an exercise stress test in order to determine if the extra heartbeats are caused by physical activity. To determine if there are other causes for the extra beats the heart catheterization or cardiac MRI could be conducted.
The majority of people with PVCs do not suffer from any issues and can live an ordinary life. But they can increase your risk of having dangerous heart rhythm issues particularly if you have certain patterns of them. In some cases this means that the heart muscle becomes weaker and it is more difficult to pump blood throughout your body.
A regular, healthy diet and regular exercise can help reduce your chances of developing PVCs. Avoid foods that are high in sodium and fat, and limit your intake of caffeine and tobacco. You should also try to get enough sleep and manage stress. Some medicines may also increase the risk of developing PVCs. If you're taking one of these drugs, it's important to follow the doctor's advice regarding eating healthy, 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) found that they had a higher rate of arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy. Some patients may require a heart transplant.