How a VC Can Affect Your Heart
Many people have occasional PVCs and have no issues. However, if they happen frequently, PVCs can weaken your heart muscle and increase the risk of heart failure.
The rhythm of your heart is controlled by a bundle of fibers that are located in the upper right-hand part of your heart. This is called the sinoatrial node, or SA. Electrical signals travel to 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. Instead, the impulse begins in a different part of your heart called the ventricles and triggers an untimed beat. These extra beats, also known as ventricular tachycardia, or ventricular fibrillation, can feel like your heart skipped a beat or is fluttering. They can happen infrequently and have no symptoms or they can happen often enough to affect your quality of life. Your doctor may prescribe medication when they occur frequently or cause weakness, dizziness or fatigue.
PVCs are generally safe and do not increase your risk of heart disease. A lot of PVCs however, could weaken your heart muscle over time. This is particularly relevant if the PVCs are caused by conditions like dilated cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenic right ventricle cardiomyopathy that could lead to heart failure.
The signs of PVCs include a feeling that your heart beats faster or it flutters. You may feel breathless. The fluttering may be more noticeable when you exercise or consume certain drinks or foods. People who suffer from 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 might suggest lifestyle changes and medication. If they are a regular occurrence, you may have to avoid certain drinks and foods, such as alcohol and caffeine. You can also reduce your stress and take advantage of plenty of rest and exercise.
If you're suffering from a lot of PVCs The doctor may recommend a medical treatment known as radiofrequency catheter ablation. It eliminates the cells that cause PVCs. This is done by a specialist, known as an electrophysiologist. It is generally successful in treating the PVCs and reducing symptoms, however it does not stop them from recurring in the future. In some instances it can increase the risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AFib), which can lead to a stroke. It's not common, but it can be life-threatening.
Signs and symptoms
Premature ventricular contractures or PVCs may cause your heart to skip or flutter. These extra heartbeats are harmless, but you may need to see your doctor in the event of frequent heartbeats or if you notice symptoms like dizziness, or fatigue.
Normally, electrical signals begin at the sinoatrial junction, located in the top right side of the heart. These signals move down to the lower chambers (or ventricles) that pump blood. Then, the ventricles expand to push blood into the lungs, and then return to your heart to start the next pumping cycle. A PVC starts at a different spot that is the Purkinje fibres bundle at the bottom left of the heart.
When PVCs occur, they make the heart beat faster or feel as if it skipped the beat. If you only have just a few episodes and no other symptoms are present, your cardiologist will probably not be able to treat you. If you have many PVCs, your doctor may suggest that you undergo an electrocardiogram (ECG) to monitor your heartbeat for a period of 24 hours. The doctor may also suggest wearing a Holter Monitor that records the heart's rhythm and count the number of PVCs.
People who have suffered a previous heart attack or have suffered from cardiomyopathy - a condition which affects the method by which the heart pumps blood - must take their PVCs seriously and consult a cardiologist regarding lifestyle modifications. This includes cutting down on caffeine, alcohol and smoking, managing stress and anxiety, and getting enough rest. A cardiologist can prescribe medication to slow the heartbeat like beta blockers.
Even if there aren't any other signs however, you should have PVCs examined by a cardiologist if they happen often. These heartbeats that are irregular can point to problems with the structure of your heart or other health issues and, over time, if they occur often enough, they could weaken the heart muscle. The majority of people with PVCs don't experience any issues. They are interested in knowing if the fluttering heartbeats or skipping heartbeats is normal.
Diagnosis
PVCs might feel like fluttering or skipped heartbeats, particularly when they're frequent or intense. People who get lots of them may feel they're about to faint. Exercise can cause PVCs, but a lot of athletes who experience these symptoms do not have heart or health issues. PVCs may show up on tests such as an electrocardiogram or Holter monitor. These are sticky patches that have sensors to record electrical impulses coming from your heart. A cardiologist can also perform an ultrasound echocardiogram for examining the heart.
Most of the time, a doctor will be able to tell whether the patient is suffering from PVCs from a patient's history and physical examination. Sometimes however, they might only be able to detect PVCs when they examine a patient for another reason, like following an accident or surgical procedure. Ambulatory ECG monitors are able to detect PVCs, as well as other arrhythmias. window doctors near me can be used to detect heart disease in the event of any reason to be concerned.
If your cardiologist concludes 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 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 your symptoms are persistent or extreme, consult your physician about the medications that could be able to reduce these symptoms.
Treatment
If PVCs do not cause any symptoms or are not frequent, they usually don't need treatment. If they happen frequently your doctor may want to check for heart problems or suggest lifestyle adjustments. You could also have an intervention to get rid of them (called radiofrequency catheter ablation).
If you suffer from PVCs in your heart, the electrical signal which triggers your heartbeat starts somewhere outside of the sinoatrial (SA) node located in the upper right-hand corner of your heart. This could cause your heart to feel like it skips beats or has extra beats. It's not clear what causes these, but they're more frequent in those with other heart problems. PVCs are more frequent as you age, and may occur more often during exercise.
A doctor should perform an ECG along with an echocardiogram for a patient who suffers from frequent and painful PVCs to determine if there are structural heart problems. The doctor will also likely conduct an exercise stress test in order to determine if the additional heartbeats are due to physical exercise. A heart catheterization or cardiac MRI or nuclear perfusion studies can be conducted to determine other causes of the increased beats.
Most people who suffer from PVCs have no complications and live the normal life. However, they can increase the risk of developing dangerous heart rhythm issues, especially if you have certain patterns of them. In some cases this means that the heart muscle becomes weaker and is unable to pump blood throughout your body.
A healthy, regular diet and regular exercise can help reduce your risk of developing PVCs. Avoid foods that are high in sodium and fat as well as limit caffeine and tobacco. Also, you should try to sleep enough and reduce stress. Certain medications can increase the risk of developing PVCs. So if you take one of these medicines it's crucial to follow your doctor's recommendations about eating well, exercising and taking your medication.
In studies of patients with PVC burdens that are excessive (more than 20% of heartbeats), a higher rate arrhythmia-induced cardiac myopathy was found. This can result in a need for a heart transplant in a few individuals.