How a VC Can Affect Your Heart
PVCs are commonplace and can be experienced by a variety of people without causing any issues. If they occur regularly, PVCs can weaken your heart muscle and increase your risk of heart failure.
A bundle of fibers in the upper right-hand corner of your heart (the sinoatrial, or SA, node) typically controls your heart's rhythm. Electrical signals travel from this node to the lower heart chambers, or ventricles.
Causes
PVCs happen when the electrical impulse that normally initiates your heartbeat in a part known as the sinus node (also called the sinoatrial or SA Node) doesn't. The impulse actually begins in the ventricles, causing an untimed heartbeat. window doctors near me , also called ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation, can feel like your heart skipped a beat or is like it is fluttering. They may happen rarely and not cause any symptoms, or they can occur frequently enough to impact your quality of life. Your doctor might prescribe medication when they occur frequently or cause weakness, dizziness or fatigue.
PVCs are generally harmless and do not increase your risk of developing heart disease. Over time, frequent PVCs can weaken the heart muscle. This is especially the case if they are caused by a heart disease like dilated cardiomyopathy, or arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy which can lead to symptomatic heart failure.
The symptoms of PVCs include feeling like your heart skips a beat or it flutters. You may feel breathless. The fluttering could be more apparent when you exercise or have certain drinks or foods. PVCs are more common for those who suffer from chronic anxiety or stress. Certain medications, like digoxin, amiodarone, and cocaine, can increase their risk.
If you are experiencing occasional PVCs your doctor might suggest lifestyle changes and medication. If you are prone to frequent PVCs, your doctor might recommend that you avoid certain drinks and foods, such as alcohol and caffeine. You can also reduce stress by having enough sleep and exercising.
If you have a lot of PVCs, your doctor may recommend a medical procedure referred to as radiofrequency catheter ablation. This procedure eliminates the cells that are responsible for them. Electrophysiologists are the ones who carry out this procedure. It is generally effective in treating PVCs and reducing symptoms, however, it doesn't prevent them from occurring in the future. In some cases it can increase the risk of atrial fibrillation (AFib) which is a condition that can cause stroke. It is not common, but it could be life-threatening.
Symptoms
Premature ventricular contractions or PVCs, can cause your heart appear to flutter or skip one beat. These extra heartbeats can be harmless, however you might want to consult your doctor in the event of frequent heartbeats or if you are experiencing symptoms like dizziness, or fatigue.
Normally, electrical signals start at the sinoatrial junction, located in the upper right side of the heart. They descend to the lower chambers (or ventricles) which pump blood. The ventricles then expand to push blood into your lungs and return to the heart to begin the next cycle of pumping. But a PVC begins in a different place and is located in the bundle of fibers known as the Purkinje fibers, located in the bottom left portion of the heart.
When PVCs occur, the heart may feel as if it's beating faster or slower. If you experience only a few episodes, but no other symptoms, the cardiologist probably won't treat you. However, if you have number of PVCs and you have other symptoms, your doctor might recommend an electrocardiogram, also known as an ECG, to measure the heart's rate over 24 hours. The doctor may also recommend wearing a Holter monitor, which will record your heart rhythm over time, allowing you to see how many PVCs you have.
Anyone who has had a prior heart attack or suffer from cardiomyopathy -an illness that affects how the heart pumps blood should take their PVCs seriously and talk to a cardiologist about lifestyle changes. Those include abstaining from alcohol, caffeine and smoking, reducing anxiety and stress, and getting enough rest. A cardiologist can prescribe beta blockers to slow down the heartbeat.
Even if you don't have any other signs, you should still get PVCs checked by a cardiologist if they happen often. These extra heartbeats can indicate problems with the structure of your heart or other health issues and, over time, when they happen frequently enough, they may weaken the heart muscle. But most people with PVCs do not experience any issues. They are interested in knowing if the irregular heartbeats or fluttering is normal.
Diagnosis
PVCs may be felt as fluttering or skipped heartbeats, especially if they are frequent or intense. Patients who have a lot of them might feel like they're going to faint. Exercise can cause them, but most athletes who suffer from these symptoms do not have heart or health issues. PVCs can be detected in tests like an electrocardiogram or a Holter monitor. These patches contain sensors that record electrical impulses coming from your heart. A cardiologist may also perform an echocardiogram that uses ultrasound to look at the heart and see how it's working.
A doctor may be able to tell whether a person is suffering from PVCs from a patient's history and physical exam. But sometimes they might only notice them while examining the patient for different reasons, like after a surgery or accident. Ambulatory ECG monitoring systems can also aid in detecting PVCs and other arrhythmias, and could be utilized when there is a concern of heart disease.
If your cardiologist determines that your heart's structure is normal, reassurance is the only treatment needed. However, if your symptoms are bothersome or make you feel anxious, avoiding caffeine, alcohol and over-the-counter decongestants and reducing stress may help. Regular exercise, being at a healthy weight and drinking enough water can also help reduce the frequency of PVCs. If your symptoms are persistent or severe, talk to your doctor about medications that could help control them.
Treatment
If PVCs are rare or don't cause symptoms, they rarely need treatment. If they are frequent your doctor may want to check for heart conditions or recommend lifestyle changes. 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 creates your heartbeat is located different than the sinoatrial (SA) node located in the upper right corner of your heart. This could cause it to feel like your heart skips beats or is beating faster. It's not clear what causes these symptoms, but they're common in people who have other heart conditions. PVCs can become more frequent as you age, and might occur more frequently during exercising.
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 perform an exercise stress test to determine if the additional heartbeats are due to physical exercise. A heart catheterization, cardiac MRI or nuclear perfusion studies can be performed to find other causes for the extra beats.
The majority of people who suffer from PVCs do not suffer from any complications and can lead a normal lifestyle. They could increase the risk of heart rhythm disorders that can be dangerous, especially if they occur in certain patterns. In some cases, this means that the heart muscle gets weaker and it is more difficult to pump blood throughout the body.
A regular, healthy diet and a lot of exercise can reduce the risk of developing PVCs. Avoid foods that are high in fat and sodium and limit caffeine and tobacco. Also, you should try to get enough sleep and reduce stress. Some medicines may also increase your risk for PVCs. If you take any of these medicines it is crucial that you follow your doctor's recommendations about eating healthy exercising, as well as taking your medication.
In studies of patients suffering from PVC burdens that are excessive (more than 20% of the total heartbeats) the higher rate of arrhythmia-induced cardiac myopathy was discovered. This can lead to the need for a heart transplant in a few people.