How a VC Can Affect Your Heart
PVCs are commonplace and can be experienced by a wide range of people without causing any problems. If they occur often, PVCs may weaken your heart and increase the risk for heart failure.
The heart's rhythm is controlled by a group of nerve fibers situated in the upper right-hand corner of your heart. This is known as the sinoatrial nerve, or SA. Electrical signals travel to lower heart chambers or ventricles.
Causes
PVCs happen when the electrical impulse that typically initiates your heartbeat at a point known as the sinus node (also known as the sinoatrial or SA node) isn't. Instead, the impulse begins in another area of your heart, the ventricles, and causes a mistimed beat. These extra beats are also called ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. It could feel as if the heart beats faster or feels like it is fluttering. They may occur infrequently and not cause any symptoms, but they could also happen frequently enough to affect your quality of life. If they happen frequently or cause weakness, dizziness, or fatigue, your doctor might treat them with medicine.
PVCs are generally harmless and don't increase your risk of developing heart disease. Over time, frequent PVCs can weaken the heart muscle. This is particularly true if they are caused by a heart-related condition such as dilated cardiomyopathy or arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy which can lead to symptomatic heart failure.
The signs of PVCs include feeling like your heart skips a beat or flutters, and you may feel breathless. The fluttering could be more evident when you exercise, or consume certain foods or beverages. People who experience chronic anxiety or stress can have more PVCs, and some drugs like amiodarone digoxin, and cocaine may increase the risk of developing them.
If you experience occasional PVCs your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes and medications. If you are prone to frequent PVCs, your physician may suggest that you stay away from certain foods and drinks such as alcohol and caffeine. You can also lessen your stress by taking enough rest and working out.
If you've got a lot of PVCs, your doctor may suggest a medical procedure called radiofrequency catheter ablation. This procedure eliminates the cells that are responsible for them. This procedure is performed by a specialist called an electrophysiologist. The treatment is typically effective in treating PVCs, reducing symptoms but it does not stop them from becoming recurring in the future. In some instances it may increase your risk of atrial fibrillation (AFib) which could cause a stroke. It's not common, but it can be life-threatening.
Symptoms
Premature ventricular contractions, or PVCs, can make your heart appear to flutter or skip a beat. These heartbeats that are not normal can be harmless, however you might be advised to consult your physician when they occur frequently 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 part of the heart. They then move to the lower chambers, also known as ventricles, which pump blood. The ventricles then contract to propel blood into the lungs, and then return to the heart to start the next pumping cycle. A PVC starts at a different spot that is the Purkinje fibers are located in the left-hand side of the heart.
When PVCs occur, they make the heart beat faster or feel like it skipped the beat. If repairmywindowsanddoors have just a few episodes but no other symptoms, your doctor probably won't be able to treat you. But if you have a lot of PVCs, the doctor may recommend an electrocardiogram, also known as an ECG, to measure your heart rate over 24 hours. He or she might also recommend wearing a Holter Monitor that records your heart rhythm and counts the number of PVCs.
If you've had previously from a heart attack or cardiomyopathy, an illness that affects the heart's blood flow - should take their PVCs very seriously and consult a cardiologist about lifestyle modifications. These include abstaining from caffeine, alcohol, and smoking, managing stress and anxiety, and getting enough rest. A cardiologist can prescribe medication to slow the heartbeat, for example, beta blockers.
Even if you don't experience any other signs, you should still get PVCs checked by an expert in cardiology if they occur frequently. These irregular heartbeats could be a sign of a problem with the structure of your heart or lungs, and if they occur often enough, can weaken your heart muscle. The majority of people with PVCs do not have any problems. They just want to be aware that the fluttering or racing heartbeats aren't normal.
Diagnosis
PVCs may feel like heartbeats that are fluttering particularly if they're frequent and intense. Patients who have a lot of them might feel like they're going to faint. Exercise can cause them, but many athletes who experience them have no heart or health issues. PVCs can be detected on tests such as an electrocardiogram or Holter monitor. These patches have sensors that record electrical impulses from your heart. A cardiologist could also employ an ultrasound echocardiogram to examine the heart.
A doctor can often tell the presence of PVCs by conducting a thorough examination and taking a medical history. But sometimes they might only be able to detect them when they examine the patient for different reasons, like after an accident or surgery. Ambulatory ECG monitoring systems can aid in detecting PVCs and other arrhythmias and could be utilized when there is a concern of heart disease.
If your cardiologist determines your heart is structurally healthy, reassurance may be all that's needed. If your symptoms are causing discomfort or cause you to feel anxious, staying away from alcohol, caffeine and other decongestants as well as reducing stress levels can aid. Regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight, and drinking enough fluids can all aid in reducing the frequency of PVCs. If your symptoms are persistent or severe, talk to your physician about the medications that could help reduce them.
Treatment
If PVCs don't cause symptoms or occur rarely generally, they don't require treatment. If you experience them frequently, your doctor may want to check for any other heart problems and recommend lifestyle changes or medications. You could also have an operation to rid yourself of them (called radiofrequency catheter ablation).
When you have PVCs The electrical signal that causes your heartbeat starts somewhere different than the sinoatrial nerve (SA node) located in the upper right corner of your heart. This could cause your heart to feel like it skips a beating or has additional beats. PVCs are more frequent among those suffering from heart disease, but it's not known the reason behind them. PVCs may increase in frequency as we age and can occur more often during exercising.
A doctor should perform an ECG and an echocardiogram on a patient who has frequent and painful PVCs to identify structural heart conditions. The doctor will also conduct an exercise stress test to determine if the additional heartbeats are related to physical activity. To find out whether there are any other causes for the extra beats the heart catheterization or an MRI could be conducted.
The majority of people with PVCs are not affected and live the normal life. However, they may increase the risk of developing dangerous heart rhythm issues especially if you are suffering from certain patterns of them. In some cases this means that the heart muscle gets weaker and has difficulty pumping blood throughout the body.
Regular exercise and a healthy diet can reduce your chances of developing PVCs. Avoid foods that are high in fat and sodium and limit your intake of caffeine and tobacco. Sleep and stress are also important. Certain medicines can also increase the risk of developing PVCs. If you are taking one of these medicines it is important to follow your doctor's instructions about a healthy diet, exercise and taking your medication.
In studies of patients suffering from high PVC burdens (more than 20% of total heartbeats) there was a higher incidence of arrhythmia-induced cardiac myopathy was discovered. Some people may need a heart transplant.