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How a VC Can Affect Your Heart
PVCs are commonplace and can be experienced by a wide range of people without causing any issues. However, if they happen frequently, PVCs can weaken your heart muscle and increase the risk of heart failure.
A bundle of fibers in the upper right-hand corner of your heart (the sinoatrial node, also known as SA) typically controls your heart rhythm. Electrical signals travel from this node to the lower chambers of your heart or ventricles.
Causes
PVCs happen by the electrical impulse that normally initiates your heartbeat at the Sinus Node (also known as the Sinoatrial or the SA node) does not. The impulse actually begins in the ventricles and causes an untimed heartbeat. These extra beats, also called ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation, can feel like your heart skipped a beat or feels fluttering. They may occur infrequently and not cause any symptoms, but they may occur frequently enough to affect your quality of life. If they happen frequently or cause weakness, dizziness or fatigue, your doctor could treat them with medicine.
PVCs are generally safe and do not increase the risk of heart disease. In time, repeated PVCs can weaken the heart muscle. This is especially relevant if they are triggered by a heart condition such as dilated cardiomyopathy or arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy which can lead to symptomatic heart failure.
PVCs can cause symptoms like a feeling of your heart racing a beat, or the feeling of your heart fluttering. You may also feel breathless. The fluttering can be more apparent when you exercise or consume certain drinks or foods. People who experience chronic anxiety or stress can have more PVCs, and some medications such as amiodarone, digoxin, and cocaine can increase the risk of developing them.
If you have occasional PVCs your doctor may suggest lifestyle changes and medications. If they are a frequent occurrence, you may have to avoid certain drinks and foods, such as caffeine and alcohol. You can also lessen your stress by getting enough sleep and exercising.
If you have a lot of PVCs, your doctor may suggest a medical procedure called radiofrequency catheter ablation, which eliminates the cells that are responsible for them. Electrophysiologists are the ones who perform this procedure. The treatment is generally effective in treating PVCs and reducing symptoms, but it does not stop them from becoming recurring in the future. In certain instances, it can increase the risk of atrial fibrillation (AFib), an illness that can cause 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 flutter or skip the beat. These heartbeats that are not normal can be harmless, but you may be advised to consult your physician 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 part of the heart. They then move to the lower chambers, also known as ventricles, where blood pumps are located. The ventricles then contract to propel the blood into the lungs, and return to the heart to start the next cycle of pumping. But a pvc doctor begins at a different spot, from the bundle of fibers known as the Purkinje fibers, located in the bottom left portion of the heart.
When PVCs occur and the heart is affected, it may feel as if it's beating faster or slower. If you experience a few episodes and no other symptoms, your doctor probably won't be able to treat you. If you have many PVCs and your doctor might suggest you undergo an electrocardiogram (ECG) to monitor your heartbeat for a period of 24 hours. He or she might also recommend wearing a Holter monitor that records the heart's rhythm over time, allowing you to see how many PVCs you have.
Anyone who has suffered a heart attack in the past or have cardiomyopathy -which affects how the heart pumps blood - should be aware of their PVCs and speak with an expert in cardiology about lifestyle changes. This includes abstaining from caffeine, alcohol, and smoking, reducing stress and anxiety, and getting enough rest. A cardiologist may prescribe beta blockers to slow down the heartbeat.
If you experience frequent PVCs even if do not have any other symptoms you should see an expert in cardiology. These extra heartbeats can be a sign of a problem with the structure of your heart or to other health conditions and, over time, if they occur often enough, they may weaken the heart muscle. Most people who suffer from PVCs do not experience any issues. They would like to know if fluttering heartbeats or skipping heartbeats is normal.
Diagnosis
PVCs can be akin to heartbeats that are fluttering, especially if they are frequent and intense. People who experience them often may feel faint. They can also happen with training, even though many athletes who experience them don't have any problems in their heart or health. PVCs could show up in tests like an electrocardiogram (ECG) or Holter monitor. They use sticky patches with sensors on them to record electrical signals from your heart. A cardiologist might also use an echocardiogram, which makes use of ultrasound to examine the heart and see how it's functioning.
Most of the time, a glass doctor near me 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 notice PVCs when examining a patient for another reason, such as after an accident or surgery. Ambulatory ECG monitors can detect PVCs and other arrhythmias. They can be used to detect heart disease in the event of any concern.
If your cardiologist has determined that your heart is structurally healthy, reassurance might be all that's needed. If your symptoms are bothersome or cause you to feel anxious, staying away from alcohol, caffeine and over-the drug decongestants and the reduction of stress could aid. Regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight, and drinking enough fluids can all help to reduce the frequency of PVCs. If your symptoms persist or are severe, talk to your doctor about possible medications that can control these symptoms.
Treatment
If PVCs are rare or don't cause symptoms, they do not usually require treatment. If they happen frequently your doctor may want to check for heart issues or suggest lifestyle adjustments. You may also undergo an operation to rid yourself of them (called radiofrequency catheter ablation).
If you have PVCs in your heart the electrical signal that triggers your heartbeat starts somewhere different than the sinoatrial (SA) node, which is located in the upper right-hand corner of your heart. This could cause your heart to feel like it skips a beating or has extra beats. It's not known what causes them, but they're more frequent in those with other heart issues. PVCs may increase in frequency as you age, and may occur more often during exercises.
A physician should perform an ECG along with an echocardiogram on a patient that suffers from frequent and painful PVCs to determine if there are structural heart problems. They may also perform an exercise stress test to see whether the additional beats are a result of physical activity. A heart catheterization or cardiac MRI or nuclear perfusion study can be done to look for other causes of the extra beats.
Most people with PVCs do not have any issues and live a normal life. But they can increase the risk of developing dangerous heart rhythm issues, especially if you have certain patterns of them. In some instances, this means that the heart muscle becomes weaker and is unable to pump blood throughout your body.
Regular exercise and a balanced diet can lower the risk of developing PVCs. Avoid foods high in fat and sodium and limit your intake of tobacco and caffeine. Stress and sleep are also important. Certain medications can increase the risk of developing PVCs. If you're taking one of these medicines, it's important to follow your doctor's recommendations about eating well, exercising and taking your medication.
In studies of patients suffering from high pvc doctor near me burdens (more than 20% of total heartbeats) the higher rate of arrhythmia-induced cardiac myopathy was found. Some people may need a heart transplant.