How a VC Can Affect Your Heart

Many people experience occasional PVCs with no problems. But if they occur frequently, PVCs can weaken your heart muscle and increase your risk of heart failure.

The heart's rhythm is usually controlled by a group of nerve fibers situated in the upper right part of your heart. This is known as the sinoatrial node, or SA. Electrical signals are transmitted to the lower heart chambers or ventricles.

Causes

PVCs occur when the electrical impulse that normally starts your heartbeat at the Sinus Node (also known as the Sinoatrial or SA node) is not initiated. Instead, the impulse is generated in another area of your heart called the ventricles and triggers an untimed beat. These extra beats are also known as ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation. It could feel as if the heart skipped a beating or feels fluttering. They can happen infrequently without causing any symptoms, but they could also happen frequently enough to affect your standard of living. If they happen frequently or cause dizziness, weakness or fatigue, your doctor could treat them with medicine.

PVCs are generally harmless and do not increase the risk of heart disease. In time, repeated PVCs can weaken the heart muscle. This is particularly when the PVCs result from a condition like dilated cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenic right-ventricular cardiomyopathy, which could lead to heart failure.

The signs of PVCs include feeling like your heart beats faster or is fluttering, and you feel exhausted. The fluttering may be more noticeable when you exercise, or eat or drink certain foods or beverages. PVCs are more common in those suffering from chronic stress or anxiety. Certain drugs, like digoxin, amiodarone and cocaine, may increase their risk.

If you experience occasional PVCs your doctor might suggest lifestyle changes and medications. If you are prone to frequent PVCs, your doctor might recommend that you avoid certain foods and drinks, such as caffeine and alcohol. You can also lessen stress by having enough sleep and exercising.

If you have many PVCs, your doctor may suggest a medical procedure known as radiofrequency catheter ablation. It eliminates the cells that are responsible for them. Electrophysiologists are the ones who perform this procedure. It is generally successful in treating the PVCs and reducing symptoms, however it does not stop them from recurring in the future. In some cases it may increase your risk of atrial fibrillation (AFib), which can cause a stroke. It is not common, but it could be life-threatening.

Symptoms

Premature ventricular contractions, or PVCs, can cause your heart appear to skip or flutter a beat. These extra heartbeats are generally harmless, but you should consult your physician if you have frequent episodes or symptoms like dizziness or weakness.

Normally, electrical signals begin at the sinoatrial junction, which is in the top right portion of the heart. They move down to the lower chambers (or ventricles) which pump blood. The ventricles expand to push the blood into the lung. They then return to the center to begin the next cycle of pumping. However, a PVC starts in a different place, from the bundle of fibers called the Purkinje fibers in the left-hand side of the heart.

When PVCs occur, the heart may 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 may not prescribe treatment. If you've got a lot of PVCs, the upvc doctor near me may recommend an electrocardiogram, or ECG to gauge your heart rate over the course of 24 hours. The windows doctor may also suggest wearing a Holter Monitor, which records your heart rhythm and counts the number of PVCs.

People who have had a previous heart attack or have cardiomyopathy -which alters the way the heart pumps bloodand must be aware of their PVCs and talk to an expert in cardiology about lifestyle changes. These include cutting down on caffeine, alcohol and smoking, reducing stress and anxiety, as well as getting enough rest. A cardiologist can prescribe beta blockers to slow the heartbeat.

Even if you don't have any other signs however, you should have PVCs examined by an expert in cardiology if they occur often. These extra heartbeats can point to an issue with the structure of your heart or other health conditions and, over time, when they happen frequently enough, they may weaken the heart muscle. But most people suffering from PVCs don't have any issues. They are interested in knowing if the rapid heartbeats, or the skipping of heartbeats is normal.

Diagnosis

PVCs can feel like fluttering or skipped heartbeats, especially when they're intense or frequent. People who experience them regularly might feel faint. Exercise can trigger them, but many athletes who experience them have no heart or health issues. PVCs can show up on tests such as an electrocardiogram or a Holter monitor. They have sensors that record electrical impulses coming from your heart. A cardiologist may also perform an echocardiogram, which makes use of ultrasound to examine the heart and determine how it's working.

A doctor is often able to tell the presence of PVCs by examining them and taking their medical history. Sometimes, they may only be able to detect them when they examine the patient for other reasons, for instance after a surgery or accident. Ambulatory ECG monitors can detect PVCs, as well as other arrhythmias. They may be used to detect cardiac disease when there is a reason to be concerned.

If your cardiologist finds that your heart is structurally normal, reassurance is the only treatment required. If your symptoms are bothersome or cause you to feel anxious, staying away from alcohol, caffeine, and other decongestants as well as reducing stress levels can help. Getting regular exercise, staying at a healthy weight and drinking enough fluids can reduce your episodes of PVCs. If your symptoms persist or are severe, speak with your physician about possible treatments that could help control these symptoms.

Treatment

If PVCs aren't causing symptoms or happen rarely they aren't usually in need of treatment. If you are frequently affected and frequently, your doctor might want to examine for other heart conditions and recommend lifestyle changes or medicine. You could also have an operation to rid yourself of them (called radiofrequency catheter ablation).

If you suffer from PVCs, the electrical signal that triggers your heartbeat starts somewhere outside of the sinoatrial node (SA node) in the top right corner of your heart. This can cause your heart to feel as if it skips beats or has extra beats. It's not clear what causes these symptoms, but they're common in people with other heart conditions. PVCs may increase in frequency with age and might happen more often during exercise.

If a patient is experiencing frequent and painful PVCs, a physician is required to perform an ECG and an echocardiogram to determine if there is a structural heart problem. The doctor will also perform an exercise stress test in order to determine if the additional heartbeats are due to physical activity. A heart catheterization, cardiac MRI or nuclear perfusion study could be performed to find other causes for the extra beats.

Most people who suffer from PVCs do not have any issues and live a normal life. However, they may increase the risk of developing dangerous heart rhythm issues, especially if you have certain patterns of them. In some instances, this means that your heart muscle gets weaker and has trouble pumping blood through your body.

A regular, healthy diet and plenty of 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. You should also try to sleep enough and manage stress. Some medicines may also increase your risk of getting PVCs. If you are taking one of these medications, it's important to follow the upvc window doctor near me's advice about a healthy diet, exercise and taking your medication.

In studies of patients suffering from pvc doctor (what is it worth) burdens that are excessive (more than 20% of heartbeats) there was a higher incidence of arrhythmia-induced cardiac myopathy was discovered. Certain people may require an organ transplant.