How a VC Can Affect Your Heart
PVCs are common and can be experienced by a variety of people without causing any problems. However, if they happen 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 called the sinoatrial nerve, or SA. Electrical signals travel to the lower heart chambers or ventricles.
Causes
PVCs occur by the electrical impulse that normally triggers your heartbeat at the Sinus Node (also known as the Sinoatrial or SA node) is not initiated. Instead, window doctors near me starts in a different part of your heart--the ventricles--and causes a wrongly timed beat. These extra beats are called ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. It may feel like the heart skipped a beating or feels like it is fluttering. They may happen rarely and cause no symptoms, or they can occur frequently enough to interfere with your quality of life. Your doctor might prescribe medication if they are frequent or cause weakness, dizziness or fatigue.
PVCs are generally harmless and do not increase your risk of developing heart disease. Regular PVCs however, may weaken your heart muscle over time. This is especially true if the PVCs result from conditions like dilated cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenic right ventricle cardiomyopathy that can cause heart failure.
The signs of PVCs include feeling like your heart skips a beat or it flutters. You may feel exhausted. The fluttering could be more noticeable when you exercise or have certain foods or drinks. PVCs are more common for those who suffer from chronic anxiety or stress. Some medications, such as digoxin, amiodarone, and cocaine, can increase the risk.
If you are experiencing occasional PVCs Your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes and medicines. If you experience frequent PVCs, your doctor may recommend that you avoid certain foods and drinks such as alcohol and caffeine. You can also lower your stress levels by getting enough sleep and exercising.
If you're experiencing a lot of PVCs The doctor may suggest a medical treatment called radiofrequency catheter ablation. This eliminates the cells that cause PVCs. Electrophysiologists are the ones who carry out this procedure. The treatment is usually effective in treating PVCs which reduce symptoms, but it does not stop them from recurring in the future. In some instances it can increase your risk of having atrial fibrillation (AFib) which can cause a stroke. It's not common, but it can be life-threatening.
Symptoms
Premature ventricular contracts, or PVCs can cause your heart to skip or be fluttering. These extra heartbeats are harmless, however you might be advised to consult your physician if they are frequent or if you experience symptoms like dizziness or fatigue.
Normaly, electrical signals begin in the sinoatrial, located in the upper right-hand part of the heart. They then move to the lower chambers, or ventricles, where blood pumps are located. Then, the ventricles contract to propel blood into the lungs, and then return to your heart to begin the next cycle of pumping. However, a PVC starts in a different place that is separate from the bundle of fibers known as the Purkinje fibers, in the bottom left portion of the heart.
When PVCs occur, the heart may appear to be beating faster or slower. If you experience only just a few episodes and no other symptoms are present, your cardiologist will probably not treat you. If you've got a number of PVCs and you have other symptoms, your doctor might suggest an electrocardiogram, or ECG, to measure your heartbeat over 24 hours. He or she might also recommend wearing a Holter Monitor which tracks your heartbeat and tracks the number of PVCs.
Anyone who has suffered a previous heart attack or cardiomyopathy, an illness that affects way the heart pumps blood - should take their PVCs very seriously and consult a cardiologist regarding lifestyle modifications. This includes avoiding alcohol, caffeine and smoking, managing stress and anxiety, as well as getting enough rest. A cardiologist can prescribe beta blockers to slow the heartbeat.
If you are experiencing frequent PVCs even if do not have other signs, you should see a cardiologist. These extra heartbeats may be a sign of a problem with the structure of your heart or lungs, and if they occur frequently enough, can weaken your heart muscle. However, most people with PVCs don't have any issues. They simply want to know that the fluttering or skipping heartbeats aren't normal.
Diagnosis
PVCs may feel like heartbeats that are fluttering particularly if they're frequent and intense. People who experience them often might feel faint. They can also occur during exercising, but most athletes who experience them don't have any problems with their health or heart. PVCs may show up in tests like an electrocardiogram, or Holter monitor. These patches have sensors that record electrical impulses coming from your heart. A cardiologist could also employ an ultrasound echocardiogram to examine the heart.
A doctor can often tell if a patient has PVCs by conducting a thorough examination and taking a medical history. Sometimes, they may only notice them while examining the patient for other reasons, such as following an accident or surgery. Ambulatory ECG monitoring systems can also help detect PVCs and other arrhythmias, and they might be used in the event of any suspicion of cardiac disease.
If your cardiologist concludes that your heart's structure is normal, reassurance will be the only treatment needed. If your symptoms are causing you discomfort or make you feel anxious, avoiding alcohol, caffeine and over-the drug decongestants and the reduction of stress could aid. Getting regular exercise, staying at a healthy weight, and drinking enough fluids can help reduce the frequency of PVCs. If your symptoms persist or severe, talk to your physician about the medications that could be able to control them.
Treatment
If PVCs do not cause any symptoms or happen rarely generally, they don't require treatment. If they occur frequently your doctor may need to examine for heart conditions or recommend lifestyle adjustments. You could also have an operation to rid yourself of them (called radiofrequency catheter ablation).
If you have PVCs in your heart the electrical signal that creates your heartbeat is located other than at the sinoatrial (SA) node located in the upper right corner of your heart. It can feel like your heart skips a beat or has extra beats. It's not known what causes these, but they're more common in people who have other heart conditions. PVCs can increase in frequency as we age and can occur more frequently during exercises.
If a patient is experiencing frequent and painful PVCs, a physician should conduct an ECG and an echocardiogram to rule out structural heart disease. The doctor will also likely perform an exercise stress test to determine if the extra heartbeats are caused by physical exercise. A heart catheterization, cardiac MRI or nuclear perfusion study can be performed to find other causes of the increased beats.
The majority of people who suffer from PVCs don't experience any issues and can live an ordinary life. However, they may increase your risk of having dangerous heart rhythm problems particularly if you have certain patterns of them. In some cases this means that the heart muscle gets weaker and is unable to pump blood throughout the body.
Regular exercise and a balanced diet will lower your chances of developing PVCs. Avoid foods that are high in fat and sodium, and limit your consumption of tobacco and caffeine. Stress and sleep are also important. Certain medications can increase the risk of getting PVCs. If you're taking one of these medications, it's important to follow your doctor's recommendations about eating well, exercising and taking your medication.
Studies of patients suffering from a high amount of PVCs (that's more than 20 percent of their total heart beats) discovered that they had a higher incidence of arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy. Some patients may require a heart transplant.