How a VC Can Affect Your Heart

Many people experience occasional PVCs with no problems. If they occur often, PVCs may weaken your heart and increase the risk for heart failure.

A bundle of fibers located in the upper right-hand corner of your heart (the sinoatrial or SA node) typically controls your heart's rhythm. Electrical signals travel to the lower heart chambers or ventricles.

Causes

PVCs occur when the electrical impulse that normally starts your heartbeat at the Sinus Node (also called the Sinoatrial or the SA node) does not. Instead, the impulse starts in a different area of your heart, the ventricles, and causes a mistimed beat. These extra beats are known as ventricular tachycardia, and ventricular fibrillation. It may feel like the heart skipped a beating or feels like it is fluttering. They can happen infrequently and cause no symptoms, or they can happen often enough to interfere with your daily life. If they happen frequently or cause dizziness, weakness or fatigue, your doctor could treat them with medication.

For most people, PVCs are harmless and do not increase the risk of developing heart disease or other health problems. Frequent PVCs, however, can weaken the heart muscle over time. This is particularly true if they are caused by a heart disease such as dilated cardiomyopathy or arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, which can lead to symptomatic heart failure.

PVCs can trigger symptoms like a feeling of your heart racing one beat, or even the feeling of your heart fluttering. It is also possible to feel exhausted. The fluttering can be more apparent if you exercise, or eat or drink certain foods or beverages. PVCs are more prevalent in people with chronic anxiety or stress. Some medications, such as digoxin, amiodarone, and cocaine, may increase their risk.

If you are experiencing occasional PVCs your doctor might suggest lifestyle changes and medications. If you are prone to frequent PVCs, your doctor may recommend avoiding certain drinks and foods, like caffeine and alcohol. You can also lower your stress by having enough sleep and exercising.

If you have a lot of PVCs The doctor may suggest a medical procedure called radiofrequency catheter ablation, which destroys the cells that are responsible for PVCs. Electrophysiologists are the ones who perform this procedure. The treatment is generally effective in treating PVCs and reducing symptoms, but does not prevent them from recurring in the future. In certain cases, it may increase the risk of having atrial fibrillation (AFib) which is which can lead to stroke. It's not common, but it can be life-threatening.

Symptoms

Premature ventricular contractions or PVCs, can make your heart seem to skip or flutter the beat. These heartbeats that are not normal 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.

The normal electrical signals start in the sinoatrial, located in the upper right-hand part of the heart. They then travel to the lower chambers, also known as ventricles, that pump blood. The ventricles contract to push the blood into the lung. They return to the heart's center to begin the next cycle of pumping. But a PVC starts at a different spot that is separate from the bundle of fibers, known as the Purkinje fibers in the bottom left portion of the heart.

When PVCs occur, they cause the heart beat faster or feel like it skipped a beat. If you have only a few episodes, but no other symptoms, your cardiologist probably won't treat you. If you have a lot of PVCs, your doctor may suggest that you undergo an electrocardiogram (ECG) to determine the heartbeat for 24 hours. He or she may also recommend wearing a Holter monitor that records your heart rhythm over time, allowing you to see the number of PVCs you have.

Anyone who has had a prior heart attack or have cardiomyopathy -- a condition that affects the way that the heart pumps blood- must be aware of their PVCs and speak with a cardiologist about lifestyle changes. This includes cutting down on caffeine, energy-Efficient window crack repair repair, https://worldjob.Xsrv.jp/, alcohol and smoking, managing stress and anxiety, as well as getting enough rest. A cardiologist can prescribe beta blockers to slow down the heartbeat.

If you experience frequent PVCs even if don't have any other signs, you should see a cardiologist. These heartbeats that are irregular can be a sign of an issue with the structure of your heart or other health conditions, and over time, when they happen frequently enough, they could weaken the heart muscle. The majority of people with PVCs do not have any issues. They are interested in knowing if the fluttering heartbeats or skipping heartbeats is normal.

Diagnosis

PVCs can feel like heartbeats that are fluttering especially if they are frequent and intense. People who experience them regularly might feel faint. They can also occur with training, even though many athletes who suffer from them don't have any problems in their heart or health. PVCs can be detected in tests such as an electrocardiogram (ECG) or Holter monitor. These are sticky patches that have sensors that record electrical impulses from your heart. A cardiologist may also use an ultrasound echocardiogram for examining the heart.

Often, a doctor will be able to determine if the patient has PVCs from a history and physical exam. Sometimes however, they might only be able to detect PVCs when they examine the patient for another reason, like following an accident or a surgery. Ambulatory ECG monitoring systems can also help detect PVCs and other arrhythmias, and they might be used if there's any concern of heart disease.

If your cardiologist concludes that your heart's structure is normal, reassurance will be the only remedy required. If your symptoms are troubling or cause you to feel anxious, avoiding alcohol, caffeine and other over the counter decongestants, and the reduction of stress could help. Engaging in regular exercise, keeping at a healthy weight, and drinking enough water can decrease the likelihood of PVCs. If your symptoms persist or extreme, consult your physician about the medications that could be able to reduce them.

Treatment

If PVCs are rare or don't cause symptoms, they do not usually require treatment. If you are frequently affected, your doctor may want to look for other heart issues and recommend lifestyle changes or medications. You could also have a procedure (called radiofrequency cathode ablation) to get rid them.

If you suffer from PVCs in your heart, the electrical signal which causes your heartbeat begins somewhere different than the sinoatrial (SA) node that is located in the upper right-hand corner of your heart. This could cause your heart to feel like it skips beats or has extra beats. PVCs are more frequent among those suffering from heart disease however it's unclear what causes them. PVCs are more frequent with age and might happen more often during exercising.

If a patient experiences frequent and painful PVCs doctors is required to perform an ECG and an echocardiogram to rule out structural heart disease. The doctor will also conduct an exercise stress test in order to determine if the additional heartbeats are related to physical activity. A heart catheterization, cardiac MRI or nuclear perfusion study could be conducted to determine other causes of the increased beats.

The majority of people who suffer from PVCs do not have any issues and live a normal life. However, they may increase your risk of having dangerous heart rhythm problems particularly if you have certain patterns of them. In some instances, this means that your heart muscle gets weaker and is unable to pump blood through your body.

Regular exercise and a balanced diet will reduce your risk of developing PVCs. Avoid foods that are high in fat and sodium and limit your consumption of tobacco and caffeine. It is also important to sleep enough and manage stress. Certain medicines can also increase your risk of getting PVCs. If you are taking one of these medicines it's crucial to follow the doctor's advice about a healthy diet, exercise and taking your medication.

Studies of patients suffering from a high amount of PVCs (that's more than 20% of their total heart beats) discovered that they had a higher incidence of arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy. This can result in a need for a heart transplant in certain individuals.