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How a VC Can Affect Your Heart

PVCs are common and may be experienced by a wide range of people with no cause for concern. If they occur regularly, PVCs can weaken your heart muscle and increase the risk of heart failure.

The rhythm of your heart is controlled by a bundle 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 from this node to the lower chambers of your heart, or ventricles.

Causes

PVCs occur when the electrical impulse that normally initiates your heartbeat at a point known as the sinus node (also called the sinoatrial or SA node) doesn't. windows doctor starts in the ventricles and causes an irregular heartbeat. These extra beats are also known as ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation. It may feel like the heart skipped a beating or feels like it is fluttering. They may occur infrequently, causing no symptoms, but they can occur frequently enough to affect your standard of living. Your doctor might prescribe medication in the event that they are frequent or cause weakness, dizziness or fatigue.

In most people, PVCs are harmless and don't increase your risk of developing heart disease or other health issues. Frequent PVCs, however, can weaken the heart muscle over time. This is especially true if the PVCs are triggered by conditions like dilated cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenic right-ventricular cardiomyopathy, which can cause heart failure.

The symptoms of PVCs include a feeling that your heart skips a beat or flutters, and you may feel breathless. The fluttering may be more noticeable when you exercise, or eat or drink certain foods or beverages. PVCs are more common in people with chronic anxiety or stress. Some drugs, like digoxin, amiodarone and cocaine, can increase the risk of developing PVCs.

If you have occasional PVCs Your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes and medicines. If they are a regular occurrence, you may need to stay clear of certain foods and beverages, such as caffeine and alcohol. You can also reduce stress by getting enough sleep and working out.

If you've got a lot of PVCs Your doctor might suggest a medical procedure called radiofrequency catheter ablation. This procedure destroys the cells that cause them. This is done by a specialist called an electrophysiologist. It is usually successful in treating the PVCs and reducing symptoms but it doesn't stop them from recurring in the future. In some cases, it can increase your risk of having atrial fibrillation (AFib), which can result in stroke. This is rare but it could be life-threatening.

Symptoms

Premature ventricular contractions or PVCs, can cause your heart seem to flutter or skip one beat. These heartbeats that are not normal can be harmless, but you may need to see your doctor when they occur frequently or if you experience symptoms like dizziness, or fatigue.

The electrical signals normally begin in the sinoatrial, located in the upper right part of the heart. They then move to the lower chambers, also known as ventricles, where blood pumps are located. Then, the ventricles contract to propel the blood into your lungs and return to the heart and start the next pumping cycle. A PVC starts in a different place in the Purkinje fibres bundle in the bottom left of the heart.

When PVCs occur, they cause the heart beat or feel like it skipped one beat. If you only have just a few episodes and no other symptoms are present, your cardiologist will probably not be able to treat you. But if you have a lot of PVCs the doctor may recommend an electrocardiogram, or ECG to determine your heartbeat over a 24-hour period. The doctor might also recommend wearing a Holter monitor that will track your heartbeat over time to see how many PVCs you have.

People who have suffered an earlier heart attack or cardiomyopathy - an illness that affects method by which the heart pumps blood - should take their PVCs seriously and speak to a cardiologist regarding lifestyle modifications. This includes cutting down on caffeine, alcohol and smoking, reducing stress and anxiety, and getting enough rest. A cardiologist may prescribe medications to slow the heartbeat, like a beta blocker.

Even if you don't experience any other signs however, you should have PVCs examined by an cardiologist if they occur often. These heartbeats that are irregular could signal a problem with the structure of your heart or lungs, and if they occur often enough, can weaken the heart muscle. The majority of people with PVCs do not experience any issues. They want to know if the fluttering heartbeats or skipping heartbeats is normal.

Diagnosis

PVCs may feel like fluttering or skipped heartbeats, particularly when they're frequent or intense. People who experience them often may feel faint. They can also occur during training, even though many athletes who experience them do not have any issues in their heart or health. PVCs can be detected in tests like an electrocardiogram (ECG) or Holter monitor. These are sticky patches that have sensors to record electrical impulses coming from your heart. A cardiologist may also perform an echocardiogram that uses ultrasound to look at the heart and determine how it's working.

Often, a doctor will be able to determine if the patient has PVCs through a medical history and physical examination. Sometimes however, they might only notice PVCs when examining patients for a different reason, such as after an accident or surgery. Ambulatory ECG monitors can detect PVCs and other arrhythmias. They can be used to identify cardiac problems when there is a concern.

If your cardiologist concludes that your heart's structure is 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 over the prescription decongestants, as well as decreasing stress can help. Regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and drinking enough fluids can aid in reducing the frequency of PVCs. If you are experiencing symptoms that are persistent or severe, speak to your doctor about medications that could help reduce the symptoms.





Treatment

If PVCs don't cause symptoms or occur rarely generally, they don't require treatment. If they happen frequently, your doctor might want to check for heart issues or suggest lifestyle modifications. You may also undergo an operation (called radiofrequency cathode ablation) to eliminate them.

If you suffer from PVCs in your heart the electrical signal that triggers your heartbeat starts somewhere other than at the sinoatrial (SA) node located in the upper right-hand corner of your heart. This could cause it to feel like your heart skips beats or is beating faster. It's unclear what causes them, but they're more common in people with other heart problems. PVCs may increase in frequency as you age, and may occur more frequently during exercises.

A doctor should conduct an ECG and an echocardiogram on a patient that suffers from frequent and painful PVCs to determine if there are structural heart problems. They should also conduct an exercise stress test to determine whether the extra beats are caused by physical activity. A heart catheterization or cardiac MRI or nuclear perfusion study could be conducted to determine other causes of the extra beats.

The majority of people with PVCs are not affected and can lead the normal life. However, they may increase your risk of having dangerous heart rhythm issues, especially 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.

A healthy and balanced diet and plenty of exercise can reduce the risk of developing PVCs. You should avoid foods that are high in fat and sodium as well as reduce your intake of caffeine and tobacco. Sleep and stress are equally important. Some medicines may also increase the risk of developing PVCs. If you are taking any of these medicines it is crucial to follow your doctor's advice about eating healthy exercising, as well as taking your medication.

Studies of patients suffering from a high burden of PVCs (that's more than 20 percent of their total heart beats) discovered that they had a higher risk of arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy. This could lead to the need for a transplant in certain individuals.