Thistedcervantes7960

How a VC Can Affect Your Heart

Many people have occasional PVCs without any problems. If they happen frequently, PVCs may weaken your heart and increase your chance of suffering from heart failure.

The rhythm of your heart is usually controlled by a group of fibers located in the upper right-hand corner of your heart. This is known as the sinoatrial node, or SA. Electrical signals travel from there to the lower heart chambers or ventricles.

Causes

PVCs happen when the electrical impulse that usually initiates your heartbeat at a point called the sinus node (also called the sinoatrial or SA node) does not. Instead, the impulse begins in another area of your heart--the ventricles--and causes a mistimed beat. These extra beats are known as ventricular tachycardia, and ventricular fibrillation. windows doctor may feel like the heart beats faster or feels fluttering. They can occur rarely and not cause any symptoms, but they may also happen frequently enough to affect your quality of living. If they occur frequently or cause dizziness, weakness, or fatigue, your doctor could treat them with medicine.

PVCs are generally harmless and don't increase your risk of developing heart disease. Over time, frequent PVCs can weaken the heart muscle. This is particularly true if the PVCs result from a condition like dilated cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenic right-ventricular cardiomyopathy, which 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 can be more noticeable when you exercise, or eat or drink certain beverages or foods. People who experience chronic anxiety or stress may have more PVCs, and some medications like amiodarone digoxin, and cocaine can increase the likelihood of developing them.

If you experience occasional PVCs, your doctor may suggest lifestyle changes and medication. If they are a regular occurrence, you may need to avoid certain drinks and foods like alcohol and caffeine. You can also lessen stress by having enough sleep and exercising.

If you have a lot of PVCs Your doctor may suggest a medical procedure known as radiofrequency catheter ablation, which destroys the cells that cause them. This procedure is performed by a specialist, known as an electrophysiologist. The treatment is typically successful in treating PVCs which reduce symptoms, but does not prevent them from becoming recurring in the future. In certain cases it may increase your risk of atrial fibrillation (AFib), which can result in a stroke. This isn't common, but it can be life-threatening.

Signs and symptoms

Premature ventricular contractions or PVCs, can cause your heart appear to skip or flutter one beat. These extra heartbeats are harmless, but you may want to consult your doctor in the event of frequent heartbeats or if you experience symptoms such as dizziness or fatigue.

Normally, electrical signals begin in the sinoatrial node, located in the top right-hand side of the heart. They move down to the lower chambers (or ventricles) that pump blood. The ventricles then contract to propel blood into the lungs, and then return to your heart and start the next pumping cycle. A PVC begins in a different place, the Purkinje fibers are located in the bottom left of the heart.

When PVCs occur, they cause the heart beat faster or feel like it skipped the beat. If you have a few episodes and no other symptoms, the doctor will probably not treat you. But if you have a number of PVCs and you have other symptoms, your doctor might suggest an electrocardiogram, or ECG to determine your heartbeat over the course of 24 hours. They may also recommend wearing a Holter monitor that will track your heart rhythm over time to determine the number of PVCs you have.

Anyone who has suffered a previous heart attack or cardiomyopathy - an illness that affects the heart's blood flow - should take their PVCs seriously and speak to a cardiologist regarding lifestyle changes. These include abstaining from alcohol, caffeine and smoking, reducing anxiety and stress, and getting enough rest. A cardiologist can prescribe beta blockers to slow the heartbeat.

Even if you don't have any other symptoms, you should still get PVCs examined by a cardiologist if they happen often. These irregular heartbeats could point to an issue with the structure of your heart or other health issues, and over time, when they are frequent enough, they can weaken the heart muscle. But most people suffering from PVCs do not experience any issues. They just want to be aware that the fluttering and skipping heartbeats aren't normal.

Diagnosis

PVCs can feel like heartbeats that are fluttering particularly if they're frequent and intense. Patients who have a lot of them might feel like they're going to faint. Exercise can trigger them, but most athletes who experience them have no heart or health problems. PVCs can show up on tests such as an electrocardiogram or Holter monitor. They have sensors that record electrical impulses coming from your heart. A cardiologist may also use an ultrasound echocardiogram to examine the heart.

A doctor will usually be able to determine whether a patient has PVCs by looking at them and taking a medical history. Sometimes however, they might only notice PVCs when examining a patient for another reason such as following an accident or a surgery. Ambulatory ECG monitoring systems also help detect PVCs and other arrhythmias and could be utilized if there's any concern of a cardiac condition.

If your cardiologist has determined that your heart is structurally healthy, reassurance may be all that's needed. However, if your symptoms are bothersome or make you feel anxious, staying away from alcohol, caffeine and other decongestants as well as reducing stress levels can aid. Regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and drinking enough fluids can all help reduce the frequency of PVCs. If your symptoms are persistent or extreme, consult your doctor about medications that could be able to reduce the symptoms.

Treatment

If PVCs aren't common or don't cause symptoms, they don't usually require treatment. If you have them often and frequently, your doctor might want to check for other heart conditions and suggest lifestyle changes or medications. You could also have an operation (called radiofrequency cathode ablation) to eliminate of them.

When you have PVCs the electrical signal that triggers your heartbeat is generated from a place outside of the sinoatrial node (SA node) in the top right side of your heart. This could cause your heart to feel as if it skips beats or has additional beats. PVCs are more frequent among those who suffer from heart issues however, it's not clear what causes them. PVCs are more frequent with age and might happen more frequently during exercises.





If a patient has frequent and painful PVCs, a physician is required to perform an ECG and an echocardiogram to rule out heart disease that is structural. They may also perform an exercise stress test to determine whether the additional beats are caused by physical activity. A heart catheterization or cardiac MRI or nuclear perfusion study could be done to look for other reasons for the increased beats.

The majority of people with PVCs have no complications and can live a 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 becomes weaker and has difficulty pumping blood throughout your body.

Regular exercise and a balanced diet will lower your risk of developing PVCs. You should avoid foods that are high in fat and sodium as well as limit caffeine and tobacco. Sleep and stress are also important. Certain medications can increase the risk of developing PVCs. If you are taking any of these medications it is essential to follow your doctor's advice about eating healthy and exercising as well as taking your medication.

In studies of patients suffering from PVC burdens that are high (more than 20% of heartbeats) there was a higher incidence of arrhythmia-induced cardiac myopathy was discovered. Some people may need an organ transplant.