The Little Known Benefits Of Pvc Doctor
How a VC Can Affect Your Heart
PVCs are common and can be experienced by a variety of people with no cause for concern. But if they occur frequently, PVCs can weaken your heart muscle and increase your risk of heart failure.
A bundle of fibers in the upper right-hand corner of your heart (the sinoatrial, or SA, node) typically regulates your heart rhythm. Electrical signals travel from there to the lower chambers of your heart or ventricles.
Causes
PVCs occur when the electrical impulse that normally initiates your heartbeat in a region called the sinus node (also known as the sinoatrial node or SA node) doesn't. windowdoctor begins in the ventricles and causes an irregular heartbeat. These extra beats, called ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation, can feel like your heart skipped a beat or is like it's fluttering. They may happen rarely and have no symptoms or they can happen often enough to impact your quality of life. Your doctor may prescribe medicine in the event that they are frequent or cause dizziness, weakness or fatigue.
PVCs are generally safe and do not increase your risk of developing heart disease. Over time, frequent PVCs can weaken the heart muscle. This is particularly when the PVCs are triggered by conditions like dilated cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenic right ventricle cardiomyopathy which could lead to heart failure.
PVCs can cause symptoms such as a feeling of your heart beating a beat, or the feeling of your heart fluttering. You might also feel breathless. The fluttering may be more noticeable if you exercise, or eat or drink certain foods or beverages. PVCs are more prevalent in those suffering from chronic stress or anxiety. Some medications, like digoxin, amiodarone and cocaine, may increase their risk.
If you experience occasional PVCs Your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes and medicines. If they are a frequent occurrence, you may have to avoid certain drinks and foods like alcohol and caffeine. You can also take steps to lessen your stress levels, and make sure you get enough sleep and exercise.
If you have many PVCs Your doctor might suggest a medical procedure called radiofrequency catheter ablation. This procedure eliminates the cells responsible for them. Electrophysiologists are the ones who execute this procedure. It is generally successful in treating the PVCs and reducing symptoms, but it doesn't stop them from recurring in the future. In some instances it can increase your risk of having atrial fibrillation (AFib) which can result in a stroke. It's not common, but it can be life-threatening.
Signs and symptoms
Premature ventricular contractions or PVCs, may make your heart seem to flutter or skip the beat. These extra heartbeats are generally harmless, but you should talk to your doctor if you have frequent episodes or symptoms like dizziness or weakness.
The normal electrical signals start in the sinoatrial area, which is 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 then contract to push the blood into the lungs. They then return to the center to begin the next cycle of pumping. However, a PVC starts at a different spot, from the bundle of fibers, known as the Purkinje fibers, in the bottom left portion of the heart.
When PVCs happen they can make the heart feel like it is beating faster or slower. If you have only a few episodes, but no other symptoms, your cardiologist probably won't treat you. However, if you have large number of PVCs, the doctor may recommend an electrocardiogram, or ECG, to measure the heart's rate over a 24-hour period. He or she might also recommend wearing a Holter monitor that will track your heartbeat over time to determine the number of PVCs you have.
Anyone who has suffered a previous heart attack or have suffered from cardiomyopathy - an illness that affects heart's blood flow - must take their PVCs seriously and speak to an expert in cardiology about lifestyle changes. Those include avoiding caffeine, alcohol and smoking, reducing stress and anxiety and ensuring adequate sleep. A cardiologist can prescribe beta blockers to slow down the heartbeat.
Even if there aren't any other symptoms however, you should have PVCs examined by an expert in cardiology if they occur often. These irregular heartbeats could point to an issue with the structure of your heart or other health issues, and over time, when they happen frequently enough, they can weaken the heart muscle. The majority of people with PVCs do not experience any problems. They want to know if the rapid heartbeats, or the skipping of heartbeats is normal.
Diagnosis
PVCs can feel like fluttering or skipped heartbeats, particularly when they are frequent or intense. People who experience them regularly may feel weak. Exercise can cause PVCs, but a lot of athletes who suffer from these symptoms do not have heart or health issues. PVCs could show up in tests such as an electrocardiogram (ECG) or Holter monitor. They use sticky patches with sensors to record electrical impulses coming from your heart. A cardiologist can also perform an ultrasound echocardiogram to examine the heart.
A doctor is often able to tell if a patient has PVCs by examining them and taking their medical history. But sometimes they might only be able to detect them when they examine the patient for other reasons, for instance after an accident or surgery. Ambulatory ECG monitoring systems can also aid in detecting PVCs and other arrhythmias, and could be utilized when there is a concern of a cardiac condition.
If your cardiologist concludes that your heart is structurally healthy, reassurance could be all you need. If your symptoms are troubling or make you be anxious, avoiding alcohol, caffeine and over-the drug decongestants and decreasing stress can help. Getting regular exercise, staying at a healthy weight, and drinking enough water can decrease the likelihood of PVCs. If your symptoms are persistent or severe, speak to your doctor about medications that could be able to manage them.
Treatment
If PVCs are rare or don't cause symptoms, they rarely require treatment. If you experience them frequently, your doctor may want to examine for other heart conditions and suggest lifestyle changes or medications. You might also get an operation to rid yourself of them (called radiofrequency catheter ablation).
When you have PVCs The electrical signal that causes your heartbeat begins somewhere other than the sinoatrial node (SA node) located in the upper right side of your heart. This can make it feel like your heart skips beats or has a few extra beats. PVCs are more frequent among those suffering from heart disease, but it's not known what causes them. PVCs can increase in frequency with age and might happen more often during exercises.
If a patient is experiencing frequent and painful PVCs the doctor is required to perform 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. To determine whether there are other reasons for the increased beats the heart catheterization or an MRI is possible.
The majority of people with PVCs do not experience any problems and can enjoy a normal lifestyle. But they can increase your risk of having dangerous heart rhythm issues especially if you are suffering from certain patterns of them. In some instances, this means that the heart muscle becomes weaker and has difficulty pumping blood throughout the body.
A regular, healthy diet and a lot of exercise can help reduce your chances of developing PVCs. Avoid foods high in fat and sodium, and limit your intake of caffeine and tobacco. Sleep and stress are also crucial. Some medicines may also increase your risk for PVCs. So if you take one of these medicines it's crucial to follow your doctor's recommendations about a healthy diet, exercise and taking your medication.
In studies of patients with high PVC burdens (more than 20% of heartbeats) there was a higher incidence of arrhythmia-induced cardiac myopathy was discovered. Some people may need an organ transplant.