What A Weekly Pvc Doctor Project Can Change Your Life
How a VC Can Affect Your Heart
Many people experience occasional PVCs and have no issues. If they are frequent, PVCs may weaken your heart and increase your risk for heart failure.
A bundle of fibers in the upper right-hand corner of your heart (the sinoatrial node, also known as SA) typically controls your heart rhythm. Electrical signals travel to ventricles, or lower chambers of the heart.
Causes
PVCs occur by the electrical impulse that normally initiates your heartbeat at the Sinus Node (also called the Sinoatrial or the SA node) does not. The impulse actually starts in the ventricles, which causes an untimed heartbeat. These extra beats are known as ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation. It may feel like the heart skipped a beat or feels fluttering. They can happen infrequently without causing any symptoms, but they could also happen frequently enough to affect your standard of life. If they occur frequently or cause weakness, dizziness, or fatigue, your doctor might treat them with medicine.
PVCs are generally safe and do not increase the risk of heart disease. Frequent PVCs however, could weaken the heart muscle over time. This is particularly relevant if the PVCs are caused by a condition like dilated cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenic right ventricle cardiomyopathy that can cause heart failure.
The symptoms of PVCs include feeling like your heart beats slower or flutters, and you may feel breathless. The fluttering may be more noticeable when you exercise or consume certain drinks or foods. PVCs are more prevalent in people with chronic stress or anxiety. Certain medications, such as digoxin, amiodarone, and cocaine, may increase the risk.
If you experience occasional PVCs Your doctor might suggest lifestyle changes and medications. If they are a frequent occurrence, you may have to avoid some foods and beverages, such as alcohol and caffeine. You can also lessen your stress levels by having enough sleep and exercising.
If you've got a lot of PVCs, your doctor may recommend a medical procedure referred to as radiofrequency catheter ablation. This procedure destroys the cells that cause them. This is done by a specialist, known as an electrophysiologist. It is generally successful in treating the PVCs and reducing symptoms, however it does not stop them from occurring in the future. In some cases it can increase the risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AFib) which is which can cause stroke. It is not common, but it could be life-threatening.
Signs and symptoms
Premature ventricular contractions or PVCs, may make your heart seem to skip or flutter the beat. These extra heartbeats can be harmless, however you might need to see your doctor when they occur frequently or if you are experiencing symptoms such as dizziness or fatigue.
Normally, electrical signals begin in the sinoatrial node, which is in the top right portion of the heart. They travel down to the lower chambers (or ventricles) which pump blood. Then, the ventricles contract to propel the blood into the lungs, and return to the heart to begin the next cycle of pumping. A PVC begins in a different location in the Purkinje fibres bundle at the bottom left of the heart.
When PVCs occur, they can make the heart beat or feel as if it skipped the beat. If you have only a few episodes, but no other symptoms, your doctor will probably not treat you. If you've got a number of PVCs the doctor may suggest an electrocardiogram, or ECG to determine your heartbeat over a 24-hour period. They may also recommend wearing a Holter Monitor which tracks the heart's rhythm and count the number of PVCs.
People who have suffered an earlier heart attack or cardiomyopathy - a condition which affects the way the heart pumps blood - should take their PVCs seriously and speak to an expert in cardiology about lifestyle changes. Those include abstaining from alcohol, caffeine and smoking, managing anxiety and stress, and ensuring adequate sleep. A cardiologist may prescribe medication to slow the heartbeat for example, beta blockers.
Even if you don't have any other indications, you should still get PVCs checked by a cardiologist if they happen frequently. 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 may weaken the heart muscle. But most people suffering from PVCs don't experience any problems. They are interested in knowing if the rapid heartbeats, or the skipping of heartbeats is normal.
Diagnosis
PVCs may feel like heartbeats that are fluttering particularly if they're frequent and intense. People who experience them frequently may feel weak. Exercise can cause them, but many athletes who suffer from these symptoms do not have heart or health issues. PVCs can show up on tests such as an electrocardiogram or Holter monitor. These use sticky patches with sensors on them to record electrical impulses from your heart. A cardiologist may also use an ultrasound echocardiogram to examine the heart.
double glazing doctor of the time, a doctor will be able to identify if a person is suffering from PVCs through a medical history and physical exam. Sometimes, however, they may only notice PVCs when examining a patient for another reason, such as after an accident or surgery. Ambulatory ECG monitoring systems also assist in detecting PVCs and other arrhythmias and they might be used if there's any concern of a cardiac condition.
If your cardiologist determines that your heart's structure is normal, reassurance is the only treatment required. If your symptoms are causing you discomfort or cause you to be anxious, avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and over the counter decongestants, and reducing stress may aid. Getting regular exercise, staying at a healthy weight, and drinking enough water can reduce your episodes of PVCs. If your symptoms persist or severe, talk to your doctor about medications that may be able to reduce these symptoms.
Treatment
If PVCs do not cause any symptoms or occur rarely they aren't usually in need of treatment. If they happen frequently, your doctor might be able to look for heart conditions or recommend lifestyle adjustments. You could also have a procedure to get rid of them (called radiofrequency catheter ablation).
If you have PVCs in your heart, the electrical signal which triggers your heartbeat starts somewhere other than at the sinoatrial (SA) node that is located in the upper right-hand corner of your heart. It can feel like your heart skips beats or is beating faster. It's not clear what causes them, but they're more common in people with other heart conditions. PVCs may increase in frequency as you age, and may occur more often during exercising.
A physician should perform an ECG and an echocardiogram on a patient who has frequent and painful PVCs to determine if there are structural heart problems. They may also perform an exercise stress test to see whether the additional beats are a result of physical exercise. To determine if there are other causes for the increased beats, a heart catheterization or a cardiac MRI could be conducted.
Most people with PVCs have no complications and can lead a normal life. However, they may increase your risk of having dangerous heart rhythm issues especially if you are suffering from certain patterns of them. In certain cases, it means that your heart muscle gets weaker and is unable to pump blood through your body.
A healthy and balanced diet and plenty of exercise can reduce the risk of developing PVCs. Avoid foods high in fat and sodium and limit your consumption of tobacco and caffeine. It is also important to get enough rest and manage stress. Some medicines may also increase your risk for PVCs. If you take any of these medications, it is important that you follow your doctor's recommendations regarding healthy eating exercising, as well as taking your medication.
Studies of patients who had a high amount of PVCs (that's more than 20 percent of their total heart beats) found that they had a higher rate of arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy. This could lead to the need for a transplant in a few people.