What Is The Reason Pvc Doctor Is Right For You
How a VC Can Affect Your Heart
PVCs are common and can be experienced by a wide range of people with no cause for concern. However, if they happen frequently, PVCs can weaken your heart muscle and increase the risk of heart failure.
A bundle of fibers located in the upper right part of your heart (the sinoatrial or SA node) usually controls your heart rhythm. Electrical signals travel from there to the lower heart chambers, or ventricles.
Causes
PVCs happen when the electrical impulse that normally begins your heartbeat at a point known as the sinus node (also known as the sinoatrial or SA node) doesn't. Instead, the impulse is generated in a different area of your heart, the ventricles, and causes a wrongly timed beat. These extra beats, also called ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation, may feel like your heart skipped a beat or feels fluttering. They may happen rarely and cause no symptoms, or they can happen often enough to interfere with your quality of life. If they are very frequent or cause weakness, dizziness, or fatigue, your doctor could treat them with medicine.
For the majority of people, PVCs are harmless and aren't likely to increase your risk of developing heart disease or other health problems. A lot of PVCs however, could weaken your heart muscle over time. This is particularly true if the PVCs result from a condition like dilated cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenic right ventricle cardiomyopathy that could lead to heart failure.
PVCs can trigger symptoms like a feeling of your heart skipping one beat, or even the feeling of your heart fluttering. You may also feel breathless. The fluttering could be more apparent if you exercise, or consume certain beverages or foods. People with chronic anxiety or stress may have more PVCs, and some medications such as amiodarone, digoxin and cocaine can increase the likelihood of developing them.
If you have occasional PVCs, your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes and medicines. If you have frequent PVCs, your physician may recommend avoiding certain foods and drinks, such as caffeine and alcohol. You can also lessen your stress levels by having enough sleep and working out.
If you have a lot of PVCs, your doctor may suggest a medical procedure known as radiofrequency catheter ablation. It eliminates the cells that are responsible for them. This procedure is performed by a specialist known as an electrophysiologist. The treatment is usually successful in treating PVCs and reducing symptoms, but does not prevent them from becoming recurring in the future. In certain cases, it may increase the risk of atrial fibrillation (AFib), which can result in stroke. This is rare but can be life-threatening.
Signs and symptoms
Premature ventricular contractions or PVCs, can cause your heart appear to skip or flutter the beat. These extra heartbeats are usually harmless, but it is important to consult your physician when you experience frequent episodes or symptoms like dizziness or weakness.
Normally, electrical signals start in the sinoatrial node, which is in the top right portion of the heart. These signals travel down to the lower chambers (or ventricles) that pump blood. go!! expand to force blood into the lung. They then return to the center to start the next cycle of pumping. A PVC starts at a different spot in the Purkinje fibres bundle at the left-hand side of the heart.
When PVCs occur, they can make the heart beat or feel like it skipped the beat. If you've experienced a few episodes and no other symptoms, your doctor will probably not treat you. However, if you have lot of PVCs, the doctor may recommend an electrocardiogram, or ECG to gauge your heartbeat over a 24-hour period. The doctor may also suggest wearing a Holter monitor, which will record your heart rhythm over time to determine how many PVCs you have.
If you've had a prior heart attack or have cardiomyopathy -an illness that affects how the heart pumps bloodand should be aware of their PVCs and speak with a cardiologist about lifestyle changes. This includes cutting down on caffeine, alcohol and smoking, reducing stress and anxiety, and getting enough rest. A cardiologist may prescribe beta blockers to slow down the heartbeat.
Even if you don't experience any other indications it is still recommended to have PVCs examined by an cardiologist if they occur frequently. These irregular heartbeats could be a sign of problems with the structure of your heart or to other health conditions and, over time, when they are frequent enough, they could weaken the heart muscle. But the majority of people suffering from PVCs don't have any issues. They want to know if the rapid heartbeats, or the skipping of heartbeats is normal.
Diagnosis
PVCs can be akin to heartbeats that flutter, particularly if they're frequent and intense. People who get lots of them may feel they're going to faint. They can also occur with training, even though many athletes who experience them don't have issues in their heart or health. PVCs can show up in tests like an electrocardiogram, or Holter monitor. They have sensors which record electrical impulses that come from your heart. A cardiologist might also use an echocardiogram that uses ultrasound to study the heart and determine how it's functioning.
A doctor will usually be able to determine the presence of PVCs by looking at them and taking a medical history. Sometimes it is possible that they only notice PVCs when examining a patient for another reason such as following an accident or surgical procedure. Ambulatory ECG monitors are able to detect PVCs and other arrhythmias. They can be used to identify cardiac problems if there is any reason to be concerned.
If your cardiologist concludes that your heart is structurally healthy, reassurance may be all you need. If your symptoms are troubling or make you be anxious, avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and over the prescription decongestants, as well as reducing stress may aid. Regular exercise, being at a healthy weight and drinking enough fluids can help reduce the frequency of PVCs. If the symptoms persist or are extreme, talk to your doctor about possible medications that can control the symptoms.
Treatment
If PVCs are rare or don't cause symptoms, they rarely need treatment. If they occur frequently your doctor may want to check for heart issues or suggest lifestyle changes. You may also undergo 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 part of your heart. This can cause your heart to feel like it skips beats or has extra beats. PVCs are more frequent among those with heart problems, but it's not known the reason behind them. PVCs may increase in frequency with age and might happen more often during exercising.
If a patient has frequent and painful PVCs doctors should conduct an ECG and an echocardiogram to rule out structural heart disease. They will probably also do an exercise stress test to determine whether the additional beats are caused by physical activity. To find out if there are other causes for the extra beats, a heart catheterization or a cardiac MRI can be performed.
Most people with PVCs do not experience any issues and can live an ordinary life. However, they can increase the risk of developing dangerous heart rhythm issues particularly if you have certain patterns of them. In some instances, this means that your heart muscle gets weaker and has trouble pumping blood throughout your body.
A healthy and balanced diet and plenty of exercise can help reduce your risk of developing PVCs. You should avoid foods that are high in fat and sodium as well as limit caffeine and tobacco. Also, you should try to get enough sleep and manage stress. Some medicines may also increase your risk for PVCs. So if you take one of these medications it is important to follow your doctor's recommendations regarding eating healthy, exercising and taking your medication.
In studies of patients with high PVC burdens (more than 20% of total heartbeats) the higher rate of arrhythmia-induced cardiac myopathy was found. This could lead to a need for a heart transplant in certain individuals.