Why Pvc Doctor You'll Use As Your Next Big Obsession How a VC Can Affect Your Heart

Many people have occasional PVCs and have no issues. If they happen frequently, PVCs may weaken your heart and increase the chance of suffering from heart failure.

A bundle of fibers located in the upper right-hand corner of your heart (the sinoatrial, or SA, node) usually controls the heart's rhythm. Electrical signals travel from there to the lower heart chambers or ventricles.

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. Instead, the impulse starts 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 is like it's fluttering. They can occur infrequently and cause no symptoms, or they can occur frequently enough to interfere with your daily life. If they happen frequently or cause dizziness, weakness or fatigue, your doctor may treat them with medicine.

In most people, PVCs are harmless and do not increase the risk of developing heart disease or other health issues. A lot of PVCs however, could weaken your heart muscle over time. This is particularly true if they are caused by a heart-related condition such as dilated cardiomyopathy arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, which may lead to symptomatic heart failure.

PVCs can cause symptoms such as a feeling of your heart racing one beat, or even fluttering. You might also feel breathless. The fluttering could be more apparent when you exercise or have certain drinks or foods. People who suffer from chronic anxiety or stress can have more PVCs and certain medications like amiodarone digoxin, and cocaine may increase the chance of developing them.

If you are experiencing occasional PVCs Your doctor might suggest lifestyle changes and medications. If they are a regular occurrence, you may have to avoid some foods and beverages like caffeine and alcohol. You can also reduce stress by getting enough sleep and exercising.

If you're experiencing a lot of PVCs the doctor might suggest a medical procedure called radiofrequency catheter ablation, which eliminates the cells that cause PVCs. Electrophysiologists are the ones who perform this procedure. The treatment is usually successful in treating PVCs, reducing symptoms but it does not stop them from becoming recurring in the future. In some cases, it can increase your risk of atrial fibrillation (AFib) which could result in stroke. It is not common however it could be life-threatening.

Symptoms

Premature ventricular contractures PVCs, also known as PVCs, can cause your heart to skip or to flutter. These heartbeats that are not normal can be harmless, but you may be advised to consult your physician if they are frequent or if you experience symptoms such as dizziness or fatigue.

The electrical signals normally begin in the sinoatrial region, which is in the upper right corner of the heart. They then move to the lower chambers, or ventricles, which pump blood. The ventricles then expand to push blood into the lungs, and then return to the heart and start the next cycle of pumping. However, a PVC begins at a different spot that is separate from the bundle of fibers known as the Purkinje fibers in the bottom left portion of the heart.

When PVCs occur, they can make the heart beat or feel as if it skipped one beat. If you have a few episodes and no other symptoms, your doctor probably won't be able to treat you. However, if you have lot of PVCs and you have other symptoms, your doctor might suggest an electrocardiogram, or ECG to determine your heartbeat over a 24-hour period. He or she might also recommend wearing a Holter Monitor which tracks the heart's rhythm and count the number of PVCs.

Anyone who has had a previous heart attack or suffer from cardiomyopathy -an illness that affects the way that the heart pumps blood -- should be aware of their PVCs and speak with a cardiologist about lifestyle changes. These include the avoidance of alcohol, caffeine, and smoking, managing stress and anxiety and ensuring adequate sleep. A cardiologist might prescribe medications to slow the heartbeat such as beta blockers.

If you have frequent PVCs even if you do not have other symptoms, you should consult a cardiologist. These extra heartbeats can indicate problems with the structure of your heart or to other health conditions and, over time when they are frequent enough, they can weaken the heart muscle. Most people with PVCs don't experience any problems. They want to know if the irregular heartbeats or fluttering is normal.

Diagnosis

PVCs may feel like fluttering or skipped heartbeats, especially when they're intense or frequent. People who experience them regularly may feel weak. Exercise can cause them, but many athletes who experience them do not have heart or health problems. PVCs could show up in tests such as an electrocardiogram (ECG) or Holter monitor. They have sensors which record electrical impulses that come from your heart. A cardiologist may also perform an echocardiogram that uses ultrasound to look at the heart and see how it's working.

A doctor can often tell if a patient has PVCs by examining them and taking their medical history. Sometimes, they may only be able to detect them when they examine the patient for other reasons, such as following 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 heart disease.

If your cardiologist finds that your heart is structurally normal, reassurance will be the only remedy required. If your symptoms are troubling, or cause you to feel anxious, avoiding alcohol, caffeine and over-the prescription decongestants, as well as the reduction of stress could help. Getting regular exercise, staying at a healthy weight and drinking enough fluids can help reduce the frequency of PVCs. If you are experiencing symptoms that are persistent or severe, talk to your doctor about medications that could be able to control them.

Treatment


If PVCs aren't common or don't cause symptoms, they rarely require treatment. If they occur frequently your doctor may be able to look for heart problems or suggest lifestyle adjustments. You may also undergo an intervention to get rid of them (called radiofrequency catheter ablation).

If you suffer from PVCs, the electrical signal that causes your heartbeat starts somewhere outside of the sinoatrial node (SA node) in the top right part of your heart. This could cause it to feel like your heart skips a beat or has extra beats. It's not known what causes these, but they're more common in people who have other heart conditions. PVCs may increase in frequency with age and might happen more often during exercise.

If a patient experiences frequent and painful PVCs the doctor is required to perform an ECG and an echocardiogram to rule out heart disease that is structural. They should also conduct an exercise stress test to determine whether the additional beats are caused by physical exercise. To determine whether there are other reasons for the increased beats an invasive heart catheterization or cardiac MRI is possible.

The majority of people who suffer from PVCs are not affected and can live a normal life. But they can increase the risk of developing dangerous heart rhythm problems particularly if you have certain patterns of them. In the window doctor , it means that the heart muscle becomes weaker and is unable to pump blood through your body.

A regular, healthy diet and regular exercise can reduce the chances of developing PVCs. Avoid foods high in sodium and fat, and limit your intake of tobacco and caffeine. Sleep and stress are equally important. Certain medicines can also increase the risk of developing PVCs. If you are taking one of these medications, it's important to follow your doctor's recommendations about eating well, exercising and taking your medication.

Studies of patients with a high amount of PVCs (that's more than 20 percent of their total heart beats) discovered that they had a higher risk of arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy. Certain people may require an organ transplant.