How a VC Can Affect Your Heart

PVCs are common and may be experienced by a wide range of people without causing any issues. If they happen frequently, PVCs may weaken your heart and increase your chance of suffering from heart failure.

A bundle of fibers in the upper right-hand corner of your heart (the sinoatrial node, also known as SA) typically regulates the heart's rhythm. Electrical signals are transmitted from there to the lower chambers of your heart or ventricles.

Causes

PVCs happen when the electrical impulse which normally initiates your heartbeat at the Sinus Node (also known as the Sinoatrial or SA node) does not. Instead, the impulse starts in a different area of your heart, the ventricles, tilt and turn window repair and causes a wrongly timed beat. 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 occur rarely and not cause any symptoms, but they can also happen frequently enough to affect your quality of living. If they occur frequently or cause weakness, dizziness or fatigue, your doctor may treat them with medicine.

For most people, PVCs are harmless and do not increase the risk of developing heart disease or other health problems. Over time, frequent PVCs can weaken the heart muscle. This is especially true if they are caused by a heart-related condition such as dilated cardiomyopathy or arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy which can lead to symptomatic heart failure.

PVCs can trigger symptoms like a feeling of your heart beating an beat, or the feeling of your heart fluttering. It is also possible to feel breathless. The fluttering may be more noticeable when you exercise or consume certain drinks or food items. People who suffer from chronic anxiety or stress can have more PVCs, and some medications like amiodarone digoxin and cocaine can increase the likelihood of developing them.

If you are experiencing occasional PVCs, your doctor may suggest lifestyle changes and medications. If they're a frequent occurrence, you may have to avoid certain foods and beverages like caffeine and alcohol. You can also take steps to reduce your stress and make sure you get enough sleep and exercise.

If you've got a lot of PVCs, your doctor may recommend a medical procedure referred to as radiofrequency catheter ablation, which eliminates the cells responsible for them. The procedure is carried out by a specialist, known as an electrophysiologist. The treatment is generally effective in treating PVCs which reduce symptoms, but does not prevent them from returning in the future. In some instances it can increase your risk of atrial fibrillation (AFib), which can cause a stroke. This is rare but can be life-threatening.

Signs and symptoms

Premature ventricular contracts, or PVCs can cause your heart to skip or flutter. These heartbeats that are not normal can be harmless, but you might want to consult your doctor when they occur frequently or if you experience symptoms such as dizziness or fatigue.

Normaly, leaded glass window repair sash replacement (http://bobofng.com/bbs/board.php?bo_table=free&wr_id=58325) electrical signals begin in the sinoatrial, located in the upper right corner of the heart. They then move to the lower chambers, also known as ventricles, that pump blood. The ventricles contract to propel blood into the lungs, and return to the heart to start the next cycle of pumping. A PVC begins at a different spot in the Purkinje fibers are located in the bottom left of the heart.

When PVCs occur they can make the heart appear to be racing or pounding. If you've experienced a few episodes and no other symptoms, your doctor will probably not treat you. If you've got a lot of PVCs and your doctor might recommend that you undergo an electrocardiogram (ECG) to measure the heartbeat over the course of 24 hours. He or she might also recommend wearing a Holter Monitor that records the heart's rhythm and count the number of PVCs.

If you've suffered a heart attack in the past or suffer from cardiomyopathy -- a condition that alters the way the heart pumps blood -and should be aware of their PVCs and talk to a cardiologist about lifestyle changes. This includes abstaining from alcohol, caffeine and smoking, managing anxiety and stress, and getting enough sleep. A cardiologist might prescribe medications to slow the heartbeat like a beta blocker.

If you have frequent PVCs even if you don't have any other symptoms, you should consult an expert in cardiology. These irregular heartbeats could be a sign of problems with the structure of your heart or other health issues and, over time, when they happen frequently enough, they could weaken the heart muscle. Most people with PVCs do not have any issues. They want to know if the rapid heartbeats, or the skipping of heartbeats is normal.

Diagnosis

PVCs can feel like fluttering or skipped heartbeats, especially if they're intense or frequent. People who experience them frequently may feel faint. Exercise can trigger them, but many athletes who suffer from them have no heart or health issues. PVCs may show up on tests such as an electrocardiogram or Holter monitor. They use sticky patches with sensors to record electrical signals from your heart. A cardiologist might also use an echocardiogram, which makes use of ultrasound to examine the heart and see how it's working.

A doctor is often able to tell if a patient has PVCs by looking at them and taking a medical history. Sometimes however, they might only be able to detect PVCs when they examine the patient for another reason, such as after an accident or surgical procedure. Ambulatory ECG monitoring systems can also help detect PVCs and other arrhythmias, and can be used if there's any concern of a cardiac condition.

If your cardiologist has determined that your heart is structurally healthy, reassurance could be all that's needed. If your symptoms are causing you discomfort or cause you to feel anxious, staying away from alcohol, caffeine, and over the prescription decongestants, as well as the reduction of stress could help. Regular exercise, being at a healthy weight and drinking enough fluids can help reduce the frequency of PVCs. If your symptoms persist or are severe, talk with your physician about possible medication options to treat these symptoms.

Treatment

If PVCs are rare or don't cause symptoms, they do not usually need treatment. If they happen frequently, your doctor might be able to look for heart issues or suggest lifestyle changes. You could also have a procedure to get rid of them (called radiofrequency catheter ablation).

If you suffer from PVCs in your heart the electrical signal that causes your heartbeat begins somewhere outside of the sinoatrial (SA) node that is located in the upper right-hand corner of your heart. This could cause it to feel like your heart skips a beat or has extra beats. It's unclear what causes these symptoms, but they're frequent in those with other heart conditions. PVCs can become more frequent as you age, and might occur more frequently during exercising.

If a patient has frequent and painful PVCs, a physician should perform an ECG and an echocardiogram to determine if there is a structural heart problem. The doctor will also likely perform an exercise stress test in order to determine if the extra heartbeats are caused by physical exercise. To determine if there are other causes for the extra beats the heart catheterization or a cardiac MRI can be performed.

Most people who suffer from PVCs do not suffer from any complications and can lead a normal lifestyle. But they can increase the risk of developing dangerous heart rhythm problems, condo Window repair especially if you have certain patterns of them. In some cases this means that the heart muscle becomes weaker and it is more difficult to pump blood throughout the body.

A regular, healthy diet and plenty of exercise can reduce your chances of developing PVCs. Avoid foods that are high in fat and sodium and limit your consumption of tobacco and caffeine. Also, you should try to get enough sleep and manage stress. Some medicines can also increase the risk of getting PVCs. If you are taking any of these medicines it is crucial that you follow the advice of your doctor regarding eating a healthy diet and exercising as well as taking your medication.

Studies of patients who had a high burden of PVCs (that's more than 20 percent of their total heart beats) found that they had a higher risk of arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy. Some patients may require a heart transplant.