How a VC Can Affect Your Heart

PVCs are common and can be experienced by a variety of people without causing any issues. If they are frequent, fix window leaks Air leakage penthouse window repair [go to Technetbloggers] PVCs may weaken your heart and increase your risk of heart failure.

The heart's rhythm is controlled by a bundle of nerve fibers situated in the upper right corner of your heart. This is called the sinoatrial nerve, or SA. Electrical signals travel from this node to the lower chambers of your heart, or ventricles.

Causes

PVCs are caused by the electrical impulse that normally initiates your heartbeat at the Sinus Node (also known as the Sinoatrial or the SA node) does not. Instead, the impulse is generated in another area of your heart called the ventricles and triggers 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 happen infrequently without causing any symptoms, but they could be frequent enough to affect your quality of life. If they occur frequently or cause dizziness, weakness, or fatigue, your doctor could treat them with medicine.

PVCs are generally safe and do not increase your risk of developing heart disease. In time, frequent PVCs can weaken the heart muscle. This is particularly true if the PVCs are triggered by conditions like dilated cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenic right ventricle cardiomyopathy that can cause heart failure.

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

If you are experiencing occasional PVCs your doctor may suggest lifestyle changes and medication. If they are a regular occurrence, you may need to stay clear of certain drinks and foods, such as caffeine and alcohol. You can also reduce stress by having enough sleep and working out.

If you have many PVCs, your doctor may recommend a medical procedure referred to as radiofrequency catheter ablation, which destroys the cells that cause them. Electrophysiologists are the ones who perform this procedure. The treatment is typically effective in treating PVCs and reducing symptoms, but does not prevent them from becoming recurring in the future. In some cases it can increase the risk of atrial fibrillation (AFib), which can cause stroke. This is rare but can be life-threatening.

Symptoms

Premature ventricular contractions, also known as PVCs, may make your heart appear to skip or flutter the beat. These heartbeats that are not normal can be harmless, but you might be advised to consult your physician in the event of frequent heartbeats or if you notice symptoms like dizziness, or fatigue.

The normal electrical signals start in the sinoatrial area, which is located in the upper right corner of the heart. They then travel to the lower chambers, also known as ventricles, which pump blood. The ventricles expand to push the blood into the lung. They then return to the center to begin the next cycle of pumping. A PVC starts in a different place that is the Purkinje fibres bundle in the left side of the heart.

When PVCs happen they can make the heart appear to be racing or pounding. If you experience only one or Emergency Window Repair two episodes, and no other symptoms are present your cardiologist may not be able to treat you. If you've got a lot of PVCs and your doctor might suggest you undergo an electrocardiogram (ECG) to determine the heartbeat over the course of 24 hours. He or she may also recommend wearing a Holter monitor that will track the heart's rhythm over time, allowing you to see the number of PVCs you have.

Anyone who has suffered a heart attack in the past or have cardiomyopathy -- a condition that affects the way that the heart pumps blood -- must be aware of their PVCs and speak with a cardiologist about lifestyle changes. These include the avoidance of alcohol, caffeine, and smoking, reducing stress and anxiety and getting enough rest. A cardiologist may prescribe medications to slow the heartbeat, like a beta blocker.

Even if you don't experience any other signs it is still recommended to have PVCs checked by an expert in cardiology if they occur frequently. These extra heartbeats may indicate a problem in the structure of your lungs or heart, and if they occur often enough, it could weaken your heart muscle. But most people with PVCs do not experience any issues. They are interested in knowing if the irregular heartbeats or fluttering is normal.

Diagnosis

PVCs may feel like heartbeats that flutter, especially if they are frequent and intense. People who experience them regularly may feel weak. They can also occur during training, even though many athletes who experience them don't have any problems with their heart or health. PVCs may show up on tests such as an electrocardiogram or Holter monitor. These are sticky patches that have sensors that record electrical impulses coming from your heart. A cardiologist might also use an echocardiogram, which uses ultrasound to study the heart and determine how it's functioning.

Most of the time, a doctor will be able to identify if a person is suffering from PVCs from a patient's history and physical examination. But sometimes they might only be able to detect them when they examine the patient for different reasons, like after a surgery or accident. Ambulatory ECG monitoring systems can assist in detecting PVCs and other arrhythmias and could be utilized when there is a concern of a cardiac condition.

If your cardiologist finds that your heart is structurally normal, reassurance will be the only remedy required. If your symptoms are bothersome or cause you to feel anxious, avoiding caffeine, alcohol and over-the-counter decongestants and reducing stress can help. Getting regular exercise, staying at a healthy weight, and drinking enough water can also decrease the likelihood of PVCs. If your symptoms are persistent or extreme, consult your doctor about medications that may be able to manage them.

Treatment

If PVCs are rare or don't cause symptoms, they don't usually need treatment. If they are frequent your doctor may want to check for heart problems or suggest lifestyle adjustments. You may also undergo an intervention to get rid of them (called radiofrequency catheter ablation).

If you have PVCs in your heart the electrical signal that triggers your heartbeat starts somewhere different than the sinoatrial (SA) node located in the upper right-hand corner of your heart. This could cause it to feel like your heart skips a beat or has a few extra beats. It's not known what causes them, but they're more frequent in those with other heart conditions. PVCs can increase in frequency as you age, and may occur more frequently during exercise.

If a patient experiences frequent and painful PVCs the doctor should conduct an ECG and an echocardiogram to rule out heart disease that is structural. The doctor may also conduct an exercise stress test in order to determine if the increased heartbeats are due to physical activity. A heart catheterization or cardiac MRI or nuclear perfusion studies can be conducted to determine other reasons for Window Restoration the increased beats.

Most people who suffer from PVCs don't experience any issues and can live a normal lifestyle. However, they may increase the risk of developing dangerous heart rhythm issues particularly if you have certain patterns of them. In some cases this means that the heart muscle becomes weaker and is unable to pump blood throughout the body.

Regular exercise and a balanced diet will lower your chances of developing PVCs. Avoid foods high in fat and sodium, and limit your consumption of tobacco and caffeine. Sleep and stress are equally important. Some medicines can also increase your risk of PVCs. If you are taking one of these medications, it's important 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 the total heartbeats) the higher rate of arrhythmia-induced cardiac myopathy was discovered. Certain people may require an organ transplant.