Why It's Important to See a Doctor
Premature ventricular contracts (PVCs), are a kind of irregular heartbeats. These extra beats are usually not risky, and they may disappear on their own.
Doctors will listen to your heartbeat and also check other vital indicators. They might recommend an Holter monitor which tracks your heart's electrical impulses over a period of 24 to 48 hours. They may also order blood tests to determine your thyroid hormones and electrolyte levels.
Diagnosis
PVCs are caused by electrical impulses that reverberate through the SA node, a structure in the lower chambers of the heart. This causes the next heartbeat to be delayed, causing the sensation of the heart is fluttering or skips beats. PVCs can occur in isolation, or in repeated patterns. Doublets are PVCs that occur in a series of. Ventricular tachycardia can be described as three or more consecutive PVCs.
Some people are not experiencing any symptoms, whereas others experience palpitations. It can be felt as an unsteady heartbeat or a skipping heartbeat. Other symptoms that are common are fatigue and dizziness, as well as a feeling of being unwell.
Many people who experience occasional PVCs don't need any treatment. If a person has frequent episodes, doctors might suggest a change to lifestyle or diet including a reduction in alcohol, caffeine and stress. They may also prescribe medications such as beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers which can lower the heart rate and lower blood pressure.
Doctors will inquire about the patient's medical history and perform a physical examination to check their general health. They may also utilize a Holter monitor to record the heart's rhythms for longer periods of time or an electrocardiogram which captures a picture of the electrical activity in the heart. Doctors may order blood tests in some instances to look for imbalances in electrolytes or toxic effects of drugs.
Sometimes, a pvc physician will refer someone to a specialist for heart rhythm issues or an electrophysiologist to conduct a further examination. This doctor will confirm a diagnosis of PVCs, and determine whether they are malignant or benign.
PVCs are all over the place and aren't usually harmful when used frequently or for a long time. This could lead to a weakening in the heart muscle or a condition known as pvc-induced cardiomyopathy. This is most prevalent in older people, or those who have some type of heart disease. It can also happen to healthy people with normal, normal hearts. However, it is more common in those who exercise regularly. This is not a serious condition, but you should inform your doctor if symptoms such as fainting or fatigue occur.
Treatment
PVCs are not harmful or cause symptoms in many people. They don't require treatment. However, for those who feel your heart is lagging a beat or is racing, it's vital to consult a physician as soon as you can.
A cardiologist begins by interviewing you and doing a physical exam, listening to your heart with the stethoscope to look for irregular heartbeats. Additionally, you will have an electrocardiogram (ECG) done to record the electrical impulses that occur in your heart and identify any arrhythmias. If an arrhythmia is identified, an all-day Holter monitor or other portable ECG is required to detect the irregular rhythm for longer durations of time. These devices will help doctors determine whether you have PVCs and the reason behind them, such as an electrolyte imbalance, drug toxicities, or any other cause.
An echocardiogram, or an ultrasound of your heart, could be ordered to assess whether your heart is healthy and check for indications of structural issues that can lead to PVCs. You might also be required to undergo an exercise test to determine how your heart reacts to exercise. Exercise can increase the frequency of pvcs. You can also have blood tests to check your thyroid hormone and magnesium, potassium and other hormones to determine if they're too low. This could lead to PVCs.
Once your doctor has confirmed that you suffer from PVCs and has ruled out any serious illnesses, the decision on whether or not to treat them will be based on how much they're impacting your life and how often they occur. If they occur only occasionally and do not cause symptoms then your doctor is unlikely to recommend any medication that can reduce their frequency or severity.
If, however, you suffer from frequent PVCs that do cause heart palpitations, as well as other symptoms such as light-headedness or feeling like you're going to faint, your doctor may suggest medications like beta blockers or calcium channel blockers. Changing your lifestyle to stay clear of triggers, such as smoking, caffeine, and excessive stress, can reduce the frequency of times you experience these irregular pulses.
Prevention
PVCs can cause no symptoms or heart palpitations, that can be described as "skipped beats" or flutters in your chest. Sometimes, these episodes cause the chest to feel full or swollen in the chest, and at other times, they can make a person feel faint. These episodes result from the heart not pumping as well as it should. Regular PVCs increase a person's risk of developing dilated cardiomyopathy. a condition where the heart gets larger and is not able to pump blood.
PVCs are usually caused by changes in the body's chemistry. They can be caused by the release of thyroid and adrenaline hormones, and drinking caffeine or alcohol. Stress or excess weight or a lack of exercise, can trigger these episodes.
Some people have found that a change in diet helps reduce their PVCs. For instance, they can, avoid foods that contain preservatives which can cause a disturbance of the heart rhythm. These include disodium Guanylate, disodium Inosinate, and diazole sodium (E282-283). Eat more fruits and vegetables to ensure that you get enough magnesium.
It is essential to have regular health checks, including annual physicals and lab tests. These can help diagnose any heart-related conditions that could be causing your PVCs. Also, you should not smoke and adhere to a healthy diet plan. This could increase the frequency of episodes.
A survey of healthcare professionals on 14 wards of a normal hospital found that they were mostly aware of the preventive measures that could be used to treat vascular catheter-associated infections however, their self-assessment of compliance with these guidelines was low. Compliance improved following a feedback intervention however it was still very low on a few of the observed wards. the window doctor suggests that training is required on how to implement preventive measures, and those wards that are not conforming should be targeted for infection monitoring. This information can be used to help in the implementation of quality improvement initiatives for these wards. It is likely that this will require more education and training for personnel. It will also be necessary to ensure that the correct tools to implement the preventive measures are available.
Symptoms
If you feel like your heart is racing or fluttering, it could be premature ventricular contractions. These arrhythmias can be normal, or they could be a sign that you are suffering from serious heart issues.
In healthy individuals, PVCs that occur occasionally are not a problem. They typically disappear by themselves. If you've got many of them, they can cause dizziness or weakness. Consult your doctor if you are concerned. You might be required to provide your medical history and they may also conduct an examination of the body to identify the issue. They'll likely also need to do an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) or other tests.
A short ECG test will allow your doctor to observe the heartbeat signal moving through your body for a an extremely short time. The test will reveal whether you have PVCs. Your doctor may also suggest the use of a Holter monitor that records your heartbeat over a longer period of time. These can help differentiate PVCs from other arrhythmias that cause heart palpitations. You can wear an event monitor, a handheld device which records your heart rhythm for 30 days.
Other tests for your heart might be required, depending on the reason for your PVCs. A cardiologist may check your blood pressure, or perform an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart). These tests will determine if you suffer from an issue such as heart failure, mitral valve prolapse, or cardiomyopathy.
Your doctor may also be required to perform an analysis of your blood to determine the issue with your electrolytes. For example, low potassium levels or high levels of calcium. This could be a sign of PVCs or other conditions that could cause them, including anxiety disorders and anemia.
You could be referred to an electrophysiologist who treats abnormal heart rhythms. This specialist may need to conduct other tests if you have heart problems that are structural, such as an CT or MRI scan of your chest. These tests will tell you whether you've suffered damage to your heart and how serious it is. In some instances, the specialist might recommend an implantable pacemaker or ICD to treat the underlying condition that's creating your PVCs.