Why It's Important to See a Doctor
Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are a form of irregular heartbeat. These extra beats are usually not dangerous and can go away by themselves.
To determine PVC Doctors will listen to your heartbeat, and also check other vital indicators. They might order an Holter monitor, a device that tracks your heart's electrical impulses over the course of 24 hours. They may also request blood tests to determine your electrolyte levels and thyroid hormones.
Diagnosis
PVCs occur when electrical impulses coming from the heart's lower chambers ventricles, or lower chambers, fail to pass through a structure called the SA node. This causes the next heartbeat to be delayed, causing a feeling like the heart is fluttering or skips beats. PVCs can be seen as a single event, or in repeated patterns. Doublets are two consecutive PVCs. Ventricular tachycardia refers to three or more consecutive PVCs.
While some people don't show any symptoms Some experience palpitations, which can feel like the heart beating faster or slower. Other symptoms are dizziness, fatigue or a feeling that you're unwell.
Many people who have occasional PVCs don't need any treatment. If someone is experiencing frequent episodes, doctors may recommend a change in the way of life or diet like limiting alcohol, caffeine and stress. They might prescribe medication such as beta-blockers or calcium channel blockers that can lower blood pressure and slow the heart rate.
Doctors will inquire about their medical history and perform an examination of the body to determine their general health. They may also use a Holter monitor to record the heart's rhythms for longer durations, or an electrocardiogram, which records a snapshot of the electrical activity in the heart. Doctors may order blood tests in some cases to check for electrolyte imbalances or drug toxicity.
Occasionally, a pvc doctor will refer someone to a specialist for heart rhythm issues or an electrophysiologist to conduct a further examination. This doctor can confirm a diagnosis of PVCs and determine if they are benign or malignant.
PVCs are quite common and rarely cause any problems unless they happen frequently over a long period of time. This could lead to a weakening in the heart muscle or a condition known as pvc-induced cardiomyopathy. It is more prevalent in older people or people suffering from heart disease. It can also happen in healthy people with normal heart function, but it is more likely to occur in those who exercise regularly. It's not an issue to worry about but it's important to tell your doctor if you experience symptoms like fainting or fatigue.
Treatment
For many people, sporadic PVCs may not cause any symptoms or need no treatment. If you feel like your heart is racing or not making an entire beat, you need to consult a doctor immediately.
A cardiologist will begin by interviewing you and doing an examination of your body, monitoring your heart using an stethoscope to detect any irregular heartbeats. Additionally, you will undergo an electrocardiogram that captures the electrical impulses of your heart to determine any arrhythmias. If an arrhythmia is detected then the use of a portable ECG or 24-hour Holter monitor will be required to capture the abnormal rhythm for longer periods of time. These devices can help doctors determine whether you have PVCs and the underlying cause for them, like an electrolyte imbalance, a drug toxicities, or any other cause.
An echocardiogram, an ultrasound of your heart, can be ordered to assess whether your heart is healthy and check for signs of structural problems that can lead to PVCs. You may also undergo a stress test to check how your heart responds to exercise, as physical activity can increase the frequency of your pvcs. You may also undergo blood tests to check your magnesium, potassium and thyroid hormone levels to determine whether they are low and can cause the formation of PVCs.
If your doctor confirms that you suffer from PVCs, and has ruled any serious illness out, the treatment option you choose will depend on how they affect your life and how often they occur. If they happen only infrequently and do not cause any symptoms the doctor is not likely to prescribe any medication that will decrease their frequency or severity.
If you have frequent PVCs that can trigger heart palpitations, or other symptoms like feeling lightheaded or fainting, your doctor may prescribe medications such as beta blockers and calcium channel blockers. repairmywindowsanddoors in your lifestyle, such as avoiding caffeine, smoking and stress, can also reduce the frequency of these abnormal pulses.
Prevention
A person might not experience any symptoms whatsoever from PVCs, or feel heart palpitations (irregular heartbeats) which can feel like "skipped" beats or a fluttering sensation in the chest. Sometimes, these episodes cause an increase in pressure or fullness in the chest, and other occasions, they may make someone feel faint. These episodes are caused by the heart not pumping as efficiently as it should. The frequent PVCs increase the chance of developing dilated Cardiomyopathy, a condition wherein the heart enlarges and becomes ineffective at pump blood.
PVCs are often caused by changes in the body's chemistry. These include the release of adrenaline and thyroid hormones, and drinking alcohol or caffeine. Stress or weight gain or the absence of exercise can trigger these symptoms.
Some people can find that a change in diet can reduce their PVCs. For instance, they can avoid foods which contain preservatives that could cause a disturbance to the heartbeat, for example disodium Guanylate (E621) disodium inosinate (E627), and diazole sodium (E282-283). Eat more fruits and veggies to ensure that you get sufficient magnesium.
Regular health checks are important and include annual physicals. These tests can help you identify any heart-related conditions that could cause your PVCs. You should also not smoke and adhere to a healthy diet program. This can increase your frequency of episodes.
A survey of healthcare workers on 14 normal hospital wards showed that they were generally aware of the preventive measures that could be used to treat vascular catheter-related infections however, their self-assessment of compliance with these measures was not great. After a feedback program, compliance improved on some areas, but was still very low. This suggests that training is required to implement preventive measures, and that wards that are less conforming should be targeted for monitoring of infection. This information can be used to help in the implementation of quality improvement initiatives for these wards. This will likely require further training and education for personnel. It will also be necessary to ensure that the correct tools for implementing the preventive measures are readily available.
Symptoms
If you feel your heart beats are erratic or fluttering, it may be due to premature ventricular contractions. These arrhythmias can be harmless or they can be the sign of heart issues.
In healthy people, PVCs that occur occasionally are not an issue. They typically disappear on their own. If you have many of them, it could cause dizziness or weakness. If you're concerned you might be experiencing dizziness or weakness, talk to your doctor about the symptoms. You might need to provide an medical history, and they might also perform an examination of the body to determine the cause. They'll likely also need to do an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) or other tests.
An ECG is a test that's quick that allows your health care provider detect the signal of your heartbeat moving through your heart over an extremely short period of duration. The test will reveal if you have PVCs. Your doctor may also suggest a Holter monitor that tracks your heartbeat for a longer period of time. This can help distinguish PVCs from other arrhythmias that cause heart palpitations. You can also wear an event monitor, which is a portable device which records your heart rhythm for 30 days.
Other tests for the heart may be required, based on the cause of your PVCs. For instance an cardiologist may test your blood pressure and perform an ultrasound of the heart (echocardiogram). These tests can reveal the presence of a medical issue that could be the cause of your PVCs, such as mitral valve prolapse or heart failure.
Your doctor may also be required to conduct tests on your blood to identify the issue with your electrolytes. For example, low potassium levels or high levels of calcium. This could indicate that you suffer from PVCs, or another health issue such as anemia or anxiety disorders.
You could be referred to a specialist in electrophysiology, who can treat irregular heart rhythms. This specialist may need to conduct additional tests if you have structural heart diseases like an CT or MRI scan of your chest. These tests can tell whether you've damaged your heart and how serious it is. In some cases, the doctor might recommend the use of a pacemaker or ICD to treat the condition that is the cause of your PVCs.
