Why It's Important to See a Doctor
Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are a form of irregular heartbeat. These extra beats are generally not dangerous and may be cured by themselves.
Doctors will listen to your heartbeat, and check other vital signs. They might order a Holter monitor, a device that records the electrical impulses your heart produces over a period of 24 to 48 hours. They may also request blood tests to check your electrolyte levels and thyroid hormones.
Diagnosis
PVCs happen when electrical impulses coming from the heart's lower chambers ventricles misfire through a structure known as the SA node. This causes the next heartbeat to be delayed, causing a feeling like the heart is fluttering or skips beats. PVCs may occur alone, or in repeated patterns. Doublets are two consecutive PVCs. Ventricular tachycardia is three or more consecutive PVCs.
Some people are not experiencing any symptoms, but others experience palpitations. It could be a pounding heartbeat or a rapid heartbeat. Other symptoms that are common are fatigue, dizziness or a sensation of being sick.
Many people with occasional PVCs don't require any treatment. If a patient has frequent episodes, a physician may recommend a change to the diet or lifestyle. For example, limiting caffeine, stress, and alcohol. They can prescribe beta-blockers or calcium channel blockers that can lower blood pressure and slow down the heart rate.
Doctors will inquire about the person's medical history and conduct a physical exam to check their general health. They can also employ a Holter monitor to record the heart's rhythms for longer durations, or an electrocardiogram, which captures a picture of the electrical activity of the heart. window doctor near me may require blood tests in some instances to determine if there are electrolyte imbalances or drug toxicity.
A pvc doctor may refer the patient to an electrophysiologist or a specialist in heart rhythm disorders for further examination. This specialist can confirm the diagnosis of PVCs and determine if they are benign or not.
PVCs are common and rarely cause any problems, unless they occur frequently over a long period of time. This can cause a weakening in the heart muscle, or a condition called pvc-induced cardiomyopathy. This is more common in older people or those suffering from heart disease. It can also happen in healthy people with a normal heart, although it is more likely to occur in those who exercise regularly. Most of the time, this isn't an issue that is serious however it is crucial to tell an expert if you notice symptoms such as fainting or fatigue.
Treatment
For many people, sporadic PVCs might not cause symptoms or require no treatment. If you feel like your heart is racing or slurring a beat, it's best to consult a doctor immediately.
A cardiologist begins by conducting an interview and then perform a a physical exam, listening to your heart with a stethoscope for any irregular heartbeats. You will also have an electrocardiogram (ECG) done to record the electrical impulses in your heart and detect any arrhythmias. If an arrhythmia has been discovered, the use of a portable ECG or a 24-hour Holter monitor is required to capture the irregular rhythm for longer periods of time. These devices can help doctors determine if you have PVCs and the cause of them, such as an electrolyte imbalance, a drug toxicities, or other causes.
An echocardiogram, an ultrasound of your heart, could be ordered to assess whether your heart is healthy and to look for indications of structural issues which could cause PVCs. You could also have a stress test to check how your heart responds to exercise, since physical activity can increase the frequency of your PVCs. You can also have blood tests to assess your thyroid, potassium, and magnesium hormone levels to find out whether they are low and can cause the development of PVCs.
If your doctor has confirmed that you suffer from PVCs, and has ruled any serious diseases out, the treatment you choose to take is based on the impact they have on your life and how often they occur. If they happen only on occasion and don't cause any symptoms, it's unlikely that your doctor will recommend any medication to reduce their frequency or severity.
However, if you have frequent PVCs that trigger the sensation of palpitations or other symptoms, like lightheadedness or feeling like you're about to faint, your physician might suggest medication like beta blockers or calcium channel blockers. Changes in your lifestyle, like cutting down on smoking, caffeine, and excessive stress can also reduce the frequency of these abnormal pulses.
Prevention
PVCs can cause no symptoms or heart palpitations, that can feel like "skipped beats" or flutterings in the chest. Sometimes, these episodes cause an increase in pressure or fullness in the chest, and at other occasions, they may make a person feel faint. These episodes occur because the heart isn't functioning as efficiently as it should. PVCs are associated with a higher risk of developing dilated cardiac myopathy. This is a condition where the heart gets larger and unable to pump blood.
PVCs are usually caused by changes in the body's chemical. This includes the release of adrenaline and thyroid hormones, as well as drinking alcohol or caffeine. A lack of exercise can trigger these episodes, as can stress or excessive weight.
Some people can find that a change in diet helps reduce their PVCs. For example, they can avoid foods which contain preservatives that could cause a disturbance to the heart rhythm, such as disodium Guanylate (E621) disodium inosinate (E627), and diazole sodium (E282-283). Eat more fruits and vegetables to get sufficient magnesium.
Regular health checks are essential and include annual physicals. These tests can help you identify any heart issues that could cause your PVCs. It is also recommended to not smoke and adhere to the healthy eating plan. This can increase your frequency of episodes.
A survey of healthcare professionals on 14 wards of a normal hospital revealed that they were aware of the preventive measures for vascular catheter-related infections, but that their self-assessed compliance with these practices was poor. Compliance improved following feedback interventions, but was still lower on some of the wards surveyed. This suggests that training on how to implement the preventive measures is required and that the wards which are less compliant should be targeted for infection surveillance. This information can then be used to guide the implementation of additional quality improvement initiatives for these wards. This will most likely require more education and training for staff. It will also mean making sure that the correct materials are available for the implementing of the preventive measures.
Signs and symptoms
The premature contraction of the ventricular muscle can cause your heartbeat to skip beats or be fluttering. These arrhythmias may be normal, or they could be a sign that you have serious heart problems.
In healthy individuals, PVCs that occur occasionally are not a problem. They generally disappear on their own. If you've got a lot of them, they can cause dizziness or weakness. If you're worried, talk to your doctor about the symptoms. You might need to provide a medical history, and they may also conduct a physical examination in order to diagnose the problem. They might also perform an electrocardiogram or other tests.
An ECG is a quick test that will allow your doctor to observe the signal generated by your heartbeat as it moves through your heart for an extremely short period of period of time. If you have PVCs, they'll be visible on the test. Your doctor might also want to perform an overnight or 24-hour Holter monitor, which records your heartbeat for longer durations of time. They can help distinguish PVCs from other types of arrhythmias that cause heart palpitations. You might also wear a portable device that can record your heart rate over 30 days, called an event monitor.
Other tests for the heart may be required, based on the reason for your PVCs. A cardiologist will test your blood pressure or perform an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart). These can help find if you have a condition that is causing your PVCs, such as mitral valve prolapse, cardiomyopathy or heart failure.
Your doctor may also have to do a blood test to see what the problem is with your electrolytes for example, low potassium levels or high calcium levels. This could indicate that you suffer from PVCs or another problem such as anemia, or anxiety disorders.
You could be referred to an electrophysiologist, an expert who specializes in treating abnormal heart rhythms. If you have structural heart disease the specialist may have to perform additional tests, like an MRI or CT scan of your chest. These tests can determine whether your heart has been damaged and how severe it is. In certain cases, a specialist may recommend pacemakers to treat the condition that is causing the PVCs.