Why It's Important to See a Doctor

Premature ventricular contractures (PVCs), are a form of irregular heartbeat. These extra beats usually aren't dangerous, and they can disappear on their own.

To determine PVC, doctors will listen to your heartbeat, and also check other vital indicators. They may also order an Holter Monitor which records the electrical impulses generated by your heart over a period of 24 to 48 hours. They can also request blood tests for checking your thyroid hormones and electrolyte levels.

Diagnosis

PVCs are caused by electrical impulses coming from the lower chambers of the heart ventricles misfire through a structure referred to as the SA node. This causes the heartbeat to be delayed, causing a feeling of skipped beats or fluttering in the chest. PVCs can occur in isolation or in repeated patterns. Doublets are two consecutive PVCs. Ventricular tachycardia is three or more consecutive ones.

Some people do not experience any symptoms, but others experience palpitations. It can be felt as an unsteady heartbeat or a slurred heartbeat. Other typical symptoms include fatigue or dizziness, or a feeling of being sick.

Many people with occasional PVCs don't need any treatment. If someone is experiencing frequent episodes, doctors might suggest a change to the way of life or diet, such as limiting 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 their medical history and perform an examination to determine their general health. They may also employ an electrocardiogram (ECG) to take an image of the heart's electrical activity or a Holter monitor which is worn for longer durations and monitors the heart's rhythms over time. Doctors may order blood tests in some cases to determine if there are electrolyte imbalances or toxic effects of drugs.

Occasionally, a Pvc doctor (yerliakor.Com) will refer someone to a specialist for heart rhythm issues, or an electrophysiologist, for further evaluation. This specialist can confirm the diagnosis of PVCs and determine whether they are benign or not.

PVCs are all over the place and are generally not harmful unless they are used regularly or for long periods of time. This can cause weakening of the heart muscle, or a condition called pvc-induced cardiomyopathy. It is more common for people over the age of 65 or those with any form of heart disease. It can also happen in healthy people with an uninvolved heart, however this is more likely for those who exercise regularly. Most of the time, this isn't an issue to worry about, but it is important to tell your doctor if you experience symptoms such as fainting or fatigue.

Treatment

For many, occasional PVCs may not cause any symptoms or need no treatment. But when you feel your heart is lagging a beat or is racing, it's important to see a window & door doctor as soon as you can.

A cardiologist will first interview you and then perform an examination of your body and listen to your heart through a stethoscope to detect any irregular heartbeats. Additionally, you will undergo an electrocardiogram, which records the electrical impulses of your heart to detect any arrhythmias. If an arrhythmia is identified, a 24-hour Holter monitor or another portable ECG will be needed to detect the irregular rhythm for longer periods of time. These devices can help doctors determine if you have PVCs and the reason behind them, like an electrolyte imbalance, drug toxicities, or any other cause.

An echocardiogram, an ultrasound of your heart, may be ordered to assess if your heart is healthy and to look for signs of structural problems that can lead to PVCs. You might also be required to undergo an exercise test to determine the response of your heart to exercise. Physical activity can increase the frequency of pvcs. You can also take blood tests to test your thyroid hormone, magnesium, potassium and other hormones to determine if they're too low. This could lead to PVCs.

After your doctor has determined that you're suffering from PVCs and has eliminated any serious illnesses, the decision on how 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 the doctor is not likely to recommend any treatment that can reduce their frequency or severity.

If you experience frequent PVCs that cause palpitations and other symptoms, such as feeling lightheaded or like you're going to faint, your physician might suggest medication like beta blockers or calcium channel blockers. Altering your lifestyle to avoid triggers, such as smoking, caffeine, and excessive stress, can help lower the number of occurrences of these unusual pulses.

Prevention

A person may experience no symptoms at all from PVCs or experience heart palpitations (irregular heartbeats) that can feel like "skipped" beats or fluttering in the chest. Sometimes, these episodes trigger the chest to feel full or swollen in the chest, and at other times they can make a person feel faint. These episodes are caused by the heart not pumping as well as it should. PVCs are associated with an increased risk of developing dilated cardiac myopathy. This is a condition where the heart expands and becomes is unable to pump blood.

PVCs are often caused by changes in body chemistry. They can be caused by the release of thyroid and adrenaline hormones, as well as drinking caffeine or alcohol. Stress or weight gain, as well as a lack of exercise, can trigger these symptoms.

Certain people find that a change in diet can reduce their PVCs. For instance, they could avoid foods with preservatives, which can cause a disturbance in the heart rhythm, such as disodium Guanylate (E621), disodium inosinate (E627) and diazole sodium (E282-283). Eat more fruits and vegetables to ensure that you get sufficient magnesium.

Regular health checks are crucial and include annual physicals. These can help diagnose any heart issues which could be causing your PVCs. You should also not smoke and adhere to a healthy diet program. This could increase the frequency of episodes.

A survey of 14 normal hospital wards found that healthcare workers were generally aware of preventive measures to avoid the infection caused by vascular catheters, but their self-assessment of compliance to these practices was low. Compliance improved following feedback interventions however it was still very low on some of the wards surveyed. This suggests that training is required to implement preventive measures and those wards that are not than compliant 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 involve additional training and education for personnel. It will also be important to ensure that the appropriate tools for implementing the preventive measures are available.

Symptoms

The premature contraction of the ventricular muscle can cause your heartbeat to skip or flutter. These arrhythmias could be harmless, or they could indicate that you have heart issues that are serious.

In healthy people, PVCs that occur occasionally are not an issue. They generally disappear on their own. But if you have many of them, they can cause weakness or dizziness. If you're worried, talk to your doctor about them. They might need to diagnose the issue by taking an history of your medical condition and giving you a physical exam. They might also need to conduct an electrocardiogram, or other tests.

An ECG is a quick test that allows your health care provider observe the signal generated by your heartbeat moving through your heart in the course of a brief time. The test will reveal whether you have PVCs. Your doctor may also suggest a Holter monitor that records your heartbeat over a longer period of time. This can help distinguish PVCs from other arrhythmias which cause heart palpitations. You could also be wearing a device that records your heart rhythm over 30 days, called an event monitor.

Other tests for the heart may be required, depending on the reason behind your PVCs. For example, a cardiologist might check your blood pressure and perform an ultrasound of your heart (echocardiogram). These tests can reveal whether you suffer from a condition that is causing your PVCs like mitral valve prolapse, cardiomyopathy or heart failure.

Your doctor may also be required to do an analysis of your blood to determine what is wrong with your electrolytes, such as low potassium or high calcium levels. This can be an indication of PVCs or other conditions that can cause them, like anemia and anxiety disorders.

You may be directed to an electrophysiologist, one of the specialists who specialize in treating heart rhythms that are abnormal. If you have heart disease that is structural the specialist may have to conduct additional tests, like an MRI or CT scan of your chest. These tests will tell you whether you've suffered damage to your heart and how severe it is. In certain cases doctors may suggest an implanted pacemaker to treat the condition that causes the PVCs.