Why It's Important to See a Doctor

Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs), are a kind of irregular heartbeat. These extra beats are generally not dangerous and can be cured by themselves.

To determine PVC, doctors will listen to your heartbeat and check other vital indicators. They might recommend an Holter monitor, a device that records your heart's electrical impulses over the course of 24 hours. They can also request blood tests to check your electrolyte levels and thyroid hormones.

Diagnosis

PVCs occur when electrical impulses from the heart's lower chambers ventricles, or lower chambers, fail to pass through a structure called the SA node. This causes the heartbeat to be delayed and causes the feeling of fluttering or skipped beats in the chest. PVCs can be seen in one pattern or in repeated patterns. Two consecutive PVCs are known as doublets, whereas three or more consecutive PVCs are referred to as the term ventricular Tachycardia (VT).

Some people have no symptoms, while others experience palpitations. This can feel like the sound of a beating heart or a rapid heartbeat. Other common symptoms are tiredness or dizziness, or a feeling of being sick.

Many people with occasional PVCs don't require any treatment. If a person experiences frequent episodes, doctors may suggest a change to the way of life or diet, such as limiting caffeine, alcohol and stress. They may also prescribe medication like calcium channel blockers or beta-blockers which can lower the heart rate and lower blood pressure.

Doctors will inquire about the medical history of the patient and conduct a physical exam to determine their general health. They may also employ an electrocardiogram (ECG) to get a snapshot of the heart's electrical activity or a Holter monitor that is worn for longer time periods and records the heart's rhythms over time. Doctors may require blood tests in certain cases to determine if there are electrolyte imbalances or drug toxicity.

Occasionally, a pvc doctor will refer someone to a specialist in heart rhythm issues, or an electrophysiologist, to conduct a further examination. This specialist can confirm the diagnosis of PVCs and determine whether they are benign or not.

PVCs are all over the place and are not usually harmful when used frequently or for a long time. This can lead to a weakened in the heart muscle, or a condition known as pvc-induced cardiac myopathy. It is more prevalent in older people or those with heart disease. It can also occur to healthy people who have normal, normal hearts. However, it is more common in those who regularly exercise. This is not a serious problem, but it is important to tell your doctor if symptoms like fatigue or fainting occur.

Treatment

PVCs are not harmful or cause any symptoms in the majority of people. They don't require treatment. However, for those who do experience a sensation like your heart is lagging an beat or is racing, it's crucial to see a doctor as soon as you can.

A cardiologist will first interview you and conduct an examination of your body and listen to your heart through an stethoscope to identify any irregular beats. You'll also undergo an electrocardiogram, which captures the electrical impulses of your heart, allowing you to identify any arrhythmias. If an arrhythmia is detected then an all-day Holter monitor or another portable ECG is required to capture the irregular rhythm over longer periods of time. These devices will assist doctors determine if you have PVCs and the underlying cause for them, such as an electrolyte imbalance, drug toxicities, or other causes.

An echocardiogram, an ultrasound of your heart, can be ordered to determine if your heart is healthy and to look for signs of structural problems that can lead to PVCs. You could also have an exercise test to determine how your heart responds to physical exercise can increase the frequency of your PVCs. You can also get blood tests to determine your thyroid hormone and magnesium, potassium and other hormones to see whether they're insufficient. This could lead to PVCs.

After your doctor has confirmed that you have PVCs and has eliminated any serious illnesses and has made a decision about whether to treat them will depend on the degree to which they're affecting your life and how frequently they occur. If they only occur occasionally and don't cause any symptoms, it's unlikely that your doctor will suggest any medication to lessen the frequency or severity of them.

If you experience frequent PVCs that cause the sensation of palpitations or other symptoms, such as light-headedness or feeling like you're going to faint, your doctor might recommend medications for you, such as beta blockers or calcium channel blockers. Lifestyle changes like cutting down on smoking, caffeine and stress levels that are excessive can also decrease the frequency of these abnormal pulses.

Prevention

PVCs can cause no symptoms or heart palpitations, that can be described as "skipped beats" or flutters in the chest. Sometimes, these episodes can cause the chest to feel full or swollen in the chest, and other times, they can make a person feel faint. These episodes happen because the heart isn't functioning as efficiently as it should. The frequent PVCs increase the risk of developing dilated Cardiomyopathy, a condition wherein the heart gets larger and becomes ineffective at pump blood.

PVCs are usually caused by changes in the body's chemistry. This includes the release of thyroid hormones and adrenaline and alcohol consumption or caffeine. Inactivity can trigger these symptoms, as can stress or excess weight.

Certain people find that changing their diet can reduce the amount of PVCs. For example, they can 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 get sufficient magnesium.

Regular health checks are essential and include annual physicals. These can help diagnose any heart issues which could be causing your PVCs. It is also recommended to avoid smoking and follow a healthy diet plan. This can increase your frequency of episodes.

A survey of healthcare staff on 14 normal hospital wards found that they were mostly aware of the preventive measures for infections caused by vascular catheters However, their self-assessed compliance with these guidelines was poor. After a feedback intervention the compliance level improved on a few wards, but it was still not as high. This suggests that education on how to implement the preventive measures is essential, and that those wards which are less compliant should be targeted for surveillance of infection. This information can be used to help in the implementation of quality improvement initiatives for these wards. It is likely that this will require additional education and training of staff. It will also mean making sure that the appropriate tools are available for implementation of preventive measures.

Symptoms

If you feel your heart is skipping beats or fluttering, it could be a sign of premature ventricular contractions. These arrhythmias could be harmless, or they could indicate that you have serious heart problems.

In healthy people, PVCs that occur occasionally are not an issue. They usually disappear on their own. If you're suffering from a lot of them, they can lead to dizziness or weakness. Talk to your doctor if you are concerned. You may need to give your medical history and they might also perform an examination of the body to identify the issue. They may also do an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) or other tests.

A short ECG test will allow your doctor to observe the heartbeat signal going through your body over a an extremely short time. If you have PVCs, they'll be visible in the test. Your window doctor may also decide to do an overnight or 24-hour Holter monitor which monitors your heartbeat for longer durations of time. They can help distinguish PVCs from other arrhythmias that cause heart palpitations. You can also wear an event monitor, a handheld 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 example an cardiologist may test your blood pressure, and also perform an ultrasound of the heart (echocardiogram). These tests can tell whether you have an illness like heart failure or mitral valve prolapse or cardiomyopathy.

Your doctor might also need to run an examination of your blood to determine what's wrong with your electrolytes such as low potassium or high calcium levels. This can be a sign of PVCs or other conditions that can cause them, including anemia and anxiety disorders.

You may be referred an electrophysiologist who is able to treat abnormal heart rhythms. If you suffer from structural heart disease the doctor may need to perform additional tests, such as an MRI or CT scan of your chest. These tests can determine if your heart is damaged and the severity of the damage. In some instances, the doctor might recommend an implantable pacemaker or ICD to treat the condition that is causing your PVCs.