Why It's Important to See a Doctor
Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are a type of irregular heartbeat. These extra beats are typically not harmful and will go away by themselves.
Doctors will listen to your heartbeat, and check other vitals signs. They may also order an Holter Monitor that captures the electrical impulses of your heart over a span of between 24 and 48 hours. They may also order blood tests to check your thyroid hormones and electrolyte levels.
Diagnosis
PVCs happen when electrical impulses coming from the heart's lower chambers ventricles misfire through a structure called the SA node. This causes the heartbeat to be delayed and causes an experience of fluttering or skipped beats in the chest. PVCs can be seen as a single event, or in repeated patterns. Doublets are two consecutive PVCs. Ventricular tachycardia can be described as three or more consecutive ones.
Some people don't experience any symptoms whatsoever Some experience palpitations, that can be felt as an irregular heartbeat or a pounding. Other symptoms include dizziness, fatigue, or feeling unwell.
Many people who experience occasional PVCs do not require treatment. If a patient has frequent episodes, a doctor might recommend a change in the diet or lifestyle. For example restricting caffeine and stress as well as alcohol. They can also prescribe medications, such as calcium channel blockers or beta-blockers, which can slow the heart rate and lower blood pressure.
Doctors will ask about the patient's medical history and perform a physical examination to check their general health. They can also perform an electrocardiogram (ECG) to take an image of the heart's electrical activity or a Holter monitor which is worn for longer periods and records the heart's rhythms over time. Doctors may order blood tests in some cases to check for electrolyte imbalances or toxic effects of drugs.
Sometimes, a pvc doctor will refer someone to a specialist for heart rhythm problems, or an electrophysiologist, for further evaluation. This doctor can confirm the diagnosis of PVCs and determine if they are benign or not.
PVCs are everywhere and are generally not harmful unless they are used frequently or for a long period of time. This can lead to a weakened in the heart muscle, or a condition called pvc-induced cardiomyopathy. This is most prevalent in older people, or those who have some type of heart disease. It can also happen in healthy people with an uninvolved heart, however it is more likely to occur in those who exercise regularly. It's not a serious concern but it's important to tell a doctor if you notice symptoms such as fainting or fatigue.
Treatment
For many people, occasional PVCs might not cause symptoms or need no treatment. But those who do feel your heart is lagging the beat or is racing, it's crucial to speak to a doctor as soon as possible.
A cardiologist will start by interviewing you and performing a a physical exam, listening to your heart with the stethoscope to look for irregular beats. Additionally, you will undergo an electrocardiogram that captures the electrical impulses of your heart to detect any arrhythmias. If an arrhythmia is identified, a 24-hour Holter monitor or other portable ECG is required to record the irregular rhythm for longer durations of time. These devices can help doctors determine whether you have PVCs, and their cause, such as an imbalance in electrolytes, toxic drugs or other factors.
An echocardiogram, an ultrasound of your heart, could be ordered to assess if your heart is healthy and look for any indications of structural issues that can lead to PVCs. You may also undergo an exercise test to determine how your heart responds to physical exercise can increase the frequency of your pvcs. You can also have blood tests to determine your thyroid hormone and magnesium, potassium, and other hormones to determine whether they're low. This could lead to PVCs.
After your doctor has confirmed that you suffer from PVCs and has eliminated any serious diseases, the decision of how to treat them will depend on the degree to which they're affecting your life and how often they occur. If they happen only infrequently and don't cause any symptoms then your doctor is unlikely to recommend any medication that can reduce their frequency or severity.
If you experience frequent PVCs, which can cause palpitations or other symptoms like feeling lightheaded or fainting, your doctor might prescribe medications like beta blockers and calcium channel blockers. Making changes to your lifestyle in order to avoid triggers, like smoking, caffeine and excess stress, can also aid in reducing the frequency of occurrences of these abnormal pulses.
The following is a list with preventions.
PVCs can cause no symptoms or heart palpitations which may feel like "skipped beats" or flutterings in the chest. These episodes can create a feeling of pressure or fullness, or they can make you feel faint. These episodes happen because the heart is not functioning as efficiently as it should. The frequent PVCs increase a person's risk of developing dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition where the heart gets larger and is unable to pump blood.
PVCs are often caused by changes in the body's chemistry. This includes the release of adrenaline and thyroid hormones as well as drinking alcohol or caffeine. Lack of exercise can trigger these episodes, as can stress or excess weight.
Some people have found that a change in diet helps to reduce their PVCs. For example, they can avoid foods with preservatives, which can cause a disturbance in the heartbeat, for example disodium Guanylate (E621) disodium inosinate (E627) and diazole sodium (E282-283). Eat more fruits and vegetables to ensure that you get enough magnesium.
It is essential to have regular health check-ups, which include annual physicals and laboratory tests. These tests can help diagnose any heart-related conditions that could cause your PVCs. You should also follow an eat-healthy diet and avoid smoking, which could increase the frequency of your episodes.
A survey of 14 normal hospital wards showed that healthcare personnel were generally aware of preventive measures for the infection caused by vascular catheters, but their self-assessment of compliance to these practices was low. After a feedback intervention that improved compliance on certain wards, but it was still not as high. 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 surveillance of infection. These data can be used to guide quality improvement initiatives in these wards. It is likely that this will require more education and training for staff. It will also be necessary to ensure that the correct materials for implementing the preventive measures are in place.
Signs and symptoms
The premature contraction of the ventricular muscle can cause your heartbeat to skip beats or to flutter. These arrhythmias can be harmless or they may be a sign of serious heart problems.
In healthy individuals, occasional PVCs aren't a problem and they usually go away by themselves. If you've got a lot of them, it could cause dizziness or weakening. Talk to your doctor if worried. You might be required to provide an medical history, and they might also perform a physical examination in order to identify the issue. They might also conduct an electrocardiogram, or other tests.
An ECG is a test that's quick that lets your health care provider detect the signal of your heartbeat moving through your heart in an extremely short period of duration. The test will reveal whether you have PVCs. Your doctor might also suggest the use of a Holter monitor that tracks your heartbeat over a longer period of time. These tests can help distinguish PVCs from arrhythmias that cause heart palpitations. You could also carry a device that can record your heart rhythm over a period of 30 days, referred to as an event monitor.
Other heart tests may be required, depending on the reason behind your PVCs. A cardiologist can check your blood pressure or conduct an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart). These tests can tell whether you are suffering from an illness like heart failure, mitral valve prolapse, or cardiomyopathy.
Your doctor might also need to do an examination of your blood to determine what the problem is with your electrolytes, for example, low potassium levels or high calcium levels. the window doctor could be a sign of PVCs or other conditions that may cause them, like anemia and anxiety disorders.
You could be directed to an electrophysiologist, an expert who specializes in treating abnormal heart rhythms. The specialist might need to perform other tests if you suffer from heart conditions that cause structural damage, such as an CT or MRI scan of your chest. These tests can determine whether your heart is damaged and how severe the damage is. In certain cases, a specialist may recommend an implanted pacemaker to treat the issue which is causing the PVCs.