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How a VC Can Affect Your Heart Many people experience occasional PVCs without any problems. If they are frequent, PVCs may weaken your heart and increase your risk of heart failure. A bundle of fibers located in the upper right-hand corner of your heart (the sinoatrial, or SA, node) usually controls your heart's rhythm. Electrical signals travel from there to the lower heart chambers, or ventricles. Causes PVCs are caused by the electrical impulse that normally initiates your heartbeat at the Sinus Node (also known as the Sinoatrial or the SA node) is not initiated. The impulse actually begins in the ventricles and causes an untimed heartbeat. These extra beats are known as ventricular tachycardia, and ventricular fibrillation. They may feel like the heart skipped a beat or feels like it is fluttering. They can occur rarely, causing no symptoms, but they could occur frequently enough to affect your standard of living. Your doctor may prescribe medication in the event that they are frequent or cause weakness, dizziness or fatigue. For the majority of people, PVCs are harmless and don't increase your risk of developing heart disease or other health problems. Over time, repeated PVCs can weaken the heart muscle. This is particularly when the PVCs are caused by conditions like dilated cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenic right-ventricular cardiomyopathy, which could lead to heart failure. The symptoms of PVCs include a feeling that your heart beats slower or is fluttering, and you feel breathless. The fluttering could be more apparent when you exercise or have certain drinks or food items. PVCs are more prevalent in those suffering from chronic stress or anxiety. Certain drugs, like digoxin, amiodarone and cocaine, may increase the risk. If you have occasional PVCs your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes and medications. If you are prone to frequent PVCs, your doctor might suggest that you stay away from certain foods and drinks, like caffeine and alcohol. You can also lower your stress levels by getting enough sleep and working out. If you've got a lot of PVCs Your doctor may suggest a medical procedure called radiofrequency catheter ablation. This procedure eliminates the cells that are responsible for them. This is done by a specialist, known as an electrophysiologist. The treatment is typically effective in treating PVCs and reducing symptoms, but it does not stop them from becoming recurring in the future. In some instances, it can increase your risk of atrial fibrillation (AFib) which could lead to stroke. It is not common but it could be life-threatening. Symptoms Premature ventricular contracts or PVCs may cause your heart to skip or be fluttering. These extra heartbeats are harmless, however you might want to consult your doctor when they occur frequently or if you experience symptoms like dizziness or fatigue. Normally, electrical signals begin in the sinoatrial node, located in the top right side of the heart, and move down to the lower chambers (or ventricles) that pump blood. Then, the ventricles expand to push blood into your lungs, and return to the heart and start the next cycle of pumping. A PVC begins in a different location that is the Purkinje fibres bundle at the bottom left of the heart. When PVCs happen, the heart may feel as if it's skipping a beat or pounding. If you have only one or two episodes, and no other symptoms are present, your cardiologist will probably not prescribe treatment. But if you have a large number of PVCs the doctor may recommend an electrocardiogram, or ECG to determine your heart rate over 24 hours. He or she might also suggest wearing a Holter Monitor which tracks the heart's rhythm and count the number of PVCs. If you've had previously from a heart attack or cardiomyopathy, an illness that affects heart's blood flow – should take their PVCs seriously and consult a cardiologist about lifestyle modifications. This includes abstaining from caffeine, alcohol, and smoking, managing anxiety and stress, and getting enough rest. A cardiologist may prescribe beta blockers to slow down the heartbeat. Even if you don't have any other indications, you should still get PVCs checked by a cardiologist if they happen frequently. These irregular heartbeats could indicate a problem with the structure of your heart or other health issues and, over time when they are frequent enough, they can weaken the heart muscle. The majority of people with PVCs do not have any problems. They simply want to be aware that the fluttering or skipping heartbeats aren't normal. window doctors may appear to be fluttering or skip heartbeats, especially if they are frequent or intense. People who experience them frequently might feel faint. They can also occur during training, even though many athletes who suffer from them don't have any problems in their heart or health. PVCs can show up on tests such as an electrocardiogram or a Holter monitor. They have sensors that record electrical impulses coming from your heart. A cardiologist might also use an echocardiogram, which uses ultrasound to study the heart and determine how it's working. A doctor can often tell the presence of PVCs by conducting a thorough examination and taking a medical history. Sometimes, however, they may not be aware of PVCs until they examine a patient for another reason, like following an accident or surgery. Ambulatory ECG monitors can detect PVCs as well as other arrhythmias. They may be used to detect cardiac disease if there is any reason to be concerned. If your cardiologist concludes that your heart is structurally healthy, reassurance might be all you need. If your symptoms are troubling or make you feel anxious, staying away from alcohol, caffeine and other decongestants as well as reducing stress levels can help. Regular exercise, being at a healthy weight, and drinking enough water can also help reduce the frequency of PVCs. If your symptoms continue or are severe, talk with your physician about possible medications that can control the symptoms. Treatment If PVCs aren't causing symptoms or occur rarely generally, they don't require treatment. If you are frequently affected or frequently, your doctor may wish to check for other heart conditions and recommend lifestyle changes or medications. You may also undergo an operation (called radiofrequency cathode ablation) to eliminate of them. If you have PVCs in your heart the electrical signal that triggers your heartbeat starts somewhere outside of the sinoatrial (SA) node, which is located in the upper right-hand corner of your heart. This can cause your heart to feel as if it skips a beating or has extra beats. PVCs are more prevalent among people who suffer from heart issues however, it's not clear the reason behind them. PVCs may increase in frequency with age and might happen more frequently during exercising. A physician should perform an ECG as well as an echocardiogram on a patient that suffers from frequent and painful PVCs to determine if there are structural heart problems. They may also perform an exercise stress test to see if the extra beats are a result of physical exercise. To determine whether there are other reasons for the increased beats the heart catheterization or an MRI could be conducted. The majority of people who suffer from PVCs don't experience any problems and can enjoy a normal lifestyle. They could increase the risk of developing heart rhythm disorders that can be dangerous particularly if they develop in certain patterns. In some instances, this means that the heart muscle becomes weaker and is having difficulty pumping blood through your body. Regular exercise and a healthy diet can lower the risk of developing PVCs. Avoid foods that are high in fat and sodium and limit your consumption of tobacco and caffeine. You should also try to get enough sleep and reduce stress. Some medicines can also increase the risk of getting PVCs. If you are taking one of these medications it is important to follow your doctor's instructions regarding eating healthy, exercising and taking your medication. Studies of patients who had a high burden of PVCs (that's more than 20% of their total heart beats) found that they had a higher rate of arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy. Some people may need a heart transplant.