Why It's Important to See a Doctor

Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are a kind of irregular heartbeat. These extra beats are usually not hazardous, and they could disappear by themselves.

Doctors will listen to your heartbeat and also check other vital signs. They may order a Holter Monitor, which records the electrical impulses of your heart over a span of between 24 and 48 hours. They can also order blood tests to check your electrolyte levels and thyroid hormones.

Diagnosis

PVCs occur when electrical impulses coming from the heart's lower chambers ventricles, or lower chambers, fail to pass through a structure referred to as the SA node. This causes the next heartbeat to be delayed, causing the sensation of fluttering or skipped beats. PVCs may occur alone, or in repeated patterns. Two consecutive PVCs are known as doublets. Three or more consecutive PVCs are referred to as the term ventricular tachycardia (VT).

Some people are not experiencing any symptoms, but others experience heart palpitations. It can be felt as the sound of a beating heart or a slurred heartbeat. Other signs include dizziness, fatigue, or a feeling of being unwell.

A lot of people who have occasional PVCs don't need any treatment. If someone is experiencing frequent episodes, door doctors near me may suggest a change in the way of life or diet including a reduction in caffeine, alcohol and stress. They might prescribe medications such as beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers to lower blood pressure and slow down the heart rate.

Doctors will ask about the medical history of the patient and perform a physical examination to check their general health. They may also use a Holter monitor to track the heart's rhythms for a longer period of time, or an electrocardiogram, which records a snapshot of the electrical activity in the heart. Doctors may require blood tests in some cases to look for imbalances in electrolytes or toxic substances in the body.

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

PVCs are quite common and don't usually cause any issues, unless they happen frequently over a long period of time. This can lead to a weakening of the heart muscle or a condition called pvc-induced cardiomyopathy. This is more prevalent in older people or people suffering from 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 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 people, occasional PVCs might not cause symptoms or are harmless and need no treatment. If you feel like your heart is racing or slurring the beat, it's best to see a doctor right away.

A cardiologist will interview you and then perform an examination of your body and listen to your heart using the stethoscope in order to detect any irregular heartbeats. Additionally, you will have an electrocardiogram (ECG) performed, which will record the electrical signals in your heart and identify any arrhythmias. If an arrhythmia is detected it is recommended to have you will require a 24-hour Holter monitor or a portable ECG will be needed to capture the irregular rhythm over longer periods of time. These devices will help doctors determine if you suffer from PVCs and the cause of them, such as an electrolyte imbalance, drug toxicities, or any other cause.

You might be requested to undergo an echocardiogram (an ultrasound of your heart) to determine whether your heart health is good and to look for structural issues which could lead to PVCs. You may also undergo a stress test to see how your heart reacts to exercise, since physical activity can increase the frequency of your pvcs. You may also be able to have blood tests to assess your thyroid, magnesium, and potassium hormone levels to determine if they are too low which could contribute to the door doctor development of PVCs.

After your doctor confirms that you suffer from PVCs, and has ruled any serious illnesses out, the treatment you choose to take depends on how they impact your life and how frequently they occur. If they happen only on occasion and don't trigger any symptoms, it's unlikely that your doctor will recommend any medication to reduce the frequency or severity of them.

If you are experiencing frequent PVCs, which can cause palpitations or other symptoms like feeling lightheaded or fainting, your physician may prescribe medications such as beta blockers and calcium channel blockers. Changes in your lifestyle, such as avoiding caffeine, smoking and stress, can also decrease the frequency of these irregular pulses.

Prevention

PVCs can cause no symptoms or heart palpitations that can feel like "skipped beats" or flutters in your chest. Sometimes, these episodes can cause a fullness or pressure 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. PVCs are associated with a higher chance of developing dilated cardiomyopathy. This is a condition where the heart expands and becomes in a position to not pump blood.

PVCs are usually caused by changes in the body's chemistry. They can be caused by the release of adrenaline and thyroid hormones, as well as drinking caffeine or alcohol. Lack of exercise can trigger these symptoms, as can stress or excess weight.

Certain people find that altering their diet can help reduce the amount of PVCs. For instance, they can avoid foods that contain preservatives that can cause a disturbance of the heart rhythm. These include disodium guanylate, disodium Inosinate, and diazole sodium (E282-283). Consume more fruits and vegetables to ensure that you get enough magnesium.

It is important to get regular health check-ups, which include annual physicals and lab tests. These tests can help identify any heart issues that could cause your PVCs. Also, you should avoid smoking and follow the healthy eating program. This can increase the frequency of episodes.

A survey of healthcare workers on 14 wards of a normal hospital found that they were mostly aware of the preventive measures to avoid vascular catheter-related infections, but that their self-assessed compliance with these guidelines was low. Compliance improved after a feedback intervention, but was still lower on some of the wards surveyed. This suggests that education on how to implement the preventive measures is essential, and that those areas that are not as well-adjusted should be targeted for surveillance of infection. This information can be used to guide the implementation of further quality improvement initiatives on these wards. This will likely require additional training and education for personnel. It will also be important to ensure that the appropriate tools for implementing the preventive measures are readily available.

Signs and symptoms

If you feel like your heart is racing or fluttering, it may be a sign of premature ventricular contractions. These arrhythmias aren't necessarily dangerous or they may be a sign of serious heart issues.

In healthy people, PVCs that occur occasionally are not a problem. They typically disappear on their own. But if you have several of them, they may cause weakness or dizziness. Consult your doctor if you're worried. They may have to identify the issue by taking a medical history and giving you a physical exam. They'll also probably want to do an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) or other tests.

An ECG is a quick test that lets your health care provider detect the signal of your heartbeat as it travels through your heart for an extremely short period of period of time. If you have PVCs, they'll show up in the test. Your doctor might also suggest the use of a Holter monitor that records your heartbeat over a longer amount of time. These tests can help differentiate PVCs from arrhythmias causing heart palpitations. You could also carry a device that records your heart rate over the course of 30 days, which is known as an event monitor.

Other heart tests might be required, depending on the reason for your PVCs. A cardiologist may check your blood pressure, or perform an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart). These tests can determine if you suffer from a condition such as heart failure, mitral valve prolapse, or cardiomyopathy.

Your doctor might also need to conduct an analysis of your blood to determine what is wrong with your electrolytes, for example, low potassium levels or high levels of calcium. This could be a sign of PVCs or other conditions that may cause them, including anemia and anxiety disorders.

You may be referred to an electrophysiologist a specialist who specializes in treating irregular heart rhythms. If you have structural heart disease, this specialist might need to do other tests, like an MRI or CT scan of your chest. These tests will help determine whether your heart has been damaged and how severe it is. In some cases an expert may recommend a pacemaker to treat the condition that is causing the PVCs.