Let’s start with the basics – premature ventricular contractions, popularly known as PVC are typically the abnormal and extra heart beats that begin in your heart’s lower pumping chambers (medically termed as ventricles). Yes; the extra beats disturb your overall heart rhythm thus causing you to feel a missed beat in your chest. Needless to say; premature ventricular contractions or PVCs are pretty common.
Medically speaking; premature ventricular contractions often cause no symptoms however you may still feel some strange sensation in your chest. You may feel sensations such as:
- Fluttering and Flip-flops
- Jumping and pounding
- Skipped beats
- Awareness of your heartbeat
So; when should you see a doctor?
Do not ignore if you feel any of the symptoms that are stated above. Simply put – see a doctor if you feel flip flops, sensation of skipped heartbeats, or any such odd feelings in your chest. It’s important to identify the source of these symptoms. As a matter of fact; premature ventricular contractions (PVC) may be the problem however there could be some other underlying conditions as well. In fact other serious underlying causes such as – heart problems, serious rhythmic problems, anemia, anxiety or infections could also play their part.
Causes of Premature Ventricular Contractions (Pvcs)
In order to understand the causes of PVCs it’s important to have an understanding of the anatomy of the human heart. The human heart is contains four chambers — two upper chambers (atria) and two lower chambers (ventricles). The heart rhythm is controlled by the sinoatrial node (SA node) or sinus node.
This overall pacemaker procedure helps in producing the electrical impulses, which in turn triggers the normal heartbeat. To put things simply; right from the sinus node, the electrical impulses travel across the atria straight to the ventricles, while causing them to contract and thus pump blood out to your heart, lungs and body.
Medically speaking; the premature ventricular contractions start right at the ventricles. The extra contractions in most of the cases beat sooner than the next regular, obvious and expected heartbeat. It is also important to mention here that the extra contractions typically interrupt the normal order of pumping. Almost as the next obvious result; the out-of-sync and extra beats becomes less effective in pumping the blood throughout the body.
With this the next important question looms large – why do extra beats occur?
Honestly; the reasons are not clear always. As already briefed; while there could be some underlying medical causes but in certain cases specific types of triggers, heart diseases as well as certain types of changes in the body can make cells in the ventricles electrically unstable.
As per recent researches premature ventricular contractions has a deep seated connection with
- Chemical changes in the body
- Certain medications
- Hormonal imbalance
- Alcohol abuse
- Drugs abuse
- Increased levels of adrenaline in the body
- Injury to the heart muscle caused by congenital heart disease, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure etc
Premature Ventricular Contractions (Pvcs) – let’s take a look at the risk factors
There are a few conditions and stimulants which may also trigger the risk of premature ventricular contractions:
- Excessive exercise
- Excessive amount of Caffeine, tobacco and alcohol
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Anxiety
- Underlying heart disease
t won’t be out of place to mention here that if in case you have frequent premature ventricular contractions, you could be at an increased risk of developing heart rhythm problems or weakening of the heart muscle.
As already briefed; when accompanied with underlying coronary diseases frequent PVCs can also lead to chaotic heart rhythm and in some cases can also cause sudden cardiac death.
Start by seeing a cardiologist in Kolkata who is trained in diagnosing and treating heart conditions. Here are a few important factors to help you get prepared for your appointment –
What you should do?
Jot down any symptoms which you may have. Write in detail about the types of symptoms you are experiencing and the time frame as well. Pay close attention to your symptoms in the time leading up to your appointment. This will help you to describe your symptoms as clearly as possible. For instance; do you feel a flip flop sensation? Does the heart flutters? Does your heart pounds? Keep in mind; your clear descriptions will help your doctor in determining the next steps in making your diagnosis.
Also; prepare a list of your key medical information, which should include any recent health problems that you’ve had. It should also include the names of the medications that you’re taking
You should also ask some basic questions to the heart specialist in Kolkata. For instance –
- What’s causing my symptoms?
- Are there any underlying causes for these symptoms?
- What are the tests I need to do?
- What kind of treatment approach do you recommend?
- Will any kind of lifestyle change reduce my symptoms?
- Am I at the risk of any long-term complications?
In addition to these questions do not hesitate to ask the doctor any other questions which you may want to ask.
What you should do in the meantime while you wait for your appointment?
Know your family history to figure out if any of your family members have been diagnosed with heart problems.
In the meantime when you wait for your appointment, take note of any activities, substances or anything that trigger the strange sensations in your chest.
Also; eliminate common PVC triggers such as tobacco or caffeine to decrease the severity and frequency of your PVC symptoms.
In fact; the following self-care strategies can also help in controlling the premature ventricular contractions –
Identify your triggers: If you are experiencing PVC symptoms frequently then you might want to take note of your activities that may trigger the symptoms.
Eliminate your substance use: Remember; alcohol, caffeine, tobacco and some specific type of recreational drugs are known as the trigger elements for premature ventricular contractions. Eliminating or at least reducing these triggers can also reduce your symptoms.
Manage stress: There is no secret that anxiety can trigger abnormal heartbeats. Control your stress, worry and anxiety to reduce the symptoms.
Don’t take the heart health in your own hand. Talk to an experienced heart specialist in Kolkata to take care of one f the most important organs – your heart