Definition and symptoms
Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are extra, abnormal beats that originate in one of the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles). These extra beats disrupt the normal rhythm of the heart and sometimes make the patient feel like the heartbeat is particularly pronounced or has missed beats. Premature ventricular contractions are common – they occur in the vast majority of people at some time.
Premature ventricular contractions are also known as.
(i) ventricular premature beat complex.
(ii) PVCs.
(iii) ventricular premature beats.
④ extra contractions of the heart.
If you have ventricular premature contractions only occasionally and everything else is healthy, there is usually nothing to worry about and no treatment is needed. If your premature ventricular contractions occur frequently or are associated with other heart conditions, you will need to receive treatment to make you feel better and to help treat other underlying heart conditions.
Symptoms
Premature ventricular contractions usually have no symptoms. However, there may be a strange sensation in the chest, such as
1. a particularly pronounced heartbeat
2. a fluttering sensation.
3. a bumping or jumping sensation.
4. a missed heartbeat.
5. a more pronounced sensation of a heartbeat.
When to seek medical attention
You should seek medical attention if you feel a particularly pronounced heartbeat, a missed beat, or a strange sensation in your chest. You may want to know the cause of these symptoms. Premature ventricular beats may be the cause of these symptoms, but they may also be due to other causes, including other heart rhythm abnormalities, serious heart disease, anxiety, anemia, or infection.
Etiology
The heart consists of 4 chambers – 2 above (atria) and 2 below (ventricles). Normally, the rhythm of the heart is controlled by the sinus node (SA node), a specialized cellular region of the right atrium.
This natural pacemaker generates electrical impulses that trigger a normal heartbeat. The electrical impulses emanate from the sinus node and travel through the atria to the ventricles, causing the ventricles and atria to contract successively, pumping blood to the lungs and the rest of the body.
Premature ventricular contractions are abnormal contractions that begin in the ventricles. These additional contractions generally precede normal contractions. They usually disrupt the normal order of contraction of the chambers of the heart, where normally the atria contract first and then the ventricles. This extra, asynchronous contraction usually reduces the efficiency of pumping blood to the whole body.
Why do the extra contractions occur?
The reasons are not clear. Certain triggers, heart disease, or physical changes may make the electrophysiological properties of the ventricular cardiomyocytes unstable. Underlying heart disease or scarring may also cause abnormalities in the conduction path of electrical impulses.
Premature ventricular contractions may be associated with
1. chemical alterations or imbalances in the body.
2. certain medications, including those commonly used to treat asthma
3. alcohol or drugs.
4. elevated levels of adrenaline in the body caused by factors such as caffeine, tobacco, exercise or anxiety.
5, damage to the heart muscle caused by diseases such as coronary artery disease, congenital heart disease, hypertension or heart failure.
Risk factors
The following stimulants, diseases and triggers can increase the risk of premature ventricular contractions.
1. caffeine, tobacco and alcohol.
2. exercise.
3. hypertension.
4. anxiety.
5. underlying heart disease, including congenital heart disease, coronary heart disease, heart attack, heart failure, and myocardial weakness (cardiomyopathy).
Complications
If you have frequent premature ventricular contractions or certain types of premature ventricular contractions, there is an increased risk of developing arrhythmias or myocardial weakness (cardiomyopathy). Rarely, when accompanied by underlying heart disease, frequent premature ventricular beats can lead to chaotic, dangerous heart rhythms and may even cause cardiac death.