Atrial premature beats are characterized by early onset of QRS waves preceded by an anomalous P wave and followed by an incomplete compensatory phase, and the QRS waveform is mostly consistent with the normal QRS waveform. The QRS waveform of premature junctional beats is consistent with the normal QRS waveform and is not preceded by a P wave, and the compensatory period is complete. Premature beats are caused by hyperexcitability of a certain part of the heart, and they are divided into atrial and ventricular premature beats. Premature beats or “missed beats” can occur when pulsing. This can be distinguished by an electrocardiogram. Premature beats are very common in normal people. If an ECG is used to continuously observe a normal person for 24 hours, 70 to 80% of people may have premature beats. Premature beats can be caused by emotional stress, excitement, anxiety, excessive smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, strong tea, or even constipation. However, most people do not experience any symptoms of discomfort, or they may just feel a heartbeat, or a heavy beat, or a twisting of the heart. Frequent premature beats mostly cause palpitations, chest tightness, fatigue and other discomforts. Many diseases can also cause premature beats, such as hyperthyroidism, anemia, hypokalemia, fever, and other non-cardiac diseases. Various heart diseases can certainly cause premature beats, but premature beats are mostly seen in heart diseases such as rheumatic heart disease, coronary arteriosclerotic heart disease, myocarditis and cardiomyopathy. Frequent premature contractions in the presence of more serious heart disease may even cause angina pectoris or heart failure. When premature beats are detected, it is usually difficult to judge the nature on your own. You should go to the hospital to check for hidden heart diseases, further examine the causes of premature beats, and evaluate the severity of premature beats. Based on the medical history and physical examination, the doctor will perform X-rays, electrocardiograms and echocardiograms, and for those with a family history of coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis risk factors, exercise tests will also be performed. If all the above tests are normal, no treatment is needed. If the premature beats are mainly caused by mental tension and anxiety or long-term insomnia, the patient should be fully relieved of the worries and use appropriate sedative drugs, which will help to eliminate the premature beats. If the cause of premature beats can be found, the beats can be gradually eliminated by removing the cause of premature beats and curing the disease that induces premature beats. If the cause of premature beats cannot be found, frequent premature beats may have occurred long ago and many patients have already got used to them, and if they are evaluated by doctors as benign, treatment is not necessary. Episodic premature contractions, which do not have a significant impact on the blood circulation, especially if they are not caused by other diseases, and the contractions themselves are not serious diseases, usually do not require treatment. How to detect premature beats? 1. Ask about past medical history As patients have different sensitivities, they may have no obvious discomfort or only feel palpitations, precordial discomfort or a feeling of cardiac arrest. Asking about the history of hypertension, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy and rheumatic heart disease can help to understand the cause of premature beats and guide the treatment, and asking about the recent history of cold, fever and diarrhea can help to determine whether the patient has acute viral myocarditis. The use of digitalis, antiarrhythmic drugs and diuretics can sometimes trigger the onset of premature beats. In addition to the positive signs of the underlying heart disease, an early heartbeat followed by a long interval (compensatory interval) may be detected during cardiac auscultation in a regular rhythm, and the early first heart sound may be enhanced and the second heart sound may be diminished, which may be accompanied by the weakening or disappearance of the pulse. Atrial premature beats are characterized by an early QRS wave preceded by an abnormal P wave and followed by an incomplete compensatory interval, and the QRS waveform is mostly consistent with the normal QRS waveform. The QRS waveform of premature junctional beats is consistent with the normal QRS waveform, with no P wave in front of it and a complete compensatory period. A 24-hour ambulatory ECG can record the number of premature beats, their pattern of occurrence, and the effect of treatment in detail. Premature beats can be very dangerous for people, especially for those who are older. It is important to pay attention to the prevention and care of premature beats in general. Therefore, patients with premature beats should quit smoking and avoid drinking a lot of alcohol, because smoking and drinking alcohol are the main triggering factors for coronary heart disease.