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Why It's Important to See a Doctor Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are a kind of irregular heartbeat. These extra beats are usually not dangerous and can go away by themselves. Doctors will monitor your heartbeat, and check other vital indicators. They might recommend a Holter monitor, a device that records your heart's electrical impulses over a period of 24 to 48 hours. They can also order blood tests to determine your thyroid hormones and electrolyte levels. Diagnosis PVCs are caused by electrical impulses that reverberate through the SA node, which is a structure in the lower chambers of the heart. This causes the next heartbeat to be delayed, causing the sensation of the heart is fluttering or skips beats. PVCs can be seen in one pattern or in repeated patterns. Doublets are two consecutive PVCs. Ventricular tachycardia can be described as three or more consecutive PVCs. While some people don't have any symptoms at all, others feel palpitations, which could feel like the heart beating faster or slower. Other symptoms that are common are fatigue, dizziness or a sensation of being sick. Many people who suffer from occasional PVCs do not require any treatment. If a patient experiences frequent episodes, a doctor may recommend a change to diet or lifestyle. For instance, limiting caffeine and stress as well as alcohol. They may also prescribe medication like beta-blockers or calcium channel blockers that can reduce the heart rate and lower blood pressure. Doctors will ask about the patient's medical history and perform a physical examination to assess their general health. They may also employ an electrocardiogram (ECG) to take a snapshot of the heart's electrical activity or a Holter monitor, which is worn for longer durations and monitors the heart's rhythms over time. In certain instances doctors may require blood tests to check for an electrolyte imbalance or toxic effects from drugs. Occasionally, the window doctors may refer a patient to a specialist in heart rhythm problems, or an electrophysiologist, for further evaluation. This doctor can confirm the diagnosis of PVCs and determine if they are benign or not. PVCs are frequent and usually don't cause any issues, unless they happen frequently over a long period of time. This could lead to a weakening of the heart muscle, or a condition referred to as pvc-induced cardiomyopathy. This is more prevalent in older adults or those with heart disease. This can happen to healthy people with normal, normal heart. However, it is more prevalent in people who exercise regularly. This is not a serious condition, but you should inform your doctor if symptoms such as fatigue or fainting occur. Treatment For many people, occasional PVCs might not cause symptoms or are harmless and need no treatment. But those who feel your heart is lagging an beat or is racing, it's crucial to consult a physician immediately. A cardiologist will interview you and then perform physical examinations and listen to your heart using a stethoscope to detect any irregular beats. You'll also get an electrocardiogram (ECG) done, which will record the electrical signals in your heart and identify any arrhythmias. If an arrhythmia is identified it is recommended to have an all-day Holter monitor or a portable ECG is required to detect the irregular rhythm over longer durations of time. These devices can assist doctors determine if you suffer from PVCs, and their cause like an imbalance in electrolytes, toxic drugs or other causes. An echocardiogram, an ultrasound of your heart, could be ordered to assess whether your heart is in good health and look for any indications of structural issues that could lead to PVCs. You might also be required to undergo stress tests to assess how your heart reacts to exercise. Physical activity can increase the frequency of PVCs. You can also take blood tests to check your thyroid hormone as well as potassium, magnesium and other hormones to see whether they're insufficient. This can lead to PVCs. After your doctor confirms that you suffer from PVCs and has ruled any serious illness out, the treatment option you choose depends on how they impact your life and the frequency they occur. If they happen only infrequently and do not cause any symptoms then your doctor is unlikely to recommend any treatment that will decrease their frequency or severity. If you experience frequent PVCs that trigger the sensation of palpitations or other symptoms, like lightheadedness or feeling like you're about to faint, your physician might suggest medication, such as beta blockers or calcium channel blockers. Making changes to your lifestyle in order to avoid triggers, such as smoking, caffeine and excess stress, can also reduce the frequency of occurrences of these abnormal pulses. The following is a list with preventions. A person might not experience any symptoms at all from PVCs, or feel heart palpitations (irregular heartbeats) which can appear as “skipped” beats or a fluttering sensation in the chest. Sometimes, these episodes trigger an increase in pressure or fullness in the chest, and at other occasions, they may cause a person to feel faint. These episodes are caused by the heart not pumping as well as it should. Frequent PVCs increase the chance of developing dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition where the heart expands and becomes ineffective at pump blood. PVCs often are caused by changes in body chemical balance. This includes the release of adrenaline and thyroid hormones, in addition to drinking caffeine or alcohol. Stress or weight gain and the absence of exercise can trigger these symptoms. Certain people find that altering their diet can help reduce PVCs. For example, they can avoid foods which contain preservatives that could cause a disturbance to the heart rhythm, such as disodium guanylate (E621) disodium inosinate (E627) diazole sodium (E282-283). Eat more fruits and veggies to ensure that you get sufficient magnesium. Regular health checks are crucial and include annual physicals. These can help diagnose any heart issues which could be causing your PVCs. It is also recommended to not smoke and adhere to an appropriate diet program. This can increase your frequency of episodes. A survey of healthcare professionals on 14 normal hospital wards revealed that they were aware of the preventive measures that could be used to treat vascular catheter-related infections however, their self-assessment of compliance with these guidelines was poor. Compliance improved after feedback interventions, but was still low on a few of the wards surveyed. This suggests that training on how to implement the preventive measures is necessary, and that those wards which are less compliant should be targeted for surveillance of infection. This information can then be used to guide the implementation of additional quality improvement initiatives for these wards. This will likely require additional education and training of staff. It will also be necessary to ensure that the right materials for implementing the preventive measures are available. Signs and symptoms If you feel like your heart is skipping beats or fluttering, it may be due to premature ventricular contractions. These arrhythmias aren't necessarily dangerous or they may be the sign of heart problems. In healthy individuals, occasional PVCs aren't a problem, and they usually go away by themselves. If you've got many of them, it can cause dizziness or weakness. Talk to your doctor if you are worried. They may have to identify the problem by taking a medical history and giving you an examination. They may also perform an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) or other tests. An ECG is a quick test that lets your health care provider observe the signal generated by your heartbeat moving through your heart over an extremely short period of duration. The test will determine if you have PVCs. Your doctor might also suggest a Holter monitor that tracks your heartbeat for a longer period of time. These can help differentiate PVCs from other arrhythmias that cause heart palpitations. You can also wear an event monitor, a handheld device which records your heart rhythm for 30 days. Other heart tests may be required, based on the cause of your PVCs. A cardiologist can check your blood pressure or perform an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart). These can help find the presence of a medical condition that may be the cause of your PVCs or heart valves, such as mitral valve prolapse or heart failure. Your doctor may also be required to perform an analysis of your blood to determine the issue with electrolytes. For example, low potassium levels or a high level of calcium. This can be an indication of PVCs or other conditions that can cause them, including anemia and anxiety disorders. You may be referred to an electrophysiologist one of the specialists who specialize in treating irregular heart rhythms. If you suffer from structural heart disease the specialist may have to perform additional tests, like an MRI or CT scan of your chest. These tests will help determine if your heart is damaged and how severe it is. In certain cases an expert may recommend an implanted pacemaker to treat the issue which is causing the PVCs.