What Are Premature Ventricular Contractions or PVCs?

I have been experiencing premature ventricular contractions or PVCs since the birth of my only child 28 years ago. I had no idea what they we're. This is a very scary condition to go through when you don't know what is happening to you. It seems sometimes as if your heart just stops, and it takes a second or two before it starts to beat again. This start and stop, which I now know is caused by premature ventricular contractions or PVCs, would happen sometimes as much as twenty times in a row, then my heart beat would return to normal again. Just to start up again an hour later and I would go through the same thing all over again. Until about two years ago, after having extensive tests ran on my heart. Finally one doctor told me what my condition was, premature ventricular contractions or PVCs.

The heart muscle has four chambers, the top two chambers called the atria, which are what delivers the blood to the bottom two chambers of the heart which are called the ventricles, the right ventricle sends blood to the lungs and the left ventricle sends blood to the rest of the body. The contraction of the ventricles are what we feel when we feel our pulse beating.

The contractions of the heart are controlled with a type of electrical system that sends impulses through the special conductor tissues located in the atria, then from the atria this electrical impulse travels into special tissues of the ventricles and this is what stimulates the heart to contract. When a premature ventricular contraction occurs it is a kind of misfire from the electrical system, which causes the ventricles to contract too soon. When this happens the electrical system of the heart has to reset itself, to make the heart beat at a normal rhythm. That is what is happening when it feels as if the heart has stopped for a second or two as it does with premature ventricular contractions.

Premature ventricular contractions may be caused by many medical conditions. Heart attacks, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD for short, certain medications, high or low potassium levels, low blood levels of magnesium, too much caffeine, alcohol or illegal drugs, high blood pressure, infection or stress. But, healthy individuals may experience premature ventricular contractions also.

If you are experiencing premature ventricular contractions, you should seek advice from a qualified health professional to rule out any serious underlying condition. There could be serious complications that could arise from frequent premature ventricular contractions. Your heart could develop severe rhythm problems that could lead to cardiac arrest and death.

Your doctor will probably want to run tests , to make sure that you have no serious underlying causes of your premature ventricular contractions. These tests may include an EKG, a Holter monitor, which will record your heart rhythm over a 24 hour period, echocardiography, a stress test, a stress echocardiography, and possibly blood tests to rule out an electrolyte imbalance or abnormal potassium or magnesium levels.

If you are found to be a healthy individual, there is no need for treatment, your premature ventricular contractions can be alleviated with some simple lifestyle changes. Lower your alcohol consumption, reduce the amount of caffeine you ingest, stop smoking, stop taking medications that contain psuedoephedrine such as decongestants, stop illegal drug use. If stress is the cause of your premature ventricular contractions, anti-anxiety medications may be prescribed by your doctor.

Should your blood levels of potassium or magnesium being too low, be the cause of your premature ventricular contractions then these minerals can be administered intravenously, if it is caused by low levels of oxygen in the blood due to COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, then oxygen can be given through inhalation.

Medications may be given to control your premature ventricular contractions, when a more serious condition is diagnosed. These medications will help to prevent the severe heart rhythms, that could lead to sudden cardiac arrest. These medications include anti-arrhythmia drugs, but these type drugs can actually cause abnormal heart rhythms so they should be taken with caution. The other drugs are beta-blockers. With beta-blockers, they have a side effect of making you wheeze especially if you have any breathing disorders. But beta-blockers are extremely helpful with controlling the symptoms of premature ventricular contractions.

I know, first hand how well these type of drugs work, because the beta-blocker atenolol is the one that my doctor prescribed for me and it has made a world of difference, with my premature ventricular contractions. I still have them from time to time, but at least now they are under control.