What Are Premature Ventricular Contractions?

Did you know that between 1% to 2% of the population is affected by premature ventricular contractions? Despite the widespread nature of this condition, many people are unfamiliar with what it is.

This leads many people to self-diagnose the symptoms as a potential heart attack. PVCs aren’t as serious as a heart attack, but it’s still important to be aware of them as they can lead to diagnoses of serious cardiac arrhythmias before it’s too late.

That’s why we made this article. In it, we’ll briefly tell you everything you need to know about premature ventricular contractions. Let’s get started!

What Are Premature Ventricular Contractions?

Premature ventricular contractions are a form of irregular heart rhythms. It’s one of the most common forms of the condition. A PVC starts in the ventricles and is described as a heartbeat that arrives too early.

With a PVC a normal heartbeat is followed by an early one. Then, after a pause, it’s followed by a heartbeat that’s stronger than normal. This stronger heartbeat is because the heart fills with more blood than usual in the space of the pause.

Premature ventricular contractions typically occur at random intervals. But, they can be regular too.

What Are the Symptoms?

PVCs are typically identified by a solitary, premature beat. It can be difficult to describe this feeling, but it’s often depicted as heart palpitation or the sensation of your heart skipping a beat.

The heartbeat that immediately follows the skip is often forceful and can cause pain or discomfort in the torso. If your premature ventricular contractions are more regular, then you may experience a fluttering feeling in either your neck or chest.

Frequent PVCs can also lead to feelings of dizziness, weakness, and possible fainting.

How Do You Treat PVCs?

If you experience only occasional premature ventricular contractions, and they aren’t accompanied by any other symptoms, then you do not need to seek treatment.

However, if you want them to go away, then you can reduce some of the things that cause them, like caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, stress, and anxiety. However, if you have a heart condition or have had a heart attack, then your doctor may prescribe you beta-blocker medication.

There are also other treatment options, like ablation therapy. You can learn more about these types of treatments in this video here.

Want More Content? Keep Reading

We hope this article helped you answer the question, What are premature ventricular contractions? As you can see, this type of heart condition is fairly common. Usually, everyone experiences it occasionally.

But, if you notice it happening more frequently, then you should visit your doctor immediately. Did you enjoy this article? If the answer is yes, then you’re in the right place. Keep exploring to find more content that you’re sure to love.