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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
PVC"s and pressure in my head
This forum is for questions and support regarding heart issues such as: Angina, Angioplasty, Arrhythmia, Bypass Surgery, Cardiomyopathy, Coronary Artery Disease, Defibrillator, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Pacemaker, PAD, Stenosis, Stress Tests.
PVC"s and pressure in my head
by jenifer__0__0, Nov 04, 1997 12:00AM
Re: PVC's and pressure in my head
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Posted by CCF CARDIO MD - HSB on November 13, 1997 at 14:17:49:
In Reply to: PVC"s and pressure in my head posted by jennifer on November 04, 1997 at 00:06:17:
: ive had PVC's for about 12 years and i have learned to tolerate them . But occasionally when i have pvc's i get this tremendous pressure that builds in my head and then slowly deminishes. Could it be from a lack of blood to my brain caused from the pause in the beats, or is it from a gush of blood when that forcefull beat follows the pause(the second is what one MD told me it was).My cardiologist said pvc's would not cause this feeling in my head.And thought it might be seazures. It happens occasionally, during pvc's. Jennifer
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Dear Ms:
Symptoms such as dizziness, episodic headaches can be associated with frequent PVCs. I have included some general information. I hope it is helpful.
Premature ventricular contractions are the amongst the most frequent disturbances of cardiac rhythm. They occur in people
with and without heart disease. Treatment is directed towards the underlying heart disease and symptoms. Patients with
structurally normal hearts and "PVCs" are at no greater risk for suffering sudden cardiac death than patients with normal hearts
without "PVCs".
Symptomatic patients are often evaluated with an ECG, extended ECG monitoring (24 and 48 hr Holters), Echocardiogram,
stress tests and a complete history and physical exam. If the work up reveals a structurally normal heart, the patient can rest
assured that he is at no increased risk for cardiac death.
Treatment in patients with structurally normal hearts is limited to those with severe symptoms. Symptoms include palpitations,
episodic discomfort in the chest and possibly dizziness. Patients are often first started on a class of medications known as beta
blockers or calcium channel blockers. In addition, any "stimulants" such as alcohol, caffeine, tobacco should be eliminated from
the diet as they may provoke or exacerbate symptoms. If severe symptoms persist, other medications such as sodium channel
blockers, i.e. flecanide, may be utilized. If incapacitating symptoms persist despite "optimal" medical therapy, catheter based
radio-frequency ablation can be considered. This is generally considered a therapy of last resort.
Catheter based ablation is not feasible for all patients and is dependent upon the electrocardiographic characteristics of the
"PVCs".
I hope that this has been helpful. If you are seeking an evaluation at the Cleveland Clinic, an appointment can be made by
calling 1-800-CCF-CARE.
Information provided in the Heart Forum is intended for general medical informational purposes only. Actual diagnosis and
treatment of disease can only be made by your physician.
