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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Re: Arrhythmia
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.
Re: Arrhythmia
by Cleveland Clinic, MD, Jan 01, 1995 12:00AM
, Jan 01, 1995 12:00AM
Posted By CCF CARDIO MD - CRC on September 26, 1998 at 09:50:40:
In Reply to: Arrhythmia posted by Lisa on September 23, 1998 at 10:32:44:
Well, now that I have been to two different cardiologists (both saying
the same thing - that my PVC's are begign), I'm still scared. I had
an EKG which showed 14 PVC's in a little over two minutes. Some of
the PVC's would occur in between one normal beat. They say
this is ok and no need for medication or further testing. My question is,
is this common? I keep reading that under 10 PVC's in one hour is
normal. My cardiologist says not to worry unless I have major heart
damage (which I do not.)
My heart was beating normally on the EKG that day, but sometimes when my
heart goes into this arrythmia, it seems to be beating at a faster rate
and then will go back to normal after skipping quite a few times. Would
this be considered v-tach or still the begign PVC's? I'm just wondering
how they can be so assured that something else is not happening OR will
not happen in the future.
What is the difference between a few skipped beats now and then and what I
am experiencing - I have also read "isolated incidences are of no concern."
I get my arrythmia usually two to three times a week and only at night when
I lay down - the doctor said this is because the heart slows down......
Any comments would be appreciated. You can see by my note that I am highly
anxious about this and want to get on with my life as soon as possible.
One more question - are these called "palpitations"? What's the difference?
Thanks!
Dear Lisa,
We get many questions about PVCs and you can find previous answers on this web site. Below is a brief summary of what a PVC is, what causes them and the treatment (if any) for PVCs. You can find additional information in an article in New England Journal of Medicine, May 7, 1998, Vol. 338, pages 1369-1374. Your local medical library will have a copy of this. Hope this helps.
PVCs (premature ventricular contractions) are "extra" heartbeats occurring out of sync with the normal regular rhythm of the heart. PVCs may cause no symptoms at all or may be felt as a "irregular" heartbeat or as the sensation of a "hard heartbeat". PVCs are common findings in persons with otherwise normal hearts, in which case the prognosis is excellent and there is no decrease at all in life expectancy. On the other hand, they may indicate that there is an underlying abnormality of the heart muscle (from any number of reasons). If there is an abnormality, then the prognosis and treatment depends upon the specific problem of the heart. The usual evaluation of PVCs is a history, physical examination, and electrocardiogram (ECG). Also your doctor may wish to check an ultrasound of the heart. If all those tests are normal, then you would fall into the category of people who have PVCs but otherwise no underlying heart problem. In that case, treatment depends on how much the PVCs bother you. If they are essentially asymptomatic, then no treatment is required. If they bother you, then a medication called a "beta-blocker" may reduce the frequency of the PVCs. PVCs cant be "cured", but the medication can decrease their frequency. The potential side effects of beta-blockers are tiredness, impotence in men and breathing difficulties in individuals with underlying lung disease. Be sure to discuss these issues with your doctor and under no circumstance should you take medications for the heart without the supervision of a doctor.
Below are some web sites with additional information about PVCs.
http://www.amhrt.org/Heart_and_Stroke_A_Z_Guide/prevent.html
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/nhlbi/cardio/other/gp/arrhyth.htm
Information provided here is for general educational purposes only. Only your doctor can provide specific diagnoses and treatments. If you would like to be seen at the Cleveland Clinic, please Call 1 - 800 - CCF - CARE for an appointment at Desk F15 with a cardiologist
In Reply to: Arrhythmia posted by Lisa on September 23, 1998 at 10:32:44:
Well, now that I have been to two different cardiologists (both saying
the same thing - that my PVC's are begign), I'm still scared. I had
an EKG which showed 14 PVC's in a little over two minutes. Some of
the PVC's would occur in between one normal beat. They say
this is ok and no need for medication or further testing. My question is,
is this common? I keep reading that under 10 PVC's in one hour is
normal. My cardiologist says not to worry unless I have major heart
damage (which I do not.)
My heart was beating normally on the EKG that day, but sometimes when my
heart goes into this arrythmia, it seems to be beating at a faster rate
and then will go back to normal after skipping quite a few times. Would
this be considered v-tach or still the begign PVC's? I'm just wondering
how they can be so assured that something else is not happening OR will
not happen in the future.
What is the difference between a few skipped beats now and then and what I
am experiencing - I have also read "isolated incidences are of no concern."
I get my arrythmia usually two to three times a week and only at night when
I lay down - the doctor said this is because the heart slows down......
Any comments would be appreciated. You can see by my note that I am highly
anxious about this and want to get on with my life as soon as possible.
One more question - are these called "palpitations"? What's the difference?
Thanks!
Dear Lisa,
We get many questions about PVCs and you can find previous answers on this web site. Below is a brief summary of what a PVC is, what causes them and the treatment (if any) for PVCs. You can find additional information in an article in New England Journal of Medicine, May 7, 1998, Vol. 338, pages 1369-1374. Your local medical library will have a copy of this. Hope this helps.
PVCs (premature ventricular contractions) are "extra" heartbeats occurring out of sync with the normal regular rhythm of the heart. PVCs may cause no symptoms at all or may be felt as a "irregular" heartbeat or as the sensation of a "hard heartbeat". PVCs are common findings in persons with otherwise normal hearts, in which case the prognosis is excellent and there is no decrease at all in life expectancy. On the other hand, they may indicate that there is an underlying abnormality of the heart muscle (from any number of reasons). If there is an abnormality, then the prognosis and treatment depends upon the specific problem of the heart. The usual evaluation of PVCs is a history, physical examination, and electrocardiogram (ECG). Also your doctor may wish to check an ultrasound of the heart. If all those tests are normal, then you would fall into the category of people who have PVCs but otherwise no underlying heart problem. In that case, treatment depends on how much the PVCs bother you. If they are essentially asymptomatic, then no treatment is required. If they bother you, then a medication called a "beta-blocker" may reduce the frequency of the PVCs. PVCs cant be "cured", but the medication can decrease their frequency. The potential side effects of beta-blockers are tiredness, impotence in men and breathing difficulties in individuals with underlying lung disease. Be sure to discuss these issues with your doctor and under no circumstance should you take medications for the heart without the supervision of a doctor.
Below are some web sites with additional information about PVCs.
http://www.amhrt.org/Heart_and_Stroke_A_Z_Guide/prevent.html
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/nhlbi/cardio/other/gp/arrhyth.htm
Information provided here is for general educational purposes only. Only your doctor can provide specific diagnoses and treatments. If you would like to be seen at the Cleveland Clinic, please Call 1 - 800 - CCF - CARE for an appointment at Desk F15 with a cardiologist
