cause for PVCs

[KeyD]

I have read the list of causes of PVCs and none of them sound like it would be the cause of my PVCs. I just had a normal echo, my 24 hr holter monitor showed about 200 pvc in 24hr. The Dr said to  just ignore them, but they cause chest tightness/heaviness, I am 28 y/o. sometimes i don't notice them for weeks at a time. Anyone have any insight to other possible causes? I don't smoke, drink only a little caffiene, and am otherwise healthy. Does antone else have the same c/o? What did your Dr say?

[Jerry_NJ]

Unfortunately medical science doesn't know what causes PVCs... they may know some causes/stimulants, but in general I think some PVC activity is almost normal.  True, most young people don't have them, or don't notice them, but your doctor's advice is what a lot of us live with.

[MindPieces]

I'm 30 years old, relatively healthy, and have been noticing quite an increase in PVCs myself lately. The doctors swear they're benign, but something must be causing them to increase in the past month. The only thing I can think of to do is to get some nutrition testing done, which I'm doing next week. Poor diet + stress may cause this sort of thing to ramp up.

[itdood]

I think the bottom line is that ventricular pacing cells fire in an otherwise normally beating heart.  This causes the ventricles to contract out of sequence and causes the sensations you feel.

An EP or cardiologist can generally pinpoint their origin with good EKG data.  I know mine originate in my Right Ventricular Outflow Tract (RVOT).

The reason the ventricles have their own pacing cells is important to survival.  If the ventricles do not receive the signal from the SA node to beat, you would die without these backup pacers.  The ventricular pacing cells can go as far as to trigger an "escape beat".

Try looking these up in Wikipedia (PVCs and escape beats), some good reading there.

PVCs generally increase in people as we age.  The most effective treatment from what I've read and my experience is lifestyle changes.  Manage stress, weight, nutrition, and exercise....

[KeyD]

ok I have the results of my holter monitor, it showed PACs, PVCs, PSVT, and an episode of bradycardia. my dr said follow up with a cardiologist is up to me. How many episodes are normal within a 24 hr period? (I know that simply having the arrhythmias is normal but all them in such a short period of time?)

[itdood]

PSVT and bradycardia are probably incidental, the slow heart rate was probably while you were sleeping and the PSVT is very common and not worrisome.  Same with PACs and PVCs, but those sometimes bother people with their sensations.  If it were me, I'd go to a cardiologist to at least get an echo done, if for nothing else than for peace of mind and to get a documented baseline that can be referenced for any future changes....

[KeyD]

thanks, my echo is normal, i have an appt with a cardiologist on the 21st