Are you experiencing premature ventricular contractions but recently underwent an echocardiogram that yielded normal results?
“When PVCs occur in people with structurally normal hearts, they are usually considered benign,” explains cardiologist Dr. Pam Marcovitz, MD, medical director of the Ministrelli Women’s Heart Center, at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak.
“However, even in normal hearts, when many PVCs occur in a row (the so-called runs), they may become a ventricular arrhythmia — which can be potentially harmful,” adds Dr. Marcovitz.
From time to time, some people with normal hearts may perceive what seems to be a run of three or four PVCs in a row.
Maybe even five: ba …BOOM, ba …BOOM, ba …BOOM, ba …BOOM, ba …BOOM.
If this is occasional, without other symptoms such as feeling faint or chest pain, and especially if it correlates to acute anxiety, then the patient shouldn’t worry.
If this is frequent, especially with other symptoms, or you’re occasionally getting runs of, say, eight or nine PVCs in a row, see a cardiologist.
“When many, many PVCs occur, up to several thousand in a 24 hour period, the lack of synchronized heartbeat can cause a temporary reduction of the heart’s pumping function.”
This isn’t necessarily a dangerous situation, however, but it also shouldn’t be ignored, either. This situation can be treated with catheter ablation.
Dr. Marcovitz has 40+ years of experience in helping people improve their heart health.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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