What are the causes of premature ventricular contractions?

Question

Hello doctor,

For approximately eight months, I have been experiencing premature ventricular contractions (the feeling of a heartbeat skipping). I have never had shortness of breath, severe chest pain, heavy sweating, dizziness, or the sensation that I might pass out. The episodes do not last for several minutes; I experience about 10 to 20 PVCs a day. I consulted a cardiologist who performed an ECG and an echocardiogram, and he said there was nothing to worry about and that this was normal.

He advised me to call him if I experience more PVCs per minute. He also mentioned that it is not stress-related, although I have a highly stressful job. I am still a little worried. Will it ever go away, and can it, in the long run, cause harm to me?

Please help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I carefully reviewed your question and would like to explain that some premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) or ectopic heartbeats are quite normal in healthy individuals during emotional stress or physical activity. However, a cardiac arrhythmia cannot be excluded either. At this point, I recommend performing 24 to 48 hours of ambulatory ECG monitoring (Holter) to examine your heart rhythm trends over an extended period and investigate any possible cardiac arrhythmia.

Additionally, some blood tests are needed to exclude metabolic disorders that may trigger this clinical scenario. Please complete a full blood count to check for anemia, assess thyroid hormone levels for thyroid gland dysfunction, and evaluate blood electrolytes for potential imbalances.

If all these tests return normal results, you should consider anxiety as a possible cause of your symptoms. In this case, consulting with a specialist in this field (such as a physiotherapist or psychiatrist) would be advisable. If the situation persists, a low dose of beta-blockers (such as Metoprolol) could help reduce the ectopic heartbeats.

I hope this helps you.

Thanks and regards.