Premature ventricular contractions are quite common abnormal heart rhythms that begin in one of your heart’s two lower pumping chambers.
These extra beats disturb your regular heart rhythm, which usually begins in your upper right chamber.
Usually, premature ventricular contractions don’t cause any symptoms. But, you will experience an unusual sensation in the chest, such as:
- Fluttering
- Flip-flops
- Jumping or pounding
- Missed beats or skipped beats
The main causes of premature ventricular contractions include:
- Certain imbalances or chemical changes in your body
- Some kind of medications, including asthma medications
- Illegal drug use or alcohol consumption
- Higher adrenalin levels in your body due to exercise, caffeine, or anxiety
- Injury to your heart muscles due to congenital heart disease, coronary artery disease, infections or high blood pressure
In order to treat the condition, you need to make efforts to avoid the triggers or use medications.
Reduce your anxiety and follow some stress reduction techniques such as exercise, meditation and biofeedback.
You can use beta blockers to treat heart disease and high blood pressure. Some other drugs such as calcium channel blockers or anti-arrhythmic drugs like amiodarone can also be used.