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Premature Ventricular Contractions
Cure for PVCs
Heart Health Guides – Find out More about Treating Ectopics
If you’ve been searching for a cure for PVCs, you may be someone who is suffering from a condition which can cause you to feel heart palpitations (almost like your heart has skipped or added an extra beat). Because it’s noticeable, the first person to know something is happening is usually the person feeling it.
PVCs are known as premature ventricular complexes, and are experienced when the heart’s ventricles start a new beat before the echo of the last one created by the heart’s natural pacemaker has totally faded, making you feel a sensation that your heart has skipped a beat. While they’re often harmless, it’s important to speak to a doctor about what you’re experiencing in case there is a more serious, underlying cause, or your ectopics are so frequent that they could cause a ventricular fibrillation if left untreated.
While you should discuss a treatment plan with your doctor, many don’t want to rely on just medication to cure them, looking to take control of their own health with some lifestyle changes which may also help. In many cases, the patient is sent away with no treatment plan in place after confirmation the ectopics are harmless. This isn’t much help to those whose lives are affected by the symptoms they’re experiencing. Luckily there are some great things you can try to get rid of your heart palpitations naturally.
Natural Ways to Find a Cure for PVCs
- Please note, it’s important to follow the advice of your doctor and not ignore your treatment plan in favour of the following suggestions – but these may also help you with your recovery.
- One of the first elements to help you find a cure for PVCs is looking at your diet and how much processed food you’re eating which can lower your magnesium intake. This is often associated with experiencing extra beats and disturbance of heart rhythms.
- Therefore, an option for those looking for a cure for PVCs is by taking magnesium supplements, as it’s hard to accurately measure total magnesium levels present in the blood.
- Another aspect of your diet to consider when finding a natural cure for PVCs is avoiding foods which contain high levels of some preservatives shown to cause a disturbance in your heart rhythm. These include monosodium glutamate (MSG – E621), disodium guanylate (E627), disodium inosinate (E631) and disodium ribonucleotides (E635) which are often used for flavouring.
- Sulphite preservatives are another ingredient to avoid (E220-228) if looking for a cure for PVCs. They’re found in things like white wine vinegar and wine. Also, take note of E280-283 preservatives and cut down on these if possible.
- Those looking for a cure for PVCs should also look at how much aspartame, as well as bread and dairy products they’re consuming.
- If you’ve been looking at your diet as a natural cure for PVCs, you should also consider drinks to avoid, including alcohol, caffeine and carbonated drinks.
- Improving your PVCs and ectopic heartbeats can also involve examining your sleep habits, as sleep disturbances such as a lack of sleep or sleep apnoea can also cause a depletion in your magnesium levels.
- Exercise as a cure for PVCs should only be used if your doctor has confirmed there’s nothing to worry about with regards to your extra beats. Always let your doctor know if exercise makes your ectopics worse, as they should get less frequent even with some gentle exercise to increase your heart rate.
- Stress and anxiety may also contribute towards palpitations, so if looking for a cure for PVCs, this is something you should look to reduce. You may even be anxious about your health, so it’s important to find some ways to manage this to stop it making your symptoms worse.
How to Diagnose the Cause of Your Palpitations
If you’re experiencing frequent palpitations or are worried about anything, the best thing to do is speak to your doctor. With ectopic heartbeats, they’ll most likely recommend you have an electrocardiogram (ECG) which will record your heart’s electrical activity, including its rhythm. You can continue as normal while wearing the monitor, but you may have a button to press each time you feel your heart skip a beat. This will help your doctor to examine what you’re experiencing in relation to your palpitations. While there could be a chance of an underlying cause which needs further investigation, in many cases, the ectopics aren’t causing major issues. However, for those whose lives are blighted by the symptoms they feel, it’s important to manage PVCs.
Get Expert Advice
When you have any worries about your health, it can be a stressful time. This is especially true when it comes to your heart, as symptoms can make patients experience a lot of fear which can also affect how well they feel. Speak to a doctor who takes the time to fully understand your concerns, as well as how your symptoms are having an impact on your day to day life.