I have PVCs and get them when exercising, bending over or when stressed and the cardiologist told me they’re completely benign. How? It’s the one thing keeping you alive.
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Usually, arrhythmias don’t actually interfere with your heart’s ability to pump blood. The only time they are dangerous is if (1) your heart is “fluttering” (like ventricular fibrillation), or (2) the arrhythmia is caused by another underlying problem. I’ll explain both cases.
**1. Fibrillation —** there are two types of chambers in your heart, atria (the upper chambers) and ventricles (the lower chambers). The right atrium collects de-oxygenated blood and sends it down to the right ventricle, which sends the blood to your lungs so it can be filled with oxygen. The oxygenated blood then flows back into the left atrium, which pumps it into the left ventricle. This chamber – the left ventricle – is what pumps the oxygenated blood to the rest of your body.
When either your heart’s chambers start pumping weakly and erratically (kind of like a “quiver”) this is called *fibrillation.* If it’s the upper chambers it’s called *atrial* fibrillation (A-Fib) and if it’s the lower chambers it’s called *ventricular* fibrillation (V-Fib).
> A-Fib: Since your atria only have to pump the blood a very short way (just into the next chamber), A-Fib is less dangerous in the short term. Even if they are pumping weakly, enough blood can still get into your ventricles to keep circulation going. The problem here is that they don’t always contract strongly enough to send *all* of the blood to the next ventricle. This allows blood to pool in the atrium, which can easily lead to blood clots. So while A-Fib itself won’t kill you, and directly causes clots that can lead to a heart attack.
> V-Fib: This one is *super* dangerous, and is usually a sign that a heart attack is underway. Ventricles need to pump a lot harder to get blood to your lungs or all the way through your body. When they can’t pump effectively, that means your blood cannot carry oxygen to the rest of your body, which is obviously very bad. V-Fib is an emergency that requires immediate treatment, usually including the use of a defibrillator to “shock” your ventricles back into a strong rhythm.
**2. Other Arrhythmias caused by underlying problems —** This is pretty straightforward. Arrhythmias can be a sign that your heart is damaged and covered with scar tissue, or that your arteries are clogged. In these cases, an arrhythmia is a red flag that your heart or arteries might be in serious trouble, since it means that there is enough damage to your cardiovascular system that it’s actively affecting how well your heart beats. (Note, A-Fib and V-Fib are both often caused by underlying problems, but heart conditions can cause other arrhythmias as well).
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Aside from those, an arrhythmia is usually benign. Your heart might speed up or slow down a little, or there might be a few extra beats every so often (like with PVCs). In all of these cases, however, there is no underlying damage and your heart is still effectively sending oxygenated blood through your body. Some people worry that a benign arrhythmia still puts extra strain on your heart, but it really doesn’t. It’s as much of a strain as watching something scary or exercising – so, not a big deal at all.
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