i have ectopic beats,is it dangerous?it scares me alot?

Question

i want the right answer

Answer 1

This is no substitute for proper medical attention.

Everyone has ectopic beats, though not everyone is aware of them. Normally your natural pacemaker (the sinatrial (SA) node) creates the electrochemical impulse that triggers your heart to beat. However, most of the tissue of the heart is capable of generating these impulses as well. In the normal heart the pacemaker runs the show just about all the time.

When the SA node creates the beat, the impulse is conducted down a pathway that properly cunducts the signal and leads to a properly timed beat that is wonderfully efficient.

An ectopic beat that starts somewhere out in left field in the myocardium (heart muscle) isn't directly connected to the organized conduction path, and the impulse created takes a much more awkward, random and much slower path. If you were to see one of these beats it wouldn't look so crisp and clean, it would look more like this big old floppy, clumsy contraction.

That's largely why people are aware of them - they feel different (there's usually no pain involved) and they can cause you to have a transient little glitch in your breathing pattern too. Often they occur in isolation, frequently they come in spates -- in a row, alternating, or irregularly.

For most people they aren't a threat, but rather a symptom of some other process. Most commonly the heart muscle is irritated -- sources can be prolonged fatigue, lack of sleep, stress, and chemical sources, including caffeine or cocaine.

In some people the electrical problems can pose a threat on their own. This is where it's critical to see a physician to obtain an understanding of what the underlying issues are.

Until then -- get off the chemical stimulants. For pity's sake, stop smoking (if you do). Rest a bit, but don't turn into a "cardiac cripple" for no good reason. Get seen and be honest with the doctor about all the things going on in your life.

And excessive worrying about ectopic beats can *cause* ectopic beats. Keep in mind that they're not a disease by themselves, but a clue as to something else going on. There is no guarantee that the something else can't be very easily remedied, so take heart.