How are ectopic heartbeats treated and when is treatment needed?
Treatment options for ectopic heartbeats are discussed, from lifestyle changes to medication and catheter ablation. In this video, Dr Ravi Assomull explains when reassurance alone is sufficient.
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Transcript
In the vast majority of cases we can simply reassure you that there is nothing to worry about here. Simple lifestyle modification can help greatly. By this I mean reducing your caffeine and alcohol consumption, prioritising sleep, trying to ameliorate stress and anxiety, or stopping certain medications that are perhaps provoking these symptoms.
If lifestyle modification doesn't work then we can use medications such as beta blockers which will suppress these ectopic beats. They don't cure it but certainly make you feel better. In a minority of cases where the ectopic burden is very high and the symptoms are very intrusive we can actually perform a procedure called a catheter ablation which should get on top of the problem.
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