What are atrial premature complexes?

By Cristiano Antonino On Apr 12, 2023

Atrial premature complexes are a common type of cardiac arrhythmia, characterized by premature heartbeats originating in the atria; atrial premature complexes are also known as premature atrial contractions

One of the most common symptoms of atrial premature complexes is heart palpitations or an unusual awareness of one’s heartbeat

Palpitations are heartbeats that are too fast, too slow, or irregular.

Atrial premature complexes occur when a heart beat occurs early in the heart cycle, resulting in a premature beat.

Premature heartbeats give the feeling that the heart muscle has skipped a beat or that the beat can be stopped for a moment.

Atrial premature complexes are not always felt; premature beats are common and usually harmless.

Rarely they can indicate serious heart conditions such as arrhythmias which can be life threatening.

When a premature beat occurs in the upper chambers of the heart, it is known as an atrial complex or contraction.

Premature beats can also occur in the lower chambers of the heart.

These are known as ventricular complexes or contractions.

Causes and symptoms of both types of premature beats are similar.

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What causes atrial premature complexes?

The sinus node is an area of cells in the upper right chamber of the heart muscle; controls the rhythm of the heartbeat through electrical signals.

It may happen that the signals from the ventricles of the heart cause a heartbeat that arrives earlier than the normal rhythm; there will then be a pause followed by a second louder beat because the pause will allow more time for the blood to fill the heart chamber.

The cause of a premature heartbeat is unknown. Most people who have atrial premature complexes will not suffer from heart disease.

Premature heartbeats can be caused by: caffeine, alcohol, stress, tiredness, insomnia, drugs that have an irregular heartbeat as a side effect.

Atrial premature complexes can be a sign of extra connections in the electrical system of the heart muscle that could cause the heart to beat irregularly.

While this can be frightening or annoying, it’s usually not dangerous, unless you have frequent premature beats that affect your quality of life.

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Premature beats could be caused by a heart injury or underlying heart disease

If you experience the sensation of a skipping heartbeat or if you feel anything different from the normal heartbeat, you will need to see your doctor to rule out any underlying problems.

What are the symptoms of atrial premature complexes?

Many suffer from premature beats without experiencing symptoms.

If you were to hear the beats, you could perceive different sensations:

as if the heart skipped a beat;
heartbeats may seem to get louder the stronger;
a sensation of air moving near your heart.

The above symptoms can occur with premature atrial contractions; they could also occur in the presence of more serious heart conditions and it will therefore be necessary to consult a doctor especially if:

you will have a jumping or racing sensation near your heart, accompanied by fainting or dizziness;
you will sweat or look pale as your heart rate changes;
you will feel chest pain;
you will have difficulty breathing;
if the resting pulse reading will exceed 100 beats per minute.

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Underlying conditions

Atrial premature complexes could be a symptom of more serious conditions when associated with:

dangerous arrhythmias that can lead to stroke or heart failure;
heart disease, which can include infections, genetic defects, and narrowed or blocked blood vessels;
hypertension;
malfunction of the valve that separates the upper chambers of the heart from the lower ones;
ventricular tachycardia, causing a fast heart beat which can lead to heart attacks.

If premature beats occur occasionally without other symptoms, the beats are probably harmless.

However, treatment should be sought whenever an unfamiliar sensation is felt in the heart muscle.

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Diagnosis of atrial premature complexes

The doctor will start asking questions about the activity of your heart beats.

The following are indicators of heart disease and may require further investigation, even if APCs do not accompany other symptoms: diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, being overweight, smoking, having a family history of heart disease.

Your doctor will then do a physical exam to look for indicators of underlying problems and to monitor your heart function.

Procedures may include listening to your heartbeat, blood tests to check chemistry and cholesterol levels, and blood pressure tests.

Your heart rate will be monitored if the exam reveals underlying problems with the heart muscle that triggers premature beats.

The electrocardiogram will record the electrical activity of the heart muscle, during its normal activity or when performing exercises, which will help the doctor understand what causes the premature atrial contractions.

Treatments for atrial premature complexes

If the premature atrial contractions are not dangerous, there will be no need for treatment and treatment, except if other symptoms arise.

If, on the other hand, the doctor evaluates the premature atrial contractions as dangerous, treatments will be resorted to that address the condition that causes the premature beats.

Treatments will be customized based on the results of the exam.

Atrial premature complexes, when too frequent, could interfere with daily life; the doctor will prescribe beta-blockers or drugs to treat the arrhythmia.