Ectopic Heartbeat
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Ectopic Heartbeat
Just finished my IR, that was the last piece of the jigsaw for a fATPL and about 2 weeks later started to get ectopic heartbeats.
I put up with it for about a week then decided that even though this could scupper all plans I decided to go to the doctors. He detected a clear Ectopic whilst taking my pulse, but nothing showed on the ECG, typical. Been for blood tests and no results yet, but it has been a few days so I assume nothing major otherwise I would have been called.
I have a class 1 renewal in October (including ECG), my GP says that they will go just as suddenly as they came, although if they do not in the next couple of weeks then I have to go back and see him.
Question is should I say nothing to the CAA until October, when I fill in the forms 'have you consulted a doctor in the last 12 months question' and see what happens, or should I be up front now, and is this the end of my Class 1?
I have read other posts on here, and it seems that an ectopic does not mean losing a class 1 - I hope not.
I put up with it for about a week then decided that even though this could scupper all plans I decided to go to the doctors. He detected a clear Ectopic whilst taking my pulse, but nothing showed on the ECG, typical. Been for blood tests and no results yet, but it has been a few days so I assume nothing major otherwise I would have been called.
I have a class 1 renewal in October (including ECG), my GP says that they will go just as suddenly as they came, although if they do not in the next couple of weeks then I have to go back and see him.
Question is should I say nothing to the CAA until October, when I fill in the forms 'have you consulted a doctor in the last 12 months question' and see what happens, or should I be up front now, and is this the end of my Class 1?
I have read other posts on here, and it seems that an ectopic does not mean losing a class 1 - I hope not.
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I don't get it.
Ectopic = An abnormal location or position of an organ or a body part, occurring congenitally or as the result of injury.
I've heard of ectopic pregnancies but never an ectopic heartbeat.
Do you mean to say your heartbeat is irregular?
I've heard of ectopic pregnancies but never an ectopic heartbeat.
Do you mean to say your heartbeat is irregular?
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...It depends really on the severity of them i.e. how often you get them, a normal healthy heart gets ectopic beats quite a few times a days something in the range of 6-10 its basically where the heart beats twice in quick succesion then pausing to compensate for the over pump as such...you can feel them sometimes when your "heart stops" and then you feel it beat really hard against your chest...go have it checked out by a cardiologist but it shouldn't be a problem if you don't have them too often...but then again check the CAA Class 1 regs
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From the British Heart Foundation site
"Extra heartbeats, called 'ectopic beats', are very common. They may be come either from the atria, the upper chambers of the heart, or the ventricle, the lower chambers. Ectopic beats are not in themselves dangerous and do not damage the heart. "
"Extra heartbeats, called 'ectopic beats', are very common. They may be come either from the atria, the upper chambers of the heart, or the ventricle, the lower chambers. Ectopic beats are not in themselves dangerous and do not damage the heart. "
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I have had them on and off for 45 years... and passed Class 1 medicals every year since 1967 with no suggestion of further investigations, etc. Sometimes they're there.... sometimes not. Don't know what starts them - one doc said coffee or coca-cola (which I don't drink).
Don't worry - that makes them worse!
Don't worry - that makes them worse!
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The normal heartbeat is initiated by an electrical impulse from the Sino-atrial node located in the right atrium. Ectopic beats are those initiated by an electrical impulse from a different location and may or may not be problematic depending on various factors. The ECG will help to decide this.
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Thanks for the feedback.
Not sure what starts them either, but been off the teas and coffees since and they have almost disappeared now, think I might have over done the caffeine, it appears that anxiety also makes them worse, so they become self feeding in the end.
I am more relaxed about it now and as I say they have almost gone.
Not sure what starts them either, but been off the teas and coffees since and they have almost disappeared now, think I might have over done the caffeine, it appears that anxiety also makes them worse, so they become self feeding in the end.
I am more relaxed about it now and as I say they have almost gone.
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Ectopics are generally no problem at all. If the docs are at all concerned they will give you a 24hour Halter test...wired up to a small ECG recorder for 24 hours. Even then you can have a few thousand missed beats before they start to worry.
Certainly ease off the coffee and coc cola type drinks.
Certainly ease off the coffee and coc cola type drinks.
bodge, you need premature ectopics to occupy more than 13% of your daily heartbeat output for them to worry. This can only be measured by the holter monitor. So if your beat rate amountis say 100,000 beats/day and the ectopics cater for more than 13,000 - more tests are required.
Hope to get the digital one which is compact. The analogue one is the size of the old sony walkman and you have to sleep with this strangling you as you toss and turn in bed!
IF you are insured for loss of licence, I'm afraid you're caught between a rock and a hard place. If you DONT declare them soonest, and it goes as far as revoking your licence, then you'll get no insurance!
Good luck,
Hope to get the digital one which is compact. The analogue one is the size of the old sony walkman and you have to sleep with this strangling you as you toss and turn in bed!
IF you are insured for loss of licence, I'm afraid you're caught between a rock and a hard place. If you DONT declare them soonest, and it goes as far as revoking your licence, then you'll get no insurance!
Good luck,
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Thanks for the replies.
I am a bit more relaxed about them now, I am sure that they do not account for 13%, that is about 8 to 10 a minute!
I think that I best declare them certainly when I fill out the next medical forms and see how it goes, I am sure that these things are investigated properly to find a solution so that a licence can be kept.
I am a bit more relaxed about them now, I am sure that they do not account for 13%, that is about 8 to 10 a minute!
I think that I best declare them certainly when I fill out the next medical forms and see how it goes, I am sure that these things are investigated properly to find a solution so that a licence can be kept.
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They are nothing to worry about. The CAA will give you a 24 hr holter tape. I think you are allowed in the region of 400 extra beats per 24hrs.9do not quote me on that). I have them and have to have a 24 hr holter every six months which my airline pays for.
i would lay off red wine, smoking if you do, tea(more caff than coffee) and coffee. Eating fish helps control your heart. the worst case is that the CAA might insist on ou taking medication for the condition as a precautionary measure. At the end of the day, they want to get you flying as opposed to suspending your medical.
i would lay off red wine, smoking if you do, tea(more caff than coffee) and coffee. Eating fish helps control your heart. the worst case is that the CAA might insist on ou taking medication for the condition as a precautionary measure. At the end of the day, they want to get you flying as opposed to suspending your medical.
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Lay off alcohol, smoking and anything that stimulates the heart.
I used to get an extra beat a couple of years ago. I was taking supplement vitamins with ginseng. The ginseng was giving me the "extra beats".
Fish oil and magnesium is very good for this kind of problems. You can find them in the pharmacy.
I take garlic pills every day. It is very good defence against heart problems.
I used to get an extra beat a couple of years ago. I was taking supplement vitamins with ginseng. The ginseng was giving me the "extra beats".
Fish oil and magnesium is very good for this kind of problems. You can find them in the pharmacy.
I take garlic pills every day. It is very good defence against heart problems.
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I was suffering the occasional ventricular ectopic beat, got one every minute or so, needed to have ecg to make sure as if your palpitations are due to eg AF(atrial fibrillation) you are at increased risk of stroke or pulmonary embolism.
I started to take Cardioace tablets which you can get from the supermarket and contain omega-3 fish oils, garlic and a few other things, since taking them, I have had no more ectopics, don't understand the physiology but I used to get them more after eating and wonder if it was due to coronary artery inflammation caused by the high blood sugar levels after meals?
had to see CAA cardiologist at gatwick, wear monitor for day and do Bruce test(treadmill)
They let me keep the medical even while waiting for the tests.
Good luck.
On the ECG, if the extra beat is a narrow spike(QRS complex) it probably originates in the atria(top part of the heart)
If the spike is wide(more than 2? squares) it originates in the ventrical. it is wider as the contraction wave takes longer as it does not follow the normal pathway(septum-bundle of his-Left and right bundle branches-purkinje fibres)but a different route through the ventricals.
Please feel free to correct any mistakes in my understanding of physiology.
I started to take Cardioace tablets which you can get from the supermarket and contain omega-3 fish oils, garlic and a few other things, since taking them, I have had no more ectopics, don't understand the physiology but I used to get them more after eating and wonder if it was due to coronary artery inflammation caused by the high blood sugar levels after meals?
had to see CAA cardiologist at gatwick, wear monitor for day and do Bruce test(treadmill)
They let me keep the medical even while waiting for the tests.
Good luck.
On the ECG, if the extra beat is a narrow spike(QRS complex) it probably originates in the atria(top part of the heart)
If the spike is wide(more than 2? squares) it originates in the ventrical. it is wider as the contraction wave takes longer as it does not follow the normal pathway(septum-bundle of his-Left and right bundle branches-purkinje fibres)but a different route through the ventricals.
Please feel free to correct any mistakes in my understanding of physiology.
