Born Alani Nicole Vazquez, La La Anthony showed an early interest in music. So much so that by the age of 15, she was working at a radio station. After multiple stints at other radio and television stations, she moved on to film. In an interesting turn of events, Anthony was involved in producing a film and documentary while acting. Her most notable films include ‘Two Can Play That Game’, ‘Think Like A Man’, and ‘Single Ladies’.
Despite her movie roles, however, Anthony seemed to have garnered more interest from her recurring part in the television series, ‘Power’. The talented star has also been on Broadway, written books, as well as started cosmetic and clothing lines. Given her hectic schedule, it’s not surprising that she brushed off her irregular heartbeats to stress and working too hard. Though she was diagnosed with premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) in 2019, Anthony admits to not taking it as seriously as she should have. As a result, she needed to have an emergency heart operation in 2021.
In a recent interview with BET, she states that having the operation has made her prioritize self-care.
RELATED: La La Anthony: Still In The Game & Winning
Also known as ventricular premature beats, premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are a kind of abnormal heartbeat. This abnormal heartbeat is characterized by an irregular rhythm that starts in one of the two lower chambers of your heart.
When PVCs occur, people may feel a fluttering in the chest, heart palpitations, dizziness, lightheadedness, and a pounding in the back of the neck.
Most times, PVCs aren’t a health issue because they only occur occasionally. However, there may be complications for those who experience the condition more frequently.
These complications include developing an irregular heart rhythm or weakening your heart muscle. While the cause of PVCs isn’t always clear, you might be at a higher risk if you have high blood pressure, have had a heart attack, are in heart failure, or have an imbalance of electrolytes in your body. Certain substances like illegal drugs, decongestants, antihistamines tobacco, alcohol, and caffeine can also cause PVCs.
Being diagnosed with PVCs starts with a thorough medical examination. The doctor will ask about your symptoms, lifestyle, and medical history. They’ll also listen to your heart with a stethoscope in case an irregular heartbeat is apparent.
Following that, you may undergo an electrocardiogram (ECG) so the doctor can see the signal as it moves through your heart. Having irregularities during this test will confirm the diagnosis. If your symptoms don’t happen often, you may need to undergo the ECG over a period of a couple of days.
Sometimes, you’ll need other tests such as echocardiography to evaluate your heart’s function, cardiac stress testing to check how your heart responds to strenuous exercise, and blood tests to determine the level of certain electrolytes in your blood.
Since PVCs can be caused by other conditions such as hyperthyroidism, your doctor might also want to conduct other tests to be sure.
Many people with PVCs don’t need a specific treatment program. Your doctor might suggest making a few lifestyle changes such as eliminating foods or over-the-counter drugs that can trigger the condition.
If you have any underlying conditions, then those will be treated as well. For those who need treatment for PVCs, the doctor will try medications first. A few of the options are beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, and drugs that are designed to control your heart’s rhythm.
In the event that lifestyle changes and medication aren’t enough, the next step is radiofrequency catheter ablation. When you undergo this procedure, a catheter will be sent into your heart through your groin area. The sensors at the end of the catheter will be used to etch small scars in specific areas of the heart tissue to stop irregular heartbeats.
As mentioned previously, untreated frequent PVCs can cause complications with heart health so if you’ve developed any of these, they will need to be treated as well.
PVCs don’t cause symptoms in many people so if you’re experiencing them regularly, it could be a sign to see your doctor. It’s always best to get the condition under control before it damages your heart.
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