Skipped Beats Explained: AFib or Just Premature Beats (PVCs/PACs)?

Описание: Feel random “skipped” or extra beats and worry it’s atrial fibrillation (AFib) or something dangerous? You’re not alone. In this video, Dr. Scott Lee breaks down the real difference between AFib and premature beats (PVCs and PACs), and explains why most skipped beats are annoying but not life-threatening in people with a healthy heart.
Premature beats can feel dramatic, but they don’t always mean your heart rhythm is truly abnormal or that you’re in AFib. Once you understand how PVCs and PACs work inside the heart, when they’re benign, and when they’re a warning sign, you can stop guessing and start making informed decisions about your care.

You’ll learn:
What premature beats (PVCs and PACs) really are
How “skipped” or “extra” beats can feel without being AFib
When premature beats are usually harmless vs when they can signal trouble
Why PVCs/PACs often don’t change your true heart rate or blood pressure
When treatment is optional for symptoms vs when we take them more seriously
How premature beats can sometimes be an early marker of future AFib
When to ask your doctor about monitoring, medications, or ablation

👉 Missed the companion video? If your watch or blood pressure cuff is just calling your heartbeat “irregular” and you’re not sure it’s AFib, watch my companion video in this AFib FAQ playlist: “Irregular Heartbeat: Is It Really AFib Or Just Normal Rhythm?” to understand when irregularity is actually an arrhythmia and when it’s just your normal rhythm or premature beats.

📌 Continue Your Learning Path:
Watch the full playlist here:👉   • AFib FAQs: Real Answers to Your Most Commo...  
✨ Want to Know Your AFib Stage?
Take the free AFib Stage of Progression Quiz:👉 https://heart.drscottlee.com/quiz
💬 Need Clarity About Your AFib?
Request a Second Opinion Clarity Consult (telemedicine available):
👉 https://heart.drscottlee.com/review

👨‍⚕️ About Dr. Scott Lee
Dr. Scott Lee is a board-certified cardiac electrophysiologist with over 20 years of experience specializing in the treatment of complex and advanced atrial fibrillation. Stanford-trained and nationally recognized for his high single-procedure success rates in late-stage AFib, Dr. Lee is known for bringing honesty, transparency, and elite technical skill to a field where many patients feel rushed, dismissed, or confused.
Through his AFibEducation YouTube channel and his direct-pay consultation practice, Dr. Lee focuses on what most doctors don’t have time to explain: how AFib truly progresses, why treatments succeed or fail, and how patients can make informed, confident decisions about their care. He is committed to ethics, patient advocacy, and clear education—empowering people to take back control of their health instead of getting lost in a broken system.

🌐 More resources at www.drscottlee.com
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⏱️ CHAPTERS
00:00 — Are Irregular Beats Always AFib?
00:21 — The Most Common Cause: Premature Beats (PACs/PVCs)
01:34 — How We Actually Diagnose Your Rhythm
03:14 — What Counts as a “True” Abnormal Heart Rhythm
03:52 — Why Premature Beats Are “Abnormal Rhythm Junior”
05:10 — How a Normal Rhythm Works
06:16 — What Happens During a Real Abnormal Rhythm
07:23 — What a Premature Beat Actually Does
08:29 — Why You Feel a “Pause” and Then a Harder Beat
09:31 — Why Premature Beats Don’t Raise or Lower Heart Rate
10:47 — Why They Don’t Affect Blood Pressure Either
11:19 — The One Thing Premature Beats Do Change
12:36 — Why Some People Feel Them and Others Don’t
13:35 — Treatment Options (and When We Even Need Them)
14:46 — When PVCs Are NOT Benign
15:31 — When PACs Might Indicate Early AFib
15:54 — Final Summary: Benign vs Concerning Skipped Beats

#SkippedBeats #PACsPVCs #AFib