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<div class="section1">If a person is otherwise healthy, the only treatment needed is to decrease stress and limit the use of alcohol and caffeine. Cold medicines, available without prescription, sometimes contain drugs (e.g., decongestants) that stimulate the heart and should be used with caution.
If symptoms are uncomfortable, or the pattern of VEBs indicates a problem, the physician may prescribe drug therapy. Beta-blockers are quite safe and are usually tried first.
A person who has a history of heart attack or heart disease, and is experiencing frequent or complex VEBs, is at greater risk of sudden death. Drug therapy with beta-blockers will be recommended. In addition, angioplasty or coronary artery bypass surgery may relieve any underlying coronary artery blockage and reduce the danger of sudden death.
Treatment with antiarrhythmic drugs can suppress VEBs, but they can also increase the risk of a fatal abnormal rhythm. Often, extensive electrophysiologic testing and risk evaluation will be done before this method of treatment is prescribed.
Source: The Gale Group. Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, 3rd ed.";
