This is written from my personal experience and based on my own web research.

I’ve experienced PVCs for at least the last decade. During that time I’ve spent months having 5-10,000 PVC per day, every single day. I’ve also spent months where I’ve lost count of the number of days between feeling even a single PVC. I can only estimate that my heart has kicked out millions of PVCs since I first experienced them. I mention all this to explain that when it comes to premature heart contractions, I’ve built up a substantial body of work. I know what they feel like, where I feel them and how strong they are.

But in December 2008 I began having what felt like small explosions in my chest. They felt like they originated in the same place as my PVCs - my heart. Only it felt like someone had placed a firecracker inside of my chest and lit it.

And as quickly as one would appear, it would disappear, and leave me wondering what the hell had just happened, and if I should be calling a doctor.

As many of you do, I Googled. And I Googled. I was fortunate in that I was able to capture one of these “explosions” during an event monitoring, which helped to put my mind at ease but also presented me with more questions that needed answers.

Because I’m not a doctor and I don’t have access to text and other professionals in the field, I had to reach my own conclusion: I was having esophageal spasms.

If you look at the ecg tracing above from my event monitoring in early 2009, you’ll see several negative spikes in the highlighted green area.  You’ll also notice that the large positive spikes, the QRS complexes of my heartbeat, are unchanged during this time.  No difference in heart rate, no change QRS adjustments because of an early beat.

Clearly this ECG is showing an electrochemical discharge, but not one inside the chambers of my heart, because heart rate was completely unaffected.

Through the process of elimination and a careful review of my symptoms, it appears that esophageal spasms are the most likely cause of these explosion sensations in my chest, which is great news because while they can stop me in my tracks, they aren’t dangerous.

So if you’re feeling something similar, you may be experiencing the same thing as I was, which is anything but the end of the world and the end of you.

I did find one reference study worth noting, but it involved people already suffering from some form of angina and/or coronary artery disease.  So bear that in mind when you read about the study.

-Jeff