During atrial fibrillation, the heart's upper chambers the atria beat chaotically and irregularly — out of sync with the lower chambers the ventricles of the heart. For many people, A-fib may have no symptoms. However, A-fib may cause a fast, pounding heartbeat palpitations , shortness of breath or weakness. Episodes of atrial fibrillation may come and go, or they may be persistent.
Although A-fib itself usually isn't life-threatening, it's a serious medical condition that requires proper treatment to prevent stroke. Treatment for atrial fibrillation may include medications, therapy to reset the heart rhythm and catheter procedures to block faulty heart signals. A person with atrial fibrillation may also have a related heart rhythm problem called atrial flutter. Although atrial flutter is a different arrhythmia, the treatment is quite similar to atrial fibrillation.
Some people with atrial fibrillation A-fib don't notice any symptoms. Those who do have atrial fibrillation symptoms may have signs and symptoms such as:. If you have chest pain, seek immediate medical help. Chest pain could mean that you're having a heart attack.
To understand the causes of A-fib , it may be helpful to know how the heart typically beats. The typical heart has four chambers — two upper chambers atria and two lower chambers ventricles.
Within the upper right chamber of the heart right atrium is a group of cells called the sinus node. The sinus node is the heart's natural pacemaker. It produces the signal that starts each heartbeat. In atrial fibrillation, the signals in the upper chambers of the heart are chaotic. As a result, the upper chambers shake quiver. The AV node is then bombarded with signals trying to get through to the lower heart chambers ventricles.
This causes a fast and irregular heart rhythm. The heart rate in atrial fibrillation may range from to beats a minute. The normal range for a heart rate is 60 to beats a minute. Unfortunately, even with brief episodes of 6 minutes of atrial fibrillation there was a 2. If brief episodes of atrial fibrillation raise stroke risk, then perhaps early detection of these may help in guiding who to treat with blood thinners.
In this study, atrial fibrillation was detected in 50 percent of the patients. Also, 73 percent of the strokes occurred with essentially no atrial fibrillation immediately before the stroke. This second study showed us that relying on episodes of atrial fibrillation to start a blood thinner might not be a reliable approach.
It also challenges the traditional concept that a blood clot forms due to a period of atrial fibrillation and then a forceful contraction from the upper heart chamber dislodges it.
These two studies bring us to the latest trial, published this month. In another analysis of the ASSERT trial the investigators tried to determine if there is a correlation between when atrial fibrillation occurs and when a stroke develops.
This is an important study since by tradition we assume an episode less than 48 hours may not be as risky as one that is longer. Unfortunately, in only 8 percent of patients was atrial fibrillation within the 30 days before the stroke.
In only 35 percent of the patients was atrial fibrillation detected at any time before the stroke. Then in 16 percent of patients, atrial fibrillation was diagnosed only after the stroke had occurred.
The 16 percent of patients that were later diagnosed with atrial fibrillation show us that risk factors for developing the abnormal heart rhythm such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart failure, and sleep apnea are also important contributors in stroke risk. Back to Atrial fibrillation. People with atrial fibrillation are at increased risk of having a stroke. In extreme cases, atrial fibrillation can also lead to heart failure.
This condition is known as tachy-brady syndrome. In this case, you may be a candidate for catheter ablation. During this procedure, your doctor will thread a thin catheter through one of the veins in your heart.
Electricity is then used to destroy either the area that is firing too fast or the pathway that allows the electrical impulses to travel from the atria where the impulses originate to the ventricles. Your doctor may also recommend treatment for underlying conditions that might be contributing to your AFib. For example, heart defects, heart disease, electrolyte abnormalities, drug and alcohol use and abuse, pulmonary emboli, thyroid problems, and infections can cause AFib and increase your risk of blood clots.
Your recommended treatment plan will vary, depending on your specific diagnosis. Healthy lifestyle choices can help you prevent AFib, other forms of heart disease, and the formation of blood clots. For example:. But in some cases, it can cause blood clots to form. If left untreated, these blood clots can travel to other areas of the body and cause serious damage, with stroke being the most common and serious complication.
If you suspect you might have AFib or blood clots, contact your doctor. They can help diagnose your symptoms. They can also help you develop a treatment plan to manage your condition and lower your risk of complications. A pulmonary embolism is a blood clot that occurs in the lungs.
It can damage part of the lung and other organs and decrease oxygen levels in the blood. Blood clotting is a normal function that occurs when you have an injury. Find out what happens if clot doesn't dissolve or forms in a blood vessel.
This side effect can occur across all age groups and….
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