Early Signs and Symptoms of Atrial Fibrillation
If your heart is beating irregularly or has an abnormal rhythm, you could be suffering from a heart condition. One of these heart conditions is atrial fibrillation, which causes an irregular or rapid heart rate.
During atrial fibrillation (AFib), the upper (atria) and lower (ventricles) heart chambers are out of coordination, and this disrupts the normal blood flow between them and the rest of the body.
What is Atrial Fibrillation?
Normally, the heart contracts and relaxes with a regular heart bit. When AFib occurs, it changes the heartbeat rhythm, with the atria beating more rapidly and irregularly than the ventricles.
When the atria and the ventricle are not beating in rhythm, it can cause serious issues. One of the risks of AFib is the potential of forming blood clots in the atria, which could move to other organs and block the flow of blood. For example, a blood clot could travel to the brain and trigger a stroke.
Causes and Risk Factors
Although the actual cause of AFib is not known, there are certain notable causes and risk factors that may increase the risk of getting this condition. Some of the risk factors of include:
- Age: The risk of AFib is higher in people aged 55 and above.
- Alcohol: Consuming alcohol can lead to an episode of AFib in both men and women.
- Obesity: People who are obese are at a higher risk of developing AFib than people who are at their optimum weight.
- High blood pressure: If you have long-term high blood pressure that is not controlled through medications, you can strain your heart and trigger AFib.
- Heart disease: If you have a heart condition such as coronary artery disease, heart valve disease, congenital heart disease, previous heart attack, or heart surgery, you are at a high risk of AFib.
- Family history: A history of AFib in your family may increase your chances of developing AFib.
- Sleep Apnea: People with severe apnea are at a high risk of AFib.
Signs and Symptoms
Sometimes, people with atrial fibrillation may not show any symptoms and may be unaware of this life-threatening condition until they undergo a physical checkup.
These following are some of the signs and symptoms of Atrial Fibrillation:
- Palpitations
- Chest Pains
- Weakness
- Inability to exercise
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue
- Fainting
- Low blood pressure
- Dizziness
These symptoms may be unpredictable; they may occur frequently or occasionally, sometimes lasting only a couple of minutes. As soon as these symptoms become prevalent, book an appointment with your doctor to undergo a physical examination.
Treatment Options
Once you are diagnosed with AFib, your doctor will prescribe a treatment option based on your symptoms, possible causes, and your overall health. For less severe cases, the doctor may prescribe medication to restore a regular rhythm and prevent the formation of blood clots. People with severe AFib may be required to undergo surgery to control the heart rate and prevent complications from the conditions.
Doctors may use the following types of surgeries as treatment options for AFib:
- Electrical cardioversion: The doctor sends an electric shock to the heart to reset the abnormal rhythm to a regular beat.
- Catheter ablation: This procedure delivers radio waves to destroy the tissues causing the irregular rhythms, to help restore regular rhythms.
- Maze surgery: This is an invasive operation, and it is only used when other non-invasive operations were unsuccessful. It involves removing the tissue that causes the irregular rhythm through open-heart surgery or small incisions in the chest.
Talk To Your Doctor
Once you are diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, you should discuss your options with your doctor. They can recommend medication to restore normal rhythm or surgery to remove abnormal tissues in the heart.
You can also search online medical resources to get more information about the symptoms you are exhibiting and the lifestyle changes you should make to avoid heart-related complications.