Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial Fibrillation
► Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm disorder
► It causes the top chamber of your heart to beat out of rhythm — or ‘flutter” very fast
► Afib can affect you
► Causing many symptoms
► Increasing your risk of having a stroke
► Education is an important part of your treatment. It will allow you to participate and choose what’s best for you
What happens during Atrial fibrillation?
Normally, your heart contracts and relaxes to a regular beat. In atrial fibrillation, the upper chambers of the heart (the atria) beat irregularly (quiver) instead of beating effectively to move blood into the ventricles.
If a clot breaks off, enters the bloodstream and lodges in an artery leading to the brain, a stroke results. About 15–20 percent of people who have strokes have this heart arrhythmia. This clot risk is why patients with this condition are put on blood thinners.
Even though untreated atrial fibrillation doubles the risk of heart-related deaths and is associated with a 5-fold increased risk for stroke, many patients are unaware that AFib is a serious condition.
Causes of atrial fibrillation-
- Fatigue
- Palpitations
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness
- Increase risk of Congestive Heart Failure
- Other symptoms
What are the risk factors for AF?
Your risk of having AF is increased with the following factors’:
- Older age
- Family history
- Having heart failure, high blood pressure, or other cardiovascular disease
- Having diabetes
- Thyroid disorders
- Excessive alcohol intake
