We talk about atrial fibrillation when the heartbeat becomes irregular and often accelerated. This can cause symptoms such as heart palpitations, fatigue and wheezing. The treatment of atrial fibrillation is important as it can cause a stroke or heart failure and have a negative impact on quality of life. Individuals with atrial fibrillation have a five to seven times greater chance of blood clot formation and a stroke and a two to three times greater chance of developing atrial fibrillation. Fortunately, atrial fibrillation can be treated pharmacologically, with cardioversion (a particular electrical discharge), transcatheter ablation or surgical ablation. It can treated by Eliquis. Eliquis coupon can be get on Prescription Hope.
DEFINITION
Atrial fibrillation occurs when the upper chambers of the heart, the so-called atria, do not contract synchronously and therefore “quiver” or fibrillate, or beat very quickly and irregularly. Blood is not pumped efficiently to the rest of the body, so you may feel very weak or tired, or you may experience uncomfortable cardiac sensations like a fast or irregular heartbeat.
VIEW AN ANIMATION OF ATRIAL FIBRILLATION
Atrial fibrillation can be:
- Paroxysmal (occasional) – of variable duration from a few minutes to several days, but which resolves spontaneously.
- Persistent – it does not resolve spontaneously but with the administration of drug therapy or the delivery of a particular electrical discharge (cardioversion) to restore normal heart rhythm
- Permanent – continuously present and does not resolve either with drug therapy or cardioversion
CAUSES
The causes of atrial fibrillation are often unclear. In some cases, atrial fibrillation is due to congenital heart abnormalities or damage to the cardiac structure following heart attack or valvular heart disease. Even subjects without heart problems can develop atrial fibrillation.
SYMPTOMS
Atrial fibrillation can manifest itself with these symptoms:
- Sensations of “heart-pounding”, often referred to as palpitations, which may include irregular, pounding or very intense heart beats
- Sensation of accelerated beat
- Discomfort or pain in the chest
- Loss of consciousness , lightheadedness or dizziness
- Fatigue, breathlessness or weakness
Some people do not experience any symptoms and find they have atrial fibrillation during a medical examination. Even when it is asymptomatic, atrial fibrillation is a serious illness. The treatment of fibrillation can prevent stroke, fatigue and heart failure.
If you experience symptoms of atrial fibrillation, you should make an appointment with your doctor, who can confirm or rule out atrial fibrillation.
RISK FACTORS
To prevent atrial fibrillation, some risk factors can be controlled or changed.
Controllable risk factors
- High cholesterol
- high blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Smoke
- Overweight
- Caffeine
- Alcohol abuse
- sedentary
- Some drugs
- Sleep apnea
Uncontrollable risk factors
- Family history
- Aging
- Congenital heart defects
DIAGNOSIS
Detecting and quantifying atrial fibrillation can be a complex operation. The doctor may use one or more of the following tests to determine whether or not the patient has atrial fibrillation:
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Stress test
- Long-term monitoring devices
- Event recorder
- Holter
- Implantable cardiac monitor
