Take Charge of Your Health - Atrial Fibrillation aka AFib

We each have a finite number of heartbeats, a finite amount of time.
But we have enough heartbeats and enough time to do what is important.
-Susan Taylor

Do you ever feel like your heart races? Flutters? Or skips some beats? Perhaps you feel tired, short of breath, or experience dizziness? If you experience any of these symptoms, you may wish to speak with your doctor and ask about atrial fibrillation (AFib) — a common heart condition which involves a malfunction of the heart’s timing that increase your risk of stroke or heart failure. Approximately 2.2 million people in the U.S. have persistent AFib.

With normal heart rhythm, each beat of your heart pumps blood to the upper chambers of the heart (the atria) and then to the lower chambers of the heart (the ventricles). Directed by your heart’s electrical system, a normal heart rate is between 60-100 beats a minute. With AFib, the heart's two upper chambers beat irregularly with the two lower chambers of the heart and the electrical connections can cause the heart to beat 100-175 beats a minute. Episodes of atrial fibrillation may come and go, or can be more constant.

Although atrial fibrillation is typically not life-threatening, it does have the potential to lead to blood clots which can block blood flow in the heart or the clot can travel to other parts of the body. This is why it is important that people who have AFib see a physician because left untreated, they are more likely to have a stroke than those with a normal sinus rhythm.

Signs and symptoms of AFib to watch out for include: heart palpitations, chest pain, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, lightheadedness, or dizziness. These symptoms may come and go, lasting for a few minutes or for hours. On the other hand, symptoms can last weeks and then go away on their own or may be permanent.

Treatments for atrial fibrillation include medications and other interventions to try to alter the heart's electrical system. As an example, an electrical cardioversion electrically resets the heart to a normal rhythm so that medication can then be used to successfully maintain this normal rhythm. Other options include an ablation, which is when tiny catheters are placed into the atria that use heat or cold energy to create tiny scars in the heart to block the abnormal electrical signals and restore a normal heartbeat.

In terms of prevention, a healthy lifestyle can help reduce your risk of AFib and heart disease. Strategies include: eating a heart-healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, reducing your stress, and limiting your intake of alcohol and caffeine.