People often say their heart skips a beat when they first meet the one they love. And while that’s a cute, romantic notion, if it’s skipping a beat much more often than that, it might be cause for concern.
In fact, it might be atrial fibrillation, the most common type of treated heart arrhythmia. AFib as it’s sometimes called, affects between 3 and 6 million Americans. It’s responsible for more than 450,000 hospitalizations and is a contributing factor in more than 150,000 deaths each year. So it’s an incredibly serious condition.
September is Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month, which is a great time to learn about the condition, the risk factors, the signs and symptoms, and when and how to get treated if you have it.
About AFib
AFib is a condition in which the heart chambers fail to contract in a coordinated, rhythmic way. When a person has AFib, the normal beating in the upper chambers of the heart (the two atria) is irregular, and blood doesn’t flow as well as it should from the atria to the lower chambers of the heart (the two ventricles). That means the heart may not be pumping enough oxygen-rich blood out to the body. It can be characterized by a racing, pounding heartbeat that happens for no apparent reason, or a person may be tired, feel short of breath or have no energy. It may happen in brief episodes, or it may be a permanent condition.
AFib Risk Factors
Let’s start with the risk factors for AFib. These are among the most common:
- Advancing age
- High blood pressure
- Obesity
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea
- Diabetes
- Heart failure
- Ischemic heart disease
- Hyperthyroidism
- Chronic kidney disease
- Moderate to heavy alcohol use
- Smoking
- Enlargement of the chambers on the left side of the heart
According to the American Heart Association, high blood pressure accounts for about 1 in 5 cases of AFib. Not surprisingly, the risks for both AFib and high blood pressure increase with age.
Signs And Symptoms Of AFib
Some people who have AFib don’t even know they have it because they don’t have any symptoms. Others may experience one or more of the following:
- Irregular heartbeat
- Heart palpitations (rapid, fluttering, or pounding)
- Lightheadedness
- Extreme or unusual fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
On many occasions, AFib is discovered during a regular medical check-up when a doctor listens to a patient’s heart. If you’re regularly (or even occasionally) experiencing any of these symptoms, though, be sure to bring them up and discuss them with your healthcare provider right away.
AFib Treatment
Ablation is one procedure that’s used to treat AFib. It’s most often used when an irregular rhythm isn’t responding to medication. Many unusually fast or uncoordinated heart rhythms are triggered by areas of abnormal heart tissue that cause the heart’s electrical system to “short-circuit.” Ablating this tissue, which can be done surgically or non-surgically, prevents the short-circuit and allows the heart to return to a normal rhythm.
Medication can also be used to treat AFib. That includes medicines that control the heart’s rhythm and rate. Blood-thinning medicines that prevent blood clots can also be beneficial since AFib is associated with a five-times-greater risk for stroke.
Healthy lifestyle changes are a frequent prescription for addressing AFib as well, often in combination with some form of medication.
Unfortunately, studies show that many people with AFib who need these risk-lowering treatments are simply not getting them. It’s also important to remember that you can have Afib and not feel anything in the heart; a profound sense of fatigue or hard time breathing may be the only symptom, which may come and go. Which makes observances like Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month so important. So if you have risks, talk to your healthcare provider about what you can do to lower them. If you have symptoms, see your doctor right away. And if you’re fortunate enough to have neither, keep prioritizing your healthy heart so it can keep beating for the ones you love.
To learn more about Mount Carmel's Atrial Fibrillation Services, click below.
Source: American Heart Association, CDC