Atrial Fibrillation (cont.)
What are the symptoms of atrial fibrillation?
Many patients with atrial fibrillation have no symptoms and are unaware of the
abnormal heart rhythm. The most common symptom of atrial fibrillation is
palpitations, an uncomfortable awareness of the rapid and irregular heartbeat.
Other symptoms of atrial fibrillation are caused by the diminished delivery of
blood to the body. These symptoms include dizziness, fainting, weakness,
fatigue, shortness of breath, and angina (chest pain due to reduced blood flow
to the heart muscles).
What are the complications of atrial fibrillation?
Heart Failure
If the heart is unable to pump an adequate amount of blood to the body, as
in some people with AF, the body begins to compensate by retaining fluid. This
can lead to a condition called heart failure. Heart failure results in the
accumulation of fluid in the lower legs (edema) and the lungs (pulmonary edema).
Pulmonary edema makes breathing more difficult and reduces the ability of the
lung to add oxygen to and remove carbon dioxide from the blood. The levels of
oxygen in the blood can drop, and the levels of carbon dioxide in the blood can
rise, a complication called respiratory failure. This is a life-threatening
complication.
Stroke
Quivering of the atria
in AF cause blood inside the atria to stagnate. Stagnant blood tends to
form blood clots along the walls of the atria. Sometimes, these blood clots dislodge,
pass through the ventricles, and lodge in the brain, lungs, and other
parts of the body. This process is called embolization. One common complication of
AF is a blood clot that travels to the brain and causes the sudden onset
of one-sided paralysis of the extremities and/or the facial muscles (an embolic
stroke). A blood clot that travels to the lungs can cause injury to the
lung tissues (pulmonary infarction), and symptoms of chest pain and shortness of
breath. When blood clots travel to the body's extremities, cold hands, feet, or legs
may occur suddenly because of the lack of blood.
Next: What are the risk factors for developing atrial fibrillation? »
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