Atrial fibrillation (AFib or AF) may be caused due to various reasons. The commonest cause includes any damage or abnormalities in the structure of the heart. The risk of AFib may increase with age.
Some of the medical conditions that may cause AFib to include:
- After a heart surgery
- Cardiomyopathy (diseases of the heart muscles)
- Chronic (long-term) lung diseases
- High blood pressure
- Heart attack
- Coronary artery disease (CAD) (disease of the blood vessels supplying the heart)
- Valvular heart disease (abnormality in the heart valves)
- Pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the lungs)
- Congenital heart disease (a heart disease a person is born with)
- Myocarditis (viral infections)
- Hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid gland)
- Pericarditis (inflammation of the covering of the heart or pericardium)
- Age above 60 years
- Alcohol
- Excessive caffeine consumption
- Stress
- Genetic factors
What is atrial fibrillation?
Atrial fibrillation (AFib or AF) refers to abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia) that causes quivering or irregular heartbeats. It is a serious medical condition that may further lead to stroke and heart failure. The heart is a muscular organ roughly the size of a closed fist. It has two upper chambers called atria and two lower chambers called ventricles. The flow of blood into the heart, within the heart chambers, and from the heart is guarded by the four valves present in the heart. The heart gets its nutrients and oxygen through the coronary arteries that run along the surface of the heart. It is also richly supplied by a web of nerve tissue that facilitates the rhythmic heartbeat. A regular, well-coordinated heartbeat is essential for the heart to do its job: pump blood effectively throughout the body. Electrical signals travel through the heart to cause rhythmic contractions and relaxation of its chambers. Normally, the heart beats around 60-100 times a minute. This regular heartbeat is called sinus rhythm. AFib is a condition in which the electrical signals in the heart become chaotic. This results in the twitching or quivering of the atria that becomes unable to pump blood effectively into the ventricles. Contractions are not coordinated and result in an irregular and abnormally fast heart rate. This abnormally fast rhythm may cause a blood clot to break off and travel to the brain causing a stroke. Untreated AFib may increase the risk of stroke by five times. It can also make the heart weak leading to heart failure, which is a condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the demands of the body. Despite all the potential risks associated with AFib, many people are not aware that it is a serious condition.
What are the symptoms of atrial fibrillation?
The symptoms of atrial fibrillation (AFib) include:
- Palpitations (an irregular, rapid, or pounding heartbeat)
- Feeling excessively tired
- A fluttering or thumping sensation in the chest
- Dizziness or fainting episodes
- Confusion
- Shortness of breath
- Anxiety
- General weakness
- Decreased stamina or ability to exercise
- Sweating
- Chest pain or pressure
SLIDESHOW
Heart Disease: Causes of a Heart Attack See Slideshowhttps://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/atrial-fibrillation/what-is-atrial-fibrillation-afib-or-af
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Eliquis (apixaban)
Apixaban is a medication prescribed to prevent blood clots in the heart and strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation, and to prevent and treat deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. The most common side effects of apixaban involves bleeding in the stomach, intestines, brain, and eyes. Bleeding due to apixaban may be fatal.
Atrial Fibrillation (AFib)
Atrial fibrillation (AF or AFib) is an abnormality in the heart rhythm, which involves irregular and often rapid beating of the heart. Symptoms may include heart palpitations, dizziness, fainting, fatigue, shortness of breath, and chest pain. Atrial fibrillation treatment may include medication or procedures like cardioversion or ablation to normalize the heart rate.
Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Symptoms and Signs
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Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a heart rhythm disorder that causes irregular and often rapid heartbeat. The medications to treat AFib include beta-blockers, blood thinners, and heart rhythm drugs. Atrial fibrillation drugs can cause serious side effects like seizures, vision changes, shortness of breath, fainting, other abnormal heart rhythms, excessive bleeding while coughing or vomiting, blood in the stool, and bleeding into the brain.
Living With A-Fib
AFib symptoms like heart racing, fluttering, and irregular heart beat may be caused by heart disease, obesity, alcohol use, thyroid disease, and other conditions. AFib medications may include blood thinners, drugs to control heart rate or convert the heart to a normal rhythm. AFib surgery is also a treatment possibility.
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Atrial fibrillation (AFib) and ventricular fibrillation (VFib) are problems with the heart that cause abnormal heart rhythms. Check out the center below for more medical references on heart conditions, including multimedia (slideshows, images, and quizzes), related disease conditions, treatment and diagnosis, medications, and prevention or wellness.
Atrial Flutter
Atrial flutter is a problem with the atria of the heart. In atrial flutter the atria of the heart rapidly and repeatedly beat due to an anomaly in the electrical system of the heart. It is a type of arrhythmia and can be dangerous because complications can develop easily. Signs and symptoms of atrial flutter include near fainting, palpitations, mild shortness of breath, and fatigue.
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Common symptoms of these diseases are similar and include:
- Fatigue
- Blurry vision
- Lightheadedness
- Palpitations
- Feeling like you may faint
Serious symptoms of both conditions are similar and include:
- Fainting
- Sweating
- Severe shortness of breath
- Chest pain
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Rivaroxaban is a blood thinner prescribed to reduce the risk of blood clots in patients with atrial fibrillation (not due to a heart problem), treat and reduce the risk of blood clots in the legs (deep vein thrombosis or DVT) and blood clots in the lung (pulmonary embolism), and to reduce the risk of blood clots in the legs and lungs of patients who have just had hip or knee replacement. You should review the side effects, drug interactions, dosage, storage, and pregnancy safety information prior to taking this medication.sotalol
Sotalol is a medication used to treat certain heart rhythm disorders (arrhythmias), life-threatening rapid heart rate in the ventricles (ventricular tachycardia), and to maintain normal sinus rhythm in patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation. Common side effects of sotalol include shortness of breath (dyspnea), slow heart rate (bradycardia), chest pain, palpitation, new onset or exacerbation of heart rhythm disorders (proarrhythmia), abnormal ECG, low blood pressure (hypotension), congestive heart failure, fatigue, dizziness, lightheadedness, and others. Do not take if breastfeeding. Consult your doctor if pregnant.
What Rate is Considered RVR?
RVR stands for a rapid ventricular response and it can be triggered by atrial fibrillation. A ventricular rate higher than 100 beats per minute is considered rapid ventricular response.