Atrial Fibrillation
In atrial fibrillation, the upper chambers of your heart (atria) experience chaotic electrical signals which cause them to flutter or quiver uncontrollably. This may prevent your heart from beating normally, which may limit its ability to pump an adequate amount of blood out to your body with each heartbeat, thereby causing a drop in blood pressure.
Causes of Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is usually a result of defects in or damage to the heart's structure. This may be caused by disease or other factors, such as long-term high blood pressure. Sometimes it is not possible to trace the cause of atrial fibrillation, in which case it is called lone atrial fibrillation and the heart appears structurally normal. If so, the cause may be unclear but typically there are fewer serious complications with this form of a-fib.
Any of the following can possibly cause atrial fibrillation:
- High blood pressure
- Stimulant use, such as medications, caffeine or tobacco, or to alcohol
- Alcohol use
- Emphysema or other lung diseases
- Previous heart surgery
- Viral infections
- Stress due to pneumonia, surgery or other illnesses
- Sleep apnea
- Heart attack
- Abnormal heart valves
- Congenital heart defects
- An overactive thyroid or other metabolic imbalance
- Sick sinus syndrome — this occurs when the heart's natural pacemaker stops functioning properly and the heart beat fluctuates between very fast and very slow rythyms.
Risk factors include:
- Age. As you get older, you are more vulnerable to developing atrial fibrillation. The electrical and structural properties of the atria alter with age, which may lead to the breakdown of the normal atrial rhythm.
- Heart disease. Anyone with heart disease, including valve problems, history of heart attack and heart surgery, faces an increased risk of atrial fibrillation.
- Other chronic conditions. People with thyroid problems, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and other medical problems have an elevated risk of atrial fibrillation.
- Alcohol use. Use of alcohol, especially binge drinking ("Holiday Heart"), can trigger an episode of atrial fibrillation.
- Family history. An increased risk of atrial fibrillation runs in some families. In some of these cases, specific genes have been identified as the likely cause of atrial fibrillation.
What are the symptoms of Atrial Fibrillation?
Not all people who have atrial fibrillation experience symptoms, but those who do may feel any or several of the following:
- Palpitations
- Weakness
- Lightheadedness
- Confusion
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Stroke
If these symptoms are sporadic, it is called paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. In this case, symptoms may come and go, lasting for a few minutes to hours and then stopping on their own. If atrial fibrillation is discovered and treated effectively, symptoms and the risk of stroke will be markedly reduced.
How is Atrial Fibrillation treated?
Medication—Often a-fib is treated with drugs intended to reset the heart rhythm back to normal or at least control it so the heart doesn't beat dangerously fast, though it may still be irregular. Electrical shock can be used to jolt the heart back to regular rythym and blood thinners to prevent clots may also be recommended.
Radiofrequency Ablation in the Catheterization Lab—For afib conditions that do not respond to medication, an interventional ablation in the catheterization lab may be appropriate. This procedure is performed during an electrophysiology study or in the surgical suite, in which the source of a patient's heart arrhythmia is mapped, localized, and then destroyed by applying radiofrequency (RF) energy, applying electrical energy, or freezing the offending area (usually through a catheter,).
Surgery may be recommended for people who don't respond to more conservative treatment. Stamford Hospital's Heart & Vascular Institute specializes in an innovative new form of minimally invasive surgery for atrial fibrillation.
For more information or to make an appointment please call
1-877-233-WELL (9355).