When Your Heart Skips a Beat: Atrial Fibrillation 101

Heart skips a Beat Atrial Fibrillation 101 What Is Atrial Fibrillation? The most common type of arrhythmia Arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rate or rhythm A rapid heartbeat that is irregular and often over 100 bpm Happens when the electrical signals in the heart are rapid and disorganized Can happen intermittently or be a chronic condition What Causes Atrial Fibrillation? Conditions such as hypertension or coronary artery disease Can be triggered by extreme stress ??? Risk for atrial fibrillation increases with age In some cases, the causes are unknown What Are the Symptoms of Atrial Fibrillation? Fatigue or dizziness Shortness of breath Chest pain Heart palpitations or a feeling of fluttering What Problems Are Associated with Atrial Fibrillation? Stroke Blood can pool in the heart and form a clot The clot can travel to the brain and cause a stroke Atrial fibrillation makes a stroke 5 times more likely Congestive heart failure (CHF) Happens if the heart can't pump enough blood to the lungs and body Atrial fibrillation can result from CHF or contribute to it Fatigue and shortness of breath can be signs of both atrial fibrillation and CHF How is Atrial Fibrillation Treated? Blood-thinning medications can reduce the risk of a clot Some medications can help slow down the heart and control the heart rate Other medications can help restore and maintain normal rhythm A pacemaker may be indicated if medications and other procedures don't work or result in a slow heart rate Minimizing risk factors such as smoking, salt intake, and excessive alcohol consumption can also help Choosing a minimal surgical approach with a catheter or a cryoballoon approach may be ideal Provided by: REGIONAL OArrhythmia. Heartcnstitutes MEDICAL CENTER BAYONETÇPOINT CENTER'OF FLORIDA REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER BAYONET POINT Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point Bringing werld eless healhere r cemmanity RMCHealth.ca.st Sources: http://www.stopafib.org/causes.cfm http://www.stopafib.org/why.cfm http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/atrial-fibrillation/causes-of-atrial-fibrillation.php https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/af/ https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/af/signs.html https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/af/treatment.html https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/af/causes.html http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/arr/ http://rmchealth.com/our-services/heart/atrial-fibrillation.dot When Your