Atrial fibrillation is a heart condition in which the upper chambers of the heart quiver speedily and irregularly, making blood not move properly. This causes patients’ heart rates to vary from very slow to extremely fast. This can be fatal if left untreated because this causes clots to form within the heart’s blood vessels. To help treat this disorder, doctors have been studying how Atrial fibrillation occurs and have found that it could be due to low potassium levels in the body. If you think you have atrial fibrillation, you should see a cardiologist experienced in treating atrial fibrillation in Frisco.
Causes and Risk Factors
Before understanding how it occurs, you need to know the causes of atrial fibrillation. This irregular heart rhythm can be caused by multiple things ranging from congenital conditions, metabolic disorders, thyroid problems, pulmonary embolism, or any other serious infections that affect the body’s immune system. Some medications can also cause this disorder if taken for an extended period. Besides that, people with high blood pressure or those who have suffered from a heart attack are considered to be at risk of developing atrial fibrillation.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
Atrial fibrillation is usually detected from the patient’s heart rate when it comes to symptoms. Patients with this disorder will experience their hearts beating fast and irregularly because of the irregular quivering in the heart’s upper chambers. Some patients can also have a lot of chest pain, making it difficult to breathe. However, the most life-threatening symptom is when the heart begins to stop beating, leading to blood clot formation.
Diagnosis often starts with an electrocardiogram (EKG). The cardiologist will detect if atrial fibrillation is present just by detecting the heart rate. If it is, doctors then use other technologies to determine how long the quivering has been on and whether any blood clots have formed.
Treatment and Prevention
Doctors usually treat atrial fibrillation by administering anti-clotting medications to prevent blood clots from forming. If this disorder is detected early, the most effective treatment is catheter ablation which uses electric currents to help restore normal heart rhythms. Patients diagnosed with this disorder should also change their lifestyle by eating healthy meals low in sodium, exercising regularly, and quitting smoking.
Atrial Fibrillation can be fatal because it causes blood clots to form in the heart. To help treat this disorder, doctors have been studying how Atrial fibrillation occurs and found that low potassium levels in the body could be the cause. If you think you have atrial fibrillation, go see a cardiologist experienced in treating atrial fibrillation.
In summary, Atrial fibrillation is a heart condition in which the upper chambers of the heart quiver swiftly and irregularly, making blood not move properly. This causes patients’ heart rates to vary from slow to extremely fast. This can be fatal if left untreated because this causes clots to form within the heart’s blood vessels. If you think you have atrial fibrillation, go see a cardiologist experienced in treating atrial fibrillation.