Breaking Down What to Know About Atrial Fibrillation

If you find yourself short of breath often, you could be one of millions of Americans with atrial fibrillation, or AFib.

Atrial fibrillation is a common heart condition. More than 454,000 people in the U.S. are hospitalized for it each year. It’s also known as the leading cause of stroke and congestive heart failure in the United States.

Although it can seem harmless when it’s first developing, it can lead to heart failure, stroke, blood clots and other heart-related problems if it’s not treated. Find out what the symptoms of this condition are so you can prevent further problems.

First of all, what is atrial fibrillation?

Atrial fibrillation is an irregular heartbeat, or an arrhythmia. In fact, it’s the most common type of heart arrhythmia.

AFib happens when the beating in the upper chambers of your heart is off pace with the beating of the lower chambers. Instead of a smooth beat, your heart quivers. When you have an irregular heartbeat like this, the blood doesn’t flow like it should to the lower chambers of the heart. This can lead to some serious health conditions if untreated.

What causes atrial fibrillation?

The exact cause of AFib is not yet known, but some health conditions lead to the development of AFib. These include:

An existing heart defect
Heart disease
High blood pressure
Lung disease
Pneumonia
Previous heart surgery
Sleep apnea
Thyroid issues
Viral infections

Are there risk factors for atrial fibrillation?

The older you are, the greater your risk of atrial fibrillation. People who have high blood pressure are also at a higher risk for getting the condition.

Here are some additional risk factors for developing AFib:

- Abnormal heart valves
- Age over 60 years old
- Alcohol use
- Caffeine or nicotine use
- Chronic medical conditions, such as chronic kidney disease, diabetes, heart failure, high blood pressure, hyperthyroidism, ischemic heart disease
- Congenital heart disease
- Diabetes
- Electrolyte imbalance
- Enlarged chambers of the left side of your heart
- European descent
- Family history of AFib
- High blood pressure
- History of sleep apnea
- Narrowed heart arteries
- Obesity
- Overactive or underactive thyroid gland
- A previous heart attack
- Prior heart surgery, heart failure, cardiomyopathy and other heart damage
- Smoking
- Taking certain over-the-counter cough and cold medicines and certain prescription drugs

What are the symptoms of atrial fibrillation?

The main symptom you may feel with AFib is an unusually strong or irregular heartbeat. You might feel like your heart is quivering or skipping beats. Or, sometimes it feels like your heart is doing flip flops or banging against your chest.

You might also have some of these symptoms:

Chest pain
Dizziness
Extreme fatigue
Fast heart rate
Heart palpitations (rapid, flutter or pounding)
Intolerance to exercise
Irregular heartbeat
Lightheadedness
Nausea
Shortness of breath
Weakness

Sometimes, people with AFib don’t experience any symptoms at all. This is why it’s important to have regular check-ups with your primary care provider so they can help detect warning signs.

If you have atrial fibrillation, what symptoms should you go to the hospital for?

Any time you feel your heart beating strangely or you have chest pain, let your doctor know right away. You should go to the emergency room if your symptoms last 24 hours or your symptoms get worse.

Whenever you feel like you’re having the symptoms of a stroke or heart attack, call 911 immediately. More specifically, if you have any of the following symptoms, go to the emergency room right away:

Chest pain that lasts more than five to 10 minutes
Difficulty breathing
Feeling cold and clammy
Feeling like you will pass out
Feeling very weak

Are there treatment options for atrial fibrillation?

It’s important to treat AFib. If you don’t, your risk of having a heart-related death doubles. You’re also five times more likely to have a stroke. AFib causes one out of every seven strokes.

Proper atrial fibrillation management can include:

Ablation surgery that freezes areas of heart tissue causing AFib
Blood thinners to prevent blood clots
Brief electrical shock to reset the rhythm of your heart
Cardioversion — using a medication or electric current to reset the heart rhythm
Heart catheter
Left atrial appendage closure procedure — a procedure used to help reduce the risk of stroke associated with atrial fibrillation. You may need a left atrial appendage closure procedure to help reduce your risk of stroke in people who cannot take blood-thinning medications.
Medications that can help normalize your heart rate and rhythm
Rate control medications
Rhythm control medications
Weight loss surgery

And finally, are there things you can do to avoid atrial fibrillation?

The best way to avoid developing AFib is to lead a healthy lifestyle. This includes:

Drinking little or no alcohol
Eating a heart-healthy diet
Exercising daily
Maintaining a healthy weight

Do you live in the Richmond, VA area?

If so, An Barry Bui, MD, (pictured above, right) along with our other skilled team members are here to help with all of your arrythmia and atrial fibrillation needs.

“Dr. Bui is a brilliant heart doctor,” Donald Withers, a satisfied patient, shares. “I’m so grateful that he was referred to me. When I first met him I was hospitalized and struggling to recover from a bleeding ulcer, sleep apnea and out of control Afib. He took over, explained everything in layman terms and then developed a strategy to address the issues. It included The Watchman procedure, complete with showing us videos of the procedure itself. Now, no Eliquis or other blood thinner for me – just baby aspirin. I am 82, walk 30 to 40 miles a month and feel great. Dr. Bui is enormously skilled, detail oriented and has a great follow-up. He goes the extra mile and does it with grace and dignity. He knows his stuff and communicates it like a next-door neighbor. I could not be happier. Consider yourself lucky if you are one of his patients. He’s the best.”