Do you feel that your heart beats twice as fast as the average resting heart rate? It’s not your new romance but a heart disease that can bring some heart-related complications. You need to consult a doctor for your irregular heartbeat treatment and not your lover at least for Afib.
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a common heart rhythm disorder that makes it difficult for the heart to pump blood, increasing the person’s risk of heart diseases like stroke.
To be precise, it's a condition when the two upper heart chambers experience chaotic electrical signals, resulting in irregular heart rhythm. This rhythm disturbance is the most common disorder across the globe, with 1-2% prevalence, suggest experts.
Let’s understand in detail.
People suffering from this disease feel their heart rates getting elevated even when they aren’t doing any physical activities. The fact is that a person suffering from atrial fibrillation can beat from 100 to 175 beats per minute (bpm) which is more than the average heartbeat, i.e. 60 to 100 bpm.
During such conditions, patients commonly complain of heart fluttering, quivering or flip-flopping. Don't get it wrong, though!
In some cases, people don't experience such symptoms. With every AFib episode, you may feel like your heart is relaxed at one time while at the next moment it's racing fast or beating too slow. For low-risk individuals, AFib can be troublesome but not dangerous.
Other symptoms include:
- shortness of breath
- fatigue
- dizziness
- palpitations
- chest pain
- Electrolyte imbalances in your blood (such as sodium or potassium)
- Changes in heart muscle
- Injury from a heart attack
- The healing process after heart surgery
It’s simple: Irregular heart rhythms can occur to a normal, healthy person too.
If you don’t get your irregular heartbeat treatment, the risk factors may include:
- High blood pressure
- Coronary artery disease, valve disease or heart failure
- Rheumatic heart disease or pericarditis
- Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid)
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Lung or kidney disease
- Sleep apnea
AFib can turn dangerous if it goes undetected. Early treatment is the key to overcome frequent heart irregularities.
Studies have found that AFib patients are 3-5 times more likely to have a stroke. Unfortunately, strokes can cause severe impairment and potentially death. Luckily, it doesn't contribute to heart attacks but is associated with other diseases like congestive heart failure.
What are the treatments available for Afib?
Proper medication and therapy treatment can help in curing the disease.
Doctors will accurately diagnose the patient and provide medications. As a patient, you need to listen to your doctor's instruction and cut down on caffeine and alcohol since it's beneficial in fighting against extreme heart irregularities.
Another popular treatment is electrical cardioversion wherein the doctor uses shocks to stop very severe rhythms. Several studies have found that this method is over 90% effective in helping people return to normal sinus rhythm.
It would be advisable to speak with your healthcare provider about how you should get ready for your treatment. Don’t hesitate in asking about the electrical cardioversion procedure and its side effects.
Pranayam Lung and Heart Institute is a super speciality cardio-pulmonary care centre specialised in lung & heart disease treatments. We offer you the best medical facilities to combat your arrhythmia. Rely on the reputed heart specialist in Baroda.
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