Your heart should beat 60-100 times per minute to ensure proper circulation of oxygenated blood throughout your body, maintaining a steady rhythm. When the heart experiences an irregular rhythm, known as arrhythmia, complications can arise.
The most common form of arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation (A-Fib), currently affecting around 2.7 million people in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predict that this number will rise to over 12 million by 2030.
In this month’s blog post, Dr. James Kim, a heart health expert, and our team will focus on A-Fib. We will explore what A-Fib is, its risk factors, and the treatment options available for managing this condition.
Understanding A-Fib: An Abnormal Heart Rhythm
Normally, each heartbeat starts with an electrical impulse from the sinus node in your upper right atrium. This impulse causes the upper atria to contract, pushing blood into the right ventricle.
The blood then travels through the pulmonary artery to the lungs to pick up oxygen. After oxygenation, the blood returns to the heart and exits through the lower left ventricle to circulate throughout your body.
In A-Fib, the upper chambers of your heart (the atria) quiver instead of beating effectively. This quivering makes it harder for blood to move into the ventricles, leading to circulation problems and potential complications.
Symptoms of A-Fib
Some people with A-Fib have no symptoms, while others may experience:
- Heart palpitations, described as fluttering or thumping
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Chest discomfort
- Dizziness
These symptoms can be constant or occur only during physical exertion.
Complications of A-Fib
A-Fib can prevent blood from moving efficiently through your heart, increasing the risk of serious issues, including:
- Heart failure
- Heart attack
- Stroke
To give you an idea of the risk, A-Fib is responsible for 1 in 7 strokes.
Risks for A-Fib
Several factors can increase your risk of developing A-Fib, including:
- Older age
- Pre-existing heart disease
- Hypertension
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Smoking
- Excessive alcohol use
- Kidney disease
- Hyperthyroidism
While some risk factors, like age, are beyond your control, many others can be managed or improved to reduce your risk.
A-Fib Treatment
The treatment for A-Fib depends on the severity of the arrhythmia and your overall health. Our primary goal is to reduce the risk of blood clots, so we may start you on blood thinners.
We also aim to regulate your heart’s rhythm through medications and lifestyle changes, such as improving your diet, losing weight, and increasing exercise.
For severe or unresponsive A-Fib, we might recommend an ablation procedure, which creates adhesions to disrupt irregular electrical impulses and control your heart’s rhythm.
Another option is the Watchman™ device, which helps prevent blood clots from forming in your heart.
To learn more about your treatment options for A-Fib, please contact us at our offices in Chula Vista or National City, California.
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Arrhythmia, Atrial Fibrillation
