Arrhythmia & AFib

The heart’s electrical system is what controls your heart rate, or the number of times it beats per minute. On average the heart beats between 60 and 100 times per minute; and, with every beat, it’s circulating blood through the chambers and valves of the heart and onto the rest of the body.

This perfectly timed process is reliant on the heart’s electrical system for triggers. However, when there’s an issue with the electrical system, it can cause the heart to beat abnormally – too fast, too slow or irregularly.

In some cases, temporary arrhythmias can occur in healthy hearts as a result of everyday factors, including consuming caffeine or alcohol, as well as heightened emotional states. When the arrhythmia becomes persistent or does not go way, it should be evaluated by a cardiologist.

The most common type of arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation, also known as Afib.

Atrial fibrillation is a type of arrhythmia that causes a quivering or irregular heartbeat.

When your heart is operating normally, the heart contracts and relaxes in a regular rhythm. This moves blood efficiently through the heart’s chambers and on to the rest of the body.

When you experience AFib, the upper chambers of the heart—called the atria—quiver rather than beating effectively. This impedes the flow of blood into the lower chambers of the heart, the ventricles. 

Because it disrupts blood flow, AFib can increase your risk for developing blood clots, stroke, and heart failure, among other conditions.

People of all ages, genders and races are at risk of developing AFib. In fact, the condition is becoming more and more common. While several million Americans have atrial fibrillation currently, health experts expect that number to rise significantly in the next decade.

While there’s no way to prevent every case of AFib, knowing your risk can help you talk with your doctor about ways to safeguard your health. You may be at a higher risk of developing atrial fibrillation if:

• You’re of advanced age.
  While children can develop AFib in rare instances, the condition is much more likely as you get older.
  
• You have a family history of AFib.
  As with most conditions, your risk increases if an immediate family member has atrial fibrillation.
  
• You’re an athlete.
  This factor might seem odd, but AFib is actually common among those who are physically active. It’s triggered by a rapid heart rate called supraventricular tachycardia.
  
• You have chronic health issues.
  Your risk is higher if you have high blood pressure, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, kidney disease, sleep apnea, or asthma.
  
• You have an underlying heart disease.
  This can include valve problems, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or a history of heart attack. Atrial fibrillation can also occur after heart surgery.
  
• You drink an excessive amount of alcohol.
  Drinking more than a moderate amount—one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men—increases your risk. But binge drinking is especially dangerous. That’s defined as having four or more drinks in a two-hour span if a woman, or five or more drinks in two hours if a man.

Oftentimes, there are no noticeable symptoms with AFib, or they may be intermittent/infrequent symptoms. In some cases, arrhythmias can be extremely dangerous, even an emergency. Because of this, it’s extremely important to work with your cardiologist if you experience any of the following or are at an increased risk of developing it. A few symptoms you may notice as a part of AFib, include:

• Fatigue (especially with activity)
• Elevated/racing heartbeat with no increase in activity
• Heart palpitations (Thumping, fluttering, flopping or pounding in the chest)
• Confusion
• Lightheadedness or dizziness
• Feeling sweaty
• Shortness of breath

Having AFib increases a person’s risk of stroke by five fold, with some patients having even higher risk due to other conditions and factors. The reason that AFib increases this risk is because AFib can prevent the left atrium of the heart from contracting the way it normally would, leaving blood to pool and become static. That sluggish, unmoving blood can turn into a clot, which can break off and block any of the pathways where the heart sends blood up to the brain. That blockage is what we cause a stroke, and it can cause death or permanent brain damage.