Heart-related diseases have very severe effects on the daily life of the patient. Most of the time person is unable to perform any activity when his heart isn’t supporting him and functioning properly. That’s why treating all sorts of heart conditions on time is highly important.
Today we will discuss one of the most common heart diseases called Atrial Fibrillation. We also discuss Atrial Fibrillation Symptoms, causes, and treatments in detail. Keep reading the article to get maximum information about this disease.
What is Atrial Fibrillation?
In Atrial Fibrillation, the heart beats irregularly. This disease arises from the upper chambers of the heart. The normal electrical impulse of the heart gets disturbed by this disease which causes a fast and chaotic heartbeat.
Initially, this disease doesn’t seem to be dangerous, but specialists suggest getting on-time treatment. Untreated Atrial Fibrillation can later causes stroke or other heart diseases like Atrial Flutter.
Types of Atrial Fibrillation
Identifying the exact type of Atrial Fibrillation is essential for getting the Afib Treatment. There are four basic types of Atrial Fibrillation which are divided based on the severity and lasting time.
Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
This type of Atrial Fib can last from 24 hours to a whole week. Most patients don’t even identify this disorder because of a lack of any major symptoms. The most common symptom is a slow heartbeat. Usually, treatments are not required for this type.
Persistent Atrial Fibrillation
This type of Atrial Fibrillation last longer than a week. You will experience an irregular heart rhythm for more than a week. In some cases, the heartbeat returns to normal after some, but mostly, treatment is required for a complete cure.
Long-Term Persistent Atrial Fibrillation
This Atrial Fibrillation type is considered to be more dangerous than persistent or Paroxysmal Afib. In this type, the abnormal heartbeat lasts for more than a year. Patients require regular medication to deal with this type of Atrial Fibrillation.
Permanent Atrial Fibrillation
If an irregular heartbeat is not getting treated after all the treatments and even surgeries, this means you have Permanent Afib. This type will probably last forever, and you might need regular medication to main a normal heartbeat.
Atrial Fibrillation Symptoms
The most important in the treatment of Atrial Fibrillation is diagnosing the disease. Usually, Atrial Fibrillation ECG is used to diagnose this disorder, but the patient must also be aware of the symptoms.
We have shared some of the common symptoms Afib patient claims to have during their disease.
- Fatigue and extreme pain in the body
- Irregular heartbeat; mostly rapid and fast
- Heart palpitations
- Difficulty in breathing, especially while lying down.
- Pain in chest
- The feeling of dizziness and fainting
Causes of Atrial Fibrillation
Doctors and heart specialists prefer to identify the cause of Atrial Fibrillation before starting the treatment. Knowing what is affecting the heartbeat and causing Afib is important. We have shared some of the Atrial Fibrillation Causes below.
- Disturbance in the electrical signal of the heart causes Afib.
- Low oxygen levels affect the blood circulation in the heart, which causes Atrial Fibrillation.
- One of the causes of Afib is the rapid contraction of atria which causes ventricles to beat too fast. This is also called Afib with RVR.
- People who smoke and drink alcohol uncontrolled develop different heart conditions with time.
- Coronary heart disease and blood pressure damage the heart muscles, which later cause Afib.
- High cholesterol levels and obesity are the major cause of many heart diseases.
Atrial Fibrillation Treatment
Even though some types of Atrial Fibrillation are not dangerous and get better on their own, treatment is still important to eradicate any future risk. It would be best to ask your doctor, who will suggest the right Atrial Fibrillation Treatment according to your condition.
Some common treatment ways for Atrial Fibrillation are discussed below.
Medical Treatment
Most of the time, for treating Atrial Fibrillation Medical Procedure is used. Certain medications are very effective for regulating the heart rhythm. We have listed some of the common Afib medications. But make sure to consult with your doctor before taking them.
- Metoprolol
- Propafenone
- Amiodarone
- Warfarin
Surgical Treatment
In some cases, when Atrial Fibrillation gets severe, surgery might be required. The most common surgical treatment is Ablation for Afib.
In this surgery, a layer of tissue is removed by freezing or scaring the inner part of the heart. The goal is to regulate the electrical signal to treat irregular heartbeat.
Ayurvedic Treatment
Some patients prefer Ayurvedic medicine over generic or brand-name drugs. Luckily there are many Ayurvedic medications available for treating Atrial Fibrillation. These Ayurvedic pills are as effective as any other medicine and don’t have any side effects.
Exercise Treatment
To maintain a healthy heart exercising the most effective way. But an Afib Heart patient cannot exercise heavily to avoid affecting the heartbeat. But some activities will be helpful for heart health and don’t affect the heartbeat a lot.
- Acupuncture
- Yoga
- Meditation
- Slow walking
Preventions
The Afib Treatment gets much easier and more effective if the patient follows the prevention and safety measures. Following the prevention has been proven helpful in improving heart health and limiting the side effects.
We have shared some of the easy and most effective preventive measures. Every Afib patient must follow them.
- You must follow the doctor’s prescription and take the medications on time.
- An Afib patient cannot consume any alcohol and also cannot smoke.
- Get regular medical checkups and test like Afib and Atrial Flutter ECG.
- Do light exercises every day to improve your heart’s health.
- Follow a healthy diet plan and consume the required vitamins and minerals.
- Losses the extra weight and eat low cholesterol food.
Bottom Line
Keeping the heart healthy should be everyone’s priority. But getting Treatment is very important if you have developed a disease like Atrial Fibrillation. You should never ignore your light symptoms and get medical checkups.
Diagnose the Atrial Fibrillation Causes and remove the causing factors from your lifestyle. Quit smoking and eating unhealthy. Living healthy and longer requires some effort that you must be willing to do.