Does your heart race, skip beats, or flutter in your chest?
In some situations, palpitations are normal. But if your heartbeat feels irregular and rapid, you might have atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation doesn’t always need treatment, but you should always get symptoms checked.
Make sure you’re up to speed and informed when it comes to changes to our most vital organ. Avoiding learning about the heart can lead to disastrous consequences. Instead, be confident about what’s normal and when to seek medical advice.
Read on for the essential facts about atrial fibrillation.
Atrial Fibrillation Causes
Lifestyle-related diseases and genetic abnormalities can all cause atrial fibrillation. But it’s more common to develop atrial fibrillation from lifestyle factors, rather than genetics. The main causes of atrial fibrillation are:
- High blood pressure
- Heart attack
- Coronary artery disease
- Heart surgery
- Abnormal heart valves or heart defects
- Lung disease
- Metabolic diseases
- Viral infections
- Stress
Improving your lifestyle can reduce your risk of atrial fibrillation. If you’re born with defects to the heart, healthy living is vital to reduce your risk of having a major cardiac event.
Atrial Fibrillation Symptoms
Atrial fibrillation doesn’t always present symptoms straight away. And sometimes, it is only diagnosed at routine medical examinations. But here are the main symptoms to look out for:
- Palpitations
- Chest pain
- Tiredness and weakness
- Dizziness
- Shortness of breath
If your symptoms are occasional, this is called paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. If symptoms are regular, it’s called persistent atrial fibrillation.
Symptoms often resolve on their own, but if they last longer than 12 months, you are diagnosed with either long-standing persistent or permanent atrial fibrillation.
Atrial Fibrillation Treatment
Treatment varies from case-to-case and depends on which type of atrial fibrillation you have. But all treatment options aim to return the heart rate to a regular rhythm.
The first-line treatment for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation is lifestyle modification. By making healthy changes, you can improve heart health and reduce symptoms. Increase exercise, improve your diet, and cut out smoking to get the best benefits!
Medications and shock therapy can restore a normal heart rhythm if you have persistent, long-standing, or permanent atrial fibrillation.
Although you might not need a prescription, you should always consult a physician for an in-depth examination if you’re having symptoms. You can also help yourself by learning all about atrial fibrillation. Use informative, and trusted resources for more info about keeping your heart healthy.
Get Your Beat Back on Track if You Have Atrial Fibrillation
So that’s the low-down on atrial fibrillation. If you’re experiencing any irregular heart symptoms, now you know what to do about it.
Make healthy changes to your lifestyle and see a doctor to check out your heart health. Hopefully, you’ll be back to a healthy beat in no time.
Did you find this post useful? Make sure to check out our other posts for all the latest hot topics in health, business, home, and more!
