Atrial fibrillation is one of the most commonly reported types of arrhythmias. This condition leads to increasing the risk of stroke, heart attack, and heart failure as well as other heart related issues.
The condition is characterized with the irregular movement of the two atrial chambers. The flow of blood in the lower compartments of the heart is severely disrupted causing obstruction of oxygen rich blood to important organs of the body. In case of atrial fibrillation, the atria and ventricles become out of sync, due to which atria contracts very fast.
Risk Factors
- High blood pressure
- Congestive cardiac failure
- Coronary artery disease
- Damaged valves of the heart
- Cardiomyopathy
- Overactive thyroid glands and congenital heart failure
- Pericarditis
- Age
- Sex, racial and ethnicity
- Genetic makeup
- Structural as well as functional issue with the heart
- Obesity
- Lung disorders
- Diabetes
- Sleep apnea
Signs and Symptoms:
- Heart ache
- Difficulty breathing
- Frequent heart related issues
- Organ failures like the lungs, kidneys and others
- Fatigue and poor strength
- Tiredness and poor appetite
Diagnosis:
Diagniosis is usually done using electrocardiogram, holter monitoring test, echocardiogram analysis, transesophageal echocardiogram analysis, chest X-ray analysis, and blood tests to confirm thyroid functions or other metabolic conditions.
Treatment:
Treatments either include prescribed drugs in case of minimal severity, but most doctors prefer surgery in cased of prolonged and severe cases.
