If you have seen a heart doctor, you might have heard the term atrial fibrillation. So what is atrial fibrillation? In this video, you will get a breakdown of this condition and how it can affect you.
Atrial fibrillation, more commonly known as A-fib, is an irregular and often very rapid heart rhythm (arrhythmia) that can lead to blood clots in the heart.
A-fib increases the risk of stroke, heart failure, and other heart-related complications. The heart’s upper chambers (atria) beat out of coordination with the lower chambers (ventricles). This condition comes on extremely quickly. This condition may have no symptoms, but when symptoms do appear they include palpitations, shortness of breath, and fatigue. The most obvious symptom of atrial fibrillation is heart palpitations – where the heart feels like it’s pounding, fluttering, or beating irregularly, often for a few seconds or possibly a few minutes. Atrial fibrillation treatment may involve medications, therapy to reset the heart rhythm (cardioversion), surgery or catheter procedures. Atrial fibrillation can result in permanent heart damage, although that’s fairly uncommon.
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