Known as AF, atrial fibrillation is an irregular beating of the left atrium of the heart. The left atrium is the upper chamber of the heart. There may be no symptoms or they may have typical signs. There are tests that can be performed to diagnose. Over 2.2 million Americans have AF and it increases the stroke risk for those individuals by four to six times normal.
Symptoms of AF
Symptoms of atrial fibrillation include a fluttering in the chest area about the heart, fainting, lightheadedness, fatigue, and shortness of breath. While these are the common signs of AF, they may not be the only signs. Sometimes an individual will have no signs at all of AF.
Atrial Fibrillation Diagnosis
AF can be diagnosed through an ECG, or electrocardiogram. An ECG will record the heart’s electrical activity, being able to show an irregular beat in the left atrium. Other diagnostic tests include excluding other conditions such as heart failure, lung disease, overactive thyroid gland, and faulty heart valves.
Treatment of AF
Some of the treatments that can be prescribed for those with a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation include the warfarin drug. This thins the blood. If the patient has a relatively low risk of stroke, aspirin may be substituted for warfarin. More therapies include calcium channel blockers or beta blockers, which slow the heartbeat. Another therapy can be anti-arrhythmic drugs. These all may normalize the heartbeat.
Living with Atrial Fibrillation
With warfarin treatment, the risk of stroke is decreased. While stroke risk is the number one risk in having AF, reducing this risk means a longer life with a better quality of life. There is still much research being done about AF and what it means to live with the condition. More therapies are being researched.
AF is the direct cause of 25 percent of all strokes in those over the age of 80. Risk reduction is decreased 50 percent to 66 percent in those that take warfarin treatment.
Source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Atrial Fibrillation
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/atrial_fibrillation_and_stroke/atrial_fibrillation_and_stroke.htm