Atrial fibrillation: What you need to know

October 2, 2020

Providence Heart & Vascular Team

[4 MIN READ]

If left untreated, atrial fibrillation (AFib) can significantly increase your risk for stroke or heart failure.
AFib is a potentially serious condition, but with effective treatment and healthy lifestyle changes, you can still live a full and active life.
A Providence cardiologist explores the outlook for AFib patients.

We all experience a racing heart from time to time — it's a familiar feeling when we're excited, scared, or anxious. But if your heart starts pounding for no apparent reason, it could be a serious problem called atrial fibrillation (AFib).

AFib is an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) caused by disorganized electrical signals in the upper chambers of the heart. AFib may or may not cause symptoms.

AFib may or may not cause symptoms, so it's important to take a health check and learn about the symptoms and potential side effects of this heart condition.

How does AFib affect my overall health?

With AFib, blood can stay stagnant and pool inside one of the upper heart chambers. When blood pools, clots can form. Eventually, that clot may be pumped out of the heart toward the brain where it can block an artery and cause a stroke.

Stroke is the greatest health risk for someone with AFib — in fact, someone with AFib is five times more likely to have a stroke than someone without it. Fortunately, there are many AFib treatments available today that can lower your risk for stroke and help you maintain a normal life.

Risk factors for AFib

If you have a family history of AFib, make sure to talk to your doctor and see if you have any potential risk factors. Recent research shows that people with a family history of AFib may be more likely to develop the condition or other serious cardiovascular problems. Other risk factors for developing AFib include:

Hypertension
Obesity
Sleep apnea
Valvular heart disease
Congestive heart failure

Drinking alcohol may also make someone more susceptible to AFib.

AFib and COVID-19

While AFib alone may not increase the risk for severe symptoms from COVID-19, other related heart conditions can. According to the American Heart Association, stroke survivors and people with heart disease, high blood pressure and congenital heart defects are more likely to develop complications from the virus.

I've been diagnosed with AFib. Now what?

While an AFib diagnosis can increase the risk for serious health problems, it doesn't mean you're sentenced to a sedentary life at home. While the outlook for AFib patients has improved over the last 45 years, AFib remains a severe health problem and individuals should take every step they can to prevent and treat the disease.

If you've been diagnosed with AFib, it's crucial to follow treatment from your doctor and reduce certain risk factors. With effective treatment and healthy lifestyle changes, you should be able to live a full and active life with AFib.

How to keep AFib in check

Once you're on a treatment plan for AFib, you should be able to go about your daily life as normal. As long as you're cleared by your doctor, you can continue to drive, exercise, and go to work.

Living with AFib means undergoing treatment to help control your heart rate and reduce your risk for stroke. Treatment may also involve restoring and maintaining normal heart rhythm, as well as avoiding certain triggers that may cause episodes of AFib.

Medicines for AFib

Depending on your condition, your doctor may prescribe different medicines for your AFib, including:

Blood thinners (anticoagulants)—These medicines will help reduce the risk for blood clots, which can cause a stroke.
Heart rate control medicines—These medicines lower the heart rate response to the AFib.
Heart rhythm control medicines—These medicines help keep your heart rhythm normal.

It's important to always take your medicines exactly as prescribed unless your doctor tells you to stop or change your treatment.

Other treatments for AFib

If medicines alone don't help control your irregular heartbeat, your doctor may recommend a procedure to treat it. These treatments may include:

Electrical cardioversion—During this procedure, you will be sedated and your doctor will give you an electrical shock using patches or paddles on your chest. This shock may be able to return your heart to a normal rhythm.
Ablation—Your doctor inserts insulated wires (catheters) through blood vessels and up into your heart. The doctor then delivers heat or cold through the end of the catheter to eliminate the electrical signals causing the AFib. Once these abnormal signals stop, your heart may go back to its normal rhythm.
Pacemaker—In some cases, your doctor may recommend surgery to place a small device (pacemaker) in your heart if your heart rate is getting too slow.

Your doctor can assess whether you require surgery based on your health and individual needs.

Avoiding AFib triggers

In some cases, you may be able to prevent an episode of AFib by avoiding certain triggers that can cause irregular heartbeats. Some common triggers include:

Stress or anxiety
Strenuous exercise
Poor sleep or sleep apnea
Too much alcohol

Can my AFib be cured?

AFib is not curable, but by following your treatment plan, you will be able to lower your risk for stroke caused by AFib. With treatment, a heart-healthy lifestyle and regular check-ups with your doctor, you can live a long and full life with AFib.

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