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Atrial Fibrillation (AFib)

What Is Atrial Fibrillation?

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is an irregular heartbeat, a rapid heartbeat, or a quivering of the upper chambers of the heart (atria). Atrial fibrillation is due to a malfunction in the heart’s electrical system, and is the most common sustained heart irregularity, or cardiac arrhythmia.

What Does Atrial Fibrillation Feel Like?

Different patients have different symptoms. Some patients describe AFib as feeling like fluttering, butterflies, or even a flopping fish in the chest. Some patients are completely asymptomatic and have no reduction in their ability to function. A large portion of AFib patients, however, are only aware of their AFib by how it makes them feel – tired, short-of-breath and unable to do things that had previously never been a challenge.

For some people, AFib doesn’t stop, and may continue on for hours, days, weeks, months, or even years.

Is Atrial Fibrillation Serious?

While atrial fibrillation may not sound serious, and is often considered to be a minor health issue, it can actually be quite risky and even potentially life threatening.

Since the blood doesn’t properly move from the atria into the ventricles and then on to the rest of the body, it can starve the body of oxygen-rich blood, leaving you feeling weak, tired, or even incapacitated.

Even more serious is that the blood that remains in the atria can pool and create blood clots, which may get spawned to the rest of the body, causing a stroke. Stroke is not only the number three killer, it is the number one cause of permanent disability.

Afib can also overwork the heart, and over a long period of time can cause heart failure.

Source: //www.stopafib.org/find-results.cfm