Atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is a condition whereby an alteration occurs in the rhythm of beating of the upper chambers of the heart, instead of moving with a co-ordinated contraction these heart muscles start to fibrillate (i.e. quiver).
It is the most common type of sustained irregular heart rhythm, and while it is not usually life threatening on its own, it can have deadly complications. Atrial fibrillation can disturb smooth blood flow, increasing the risk of clots that can cause organ damage or stroke. The heart’s ability to pump blood can also deteriorate, leading to heart failure.
Signs and Symptoms
-palpitations, awareness of a rapid and irregular heartbeat,
- fatigue,
- dizziness, and fainting,
- shortness of breath
- angina (chest pain due to the reduced blood flow to the heart muscles)
What causes atrial fibrillation?
Our heart beat is regulated by electrical impulses generated by the sinoatrial node. Atrial fibrillation occurs when the normal electrical impulses are overwhelmed by disorganized electrical impulses that originate in the atria and pulmonary veins leading to the conduction of irregular impulses to the ventricles that generate the heartbeat. This results in an irregular heart beat which may occur in episodes lasting from minutes to weeks, it may become a constant for years. Most cases of atrial fibrillation are secondary to other medical problems.
There are many risk factors for developing atrial fibrillation. These include: increased age (1% of people over 60 years of age have atrial fibrillation), high blood pressure, mitral valve malfunction, an overactive thyroid gland, low amounts of oxygen in the blood, blood clots in the lung, chronic lung diseases such as emphysema, drug abuse, alcoholism and congenital heart disease. In some cases, no specific physical cause can be found. A family history of atrial fibrillation can also contribute towards the increasing the risk for developing this condition. Specific genetic variations are also known to contribute to the risk of atrial fibrillation.