what happens when your heart is in afib?
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In atrial fibrillation, the upper chambers of the heart (the atria) beat irregularly (quiver) instead of beating effectively to move blood into the ventricles. If a clot breaks off, enters the bloodstream and lodges in an artery leading to the brain, a stroke results.
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Certain situations can trigger an episode of atrial fibrillation, including: drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, particularly binge drinking. being overweight (read about how to lose weight) drinking lots of caffeine, such as tea, coffee or energy drinks.
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Paroxysmal AFib are episodes of AFib that occur occasionally and usually stop spontaneously. Episodes can last a few seconds, hours or a few days before stopping and returning to normal sinus rhythm, which is the heart's normal rhythm. Some people may have single episodes of AFib.
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When AFib causes heart failure, fluid in the lungs can cause fatigue and shortness of breath. Oxygen-rich blood is not being delivered to the body and brain, causing physical and mental fatigue and reduced stamina.
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How atrial fibrillation feels varies from person to person. Some patients notice palpitations and irregular heartbeats and are immediately aware when atrial fibrillation starts. Others feel chest discomfort, shortness of breath, lightheadness, dizziness or a general tiredness, without having palpitations.
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Atrial fibrillation raises your risk of heart failure because the heart is beating fast and unevenly. The heart's chambers do not fill completely with blood and cannot pump enough blood to the lungs and body. Atrial fibrillation may also make your heart failure symptoms worse.
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Normally, the top chambers (atria) contract and push blood into the bottom chambers (ventricles). In atrial fibrillation, the atria beat irregularly. In atrial flutter, the atria beat regularly, but faster than usual and more often than the ventricles, so you may have four atrial beats to every one ventricular beat.
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['What is causing my atrial fibrillation? ... ', 'What symptoms should I watch for that may indicate that my Afib is getting worse? ... ', 'How great is my risk for stroke? ... ', 'What medications should I take for my Afib? ... ', 'Will coffee, tea or energy drinks affect my Afib?']
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By not getting enough oxygen to the body, afib can lead to heart and valve diseases, sleep apnea, and chronic fatigue. In addition, atrial fibrillation can lead to two potentially life-threatening conditions, congestive heart failure and stroke.
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Structural changes. High blood pressure forces your heart to pump harder and harder. When your heart is pushed to the limit for too long, the muscle doesn't get stronger – it gets thicker and stiffer. Electrical signals can't move as easily through a less flexible, enlarged heart muscle, and that could lead to AFib.
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Any of these may cause the heart to skip a beat, beat too fast, or beat too slow. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a form of arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat, in which the atria (the two small upper chambers of the heart) quiver instead of beating effectively.
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What Are The Symptoms of Afib with RVR? In most people with AFib although symptoms can sometimes be unpleasant it is generally not harmful. The main concern is stroke, but that can be treated with the use of blood thinning medications in people at risk. In Afib with RVR, basically the heart is beating too fast.
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What causes atrial fibrillation? Sometimes the cause of AFib is unknown. Other times, it is the result of damage to the heart's electrical system from other conditions, such as longstanding, uncontrolled high blood pressure or coronary artery disease. AFib is also the most common complication after heart surgery.
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Definition. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common heart rhythm disorder caused by degeneration of the electrical impulses in the upper cardiac chambers (atria) resulting in a change from an organized heart rhythm to a rapid, chaotic rhythm.
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Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a form of arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat, in which the atria (the two small upper chambers of the heart) quiver instead of beating effectively. It is one of the most common forms of cardiac arrhythmia, affecting 0.4% of the general population and 5 to 10% of persons over 65 years of age.
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In a heart attack, blood flow to the heart is blocked and heart muscle dies. This leads to ventricular fibrillation, which means the main ventricles of your heart are not pumping. In atrial fibrillation the upper chambers of the heart are pumping chaotically, but the ventricles are still doing their job," says A.
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Congestive heart failure results when your heart is overworked. The erratic electrical impulses that cause atrial fibrillation make the heart work too hard, and it becomes enlarged, ineffective, weak, and unable to pump oxygenated blood throughout the body and to the organs. Atrial fibrillation wears your heart out.