Since our heart is the organ that literally keeps us alive, it's no wonder that heart problems are among the most dreaded of health issues. The condition known as atrial fibrilation causes the heart to beat irregularly, and often abnormally fast. This is marked contrast to a normal, healthily functioning heart which will beat at around sixty to one hundred beats per minute when resting, and will have a regular rhythm.
This heartbeat irregularity is its chief characteristic and it can cause several symptoms, including shortness of breath, dizziness and tiredness. The palpitations that can accompany this can take the heartbeat to over 140 beats a minute. However, some sufferers have little or nothing in the way of symptoms and can be unaware that their heart is functioning improperly.
In a normally functioning heart, its muscular walls contract and relax in a mechanism known as systole and diastole. This process forces the blood out of the heart and into the body, then draws fresh blood in again. When AF occurs, the upper chambers of the heart (known as the atria) contract quickly and randomly, preventing the organ from relaxing properly between contractions. This impacts the heart's overall efficiency and thus its capacity to supply the body with blood.
Although the exact cause of the problem is not properly understood, it stems from a disruption in the heart's electrical signals. When these signals fire in a sudden, random manner, they interfere with the heart's inbuilt pacemaker. This causes the organ to beat too quickly, too slowly, irregularly or a combination of these.
In some patients, AF is very short-term and can come and go within a day or two. Other cases can last a week or more, while others can extend to over a year. Still other cases are more or less permanent and call for more significant intervention.
All varieties of the condition are more common in men than women, and are more common the older people get (although it can occur at any age). It is also more common in people with other conditions such as high blood pressure, arterial disease or a separate heart condition. Certain lifestyle factors are also thought to be triggers for the condition, heavy drinking and smoking being chief among them.
Although the condition is not usually life-threatening, it can be distressing and usually benefits from treatment. The main interventions consist of medication, controlled electric shocks or the fitting of a pacemaker. These interventions can often be successful and give patients a much-needed improvement in their quality of life.
This heartbeat irregularity is its chief characteristic and it can cause several symptoms, including shortness of breath, dizziness and tiredness. The palpitations that can accompany this can take the heartbeat to over 140 beats a minute. However, some sufferers have little or nothing in the way of symptoms and can be unaware that their heart is functioning improperly.
In a normally functioning heart, its muscular walls contract and relax in a mechanism known as systole and diastole. This process forces the blood out of the heart and into the body, then draws fresh blood in again. When AF occurs, the upper chambers of the heart (known as the atria) contract quickly and randomly, preventing the organ from relaxing properly between contractions. This impacts the heart's overall efficiency and thus its capacity to supply the body with blood.
Although the exact cause of the problem is not properly understood, it stems from a disruption in the heart's electrical signals. When these signals fire in a sudden, random manner, they interfere with the heart's inbuilt pacemaker. This causes the organ to beat too quickly, too slowly, irregularly or a combination of these.
In some patients, AF is very short-term and can come and go within a day or two. Other cases can last a week or more, while others can extend to over a year. Still other cases are more or less permanent and call for more significant intervention.
All varieties of the condition are more common in men than women, and are more common the older people get (although it can occur at any age). It is also more common in people with other conditions such as high blood pressure, arterial disease or a separate heart condition. Certain lifestyle factors are also thought to be triggers for the condition, heavy drinking and smoking being chief among them.
Although the condition is not usually life-threatening, it can be distressing and usually benefits from treatment. The main interventions consist of medication, controlled electric shocks or the fitting of a pacemaker. These interventions can often be successful and give patients a much-needed improvement in their quality of life.
About the Author:
Neil P. Hines is passionate about providing intelligent, unbiased and highly relevant medical information for people dealing with a wide range of medical conditions, including cardiovascular diseases. If you are interested in learning more about The Risk Factors of A-fib he recommends that you visit his friends at St. Mary's Heart and Vascular Center.
No comments:
Post a Comment