What is Atrial Fibrillation and Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation

Main Article Categories

Resources

"Heart Disease" Article
Article Directory Home

Disease And Illness

Heart Disease

What is Atrial Fibrillation and Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation By Expert Author: Peter Hutch
View Summary \| Submitted: 2008-06-26 \| Word Count: 473 words \| Views: 92 view(s)

Atrial fibrillation (AF or afib) is a cardiac arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm) that involves the two upper chambers (atria) of the heart. It can often be identified by taking a pulse and observing that the heart beats don't occur at regular intervals, but a conclusive indication of AF is the absence of P waves on an electrocardiogram (ECG). AF is the most common arrhythmia; risk increases with age, with 8% of people over 80 having AF.

Symptoms of Atrial Fibrillation

A heart in atrial fibrillation doesn't beat efficiently. It may not be able to pump an adequate amount of blood out to your body with each heartbeat, causing a drop in your blood pressure.

Palpitations, which are sensations of a racing, uncomfortable, irregular heartbeat or a flopping in your chest

Heart valve disease: This can be something you are born with or be caused by infection or degeneration/calcification of valves with age.

Enlargement of the left ventricle walls (left ventricular hypertrophy)

What Causes Atrial Fibrillation?

Atrial fibrillation is associated with many conditions, including:

High blood pressure

Coronary artery disease (hardening of the heart arteries)

Heart valve disease

Having undergone heart surgery

The two lower chambers - the right and left ventricles - of the heart are also affected by AF. Rapid and irregular beating does not allow sufficient time for the ventricles to adequately fill with blood before being stimulated to pump the blood out of the heart again.

Heart palpitations (described as "pounding", "racing" or "fluttering" heart)

Shortness of breath

How is atrial fibrillation treated?
The treatment for atrial fibrillation depends on how severe your symptoms are. It also depends on whether you have heart disease or have recently had a stroke.

To prevent the possibility of clotting and stroke, doctors often prescribe the drug warfarin to thin the blood in AF patients determined to have a high risk of stroke. Individuals on warfarin therapy must be monitored with periodic blood tests to make sure their blood is thin enough to prevent clots, but not so thin as to promote bleeding.

Long-term treatment varies depending on the cause of the atrial fibrillation or flutter. Medication may include beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, digitalis or other medications (such as anti-arrhythmic drugs), which slow the heartbeat or the conduction of the impulse from the atria to the ventricles.

Radiofrequency ablation may be effective in some patients when medications don't work. In this procedure, thin and flexible tubes are introduced through a blood vessel and directed to the heart muscle. Then a burst of radiofrequency energy is delivered to destroy tissue that triggers abnormal electrical signals or to block abnormal electrical pathways.

Digoxin (Lanoxin®) is often used to treat patients with heart failure, since it can stimulate the left ventricle to contract and pump blood a little more vigorously. Digoxin also slows electrical conduction through the AV node and can thus decrease the rate at which electrical impulses are conducted from the atria to the ventricles.

About the Author/Author Bio

Read About Travel To Switzerland Magazine. Also read about Travel To Switzerland Magazine Directory and Travel To Switzerland Magazine, Switzerland Health.

Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/What-is-Atrial-Fibrillation-and-Treatment-of--Atrial-Fibrillation/150102

Article Tags: alternative medicine, what is atrial fibrillation, causes of atrial fibrillation, symptoms of atrial fibrillation, treatment of atrial fibrillation

This article has been viewed 92 time(s).

More "Heart Disease" Related Articles

Listed below are more articles related to the above article from the "Heart Disease" article category.

People interested in the above article "What is Atrial Fibrillation and Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation" are also interested in the related articles listed below:

Fish or Fish Oil Capsules for Heart Disease?

Expert Author: Emilia Klapp, R.D., B.S. | Submitted: 2008-08-18 | Word Count: 699 | Views: 14

Research shows that we can derive the same benefits from fish than from fish oil capsules as far as Omega-3 fats is concerned, since both do an equally good job at enriching the blood and other body tissues with healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Mediterranean Diet: Watermelon Can Lower Your High Blood Pressure

Expert Author: Emilia Klapp, R.D., B.S. | Submitted: 2008-08-11 | Word Count: 510 | Views: 4

According to new research, watermelon juice has been found to be a new source of the essential amino acid arginine. Our body needs arginine to produce nitric oxide, which has been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce blood clotting and protect against heart attacks and strokes.

Having A Good Heart and Healthy Aging

Expert Author: Jan Richards | Submitted: 2008-08-08 | Word Count: 620 | Views: 6

As we grow older we, experience higher risks of heart disease, cholesterol increase, weaken joints, muscles, and so on. Most people who experience illnesses often feel frustrated and experience feelings of despair. People who suffer illnesses or tragedies unfortunately set themselves up, saying, "It can't happen to me." It can happen to any of us, which is why we should take the steps in our youth to prevent illnesses and tragedies.

Trying To Prevent Heart Attacks

Expert Author: Jan Richards | Submitted: 2008-08-08 | Word Count: 281 | Views: 13

Strict changes in diet and lifestyle can not only prevent heart attacks, but can reverse the clogging of the arteries, according to a small but pioneering study. The study showed that a vegetarian diet, moderate exercise and an hour a day of yoga and meditation could produce a reversal of atherosclerosis, a blockage of the arteries that can lead to a heart attack, in men and women who were strict in following the daily regimen.

Having Heart Failure

Expert Author: Jan Richards | Submitted: 2008-08-08 | Word Count: 499 | Views: 13

Whenever cardiac conditions develop these conditions, weaken or damage your heart, which leads to heart failure. In a weakened condition, the heart over time can no longer keep up with even the normal demands placed on it. The ventricles may become stiff and not fill properly between beats. The heart ventricles stretch (dilate) to the point that the heart cannot pump blood efficiently throughout your body.

A Look At Congestive Heart Failure

Expert Author: Jan Richards | Submitted: 2008-08-08 | Word Count: 498 | Views: 34

The human body is a magnificent machine that works in harmony with nature. The machinery needs proper care and sometimes parts replaced. Like the machine so the heart also needs help to prevent failure. The pump may not pump enough blood to meet your body's needs, which can lead into congestive heart failure.

Omega-3 Fats from Fish Reduce the Risk of Repeat Heart Attacks by as Much as 45 per cent

Expert Author: Emilia Klapp, R.D., B.S. | Submitted: 2008-08-04 | Word Count: 801 | Views: 107

Interest in the Mediterranean diet with its high content of Omega-3 fatty acids from fish has skyrocketed in recent years, after it has been observed that people living in regions bordering the Mediterranean Sea appeared to live longer and suffer less from cardiovascular disease. In particular, a Mediterranean diet that includes fish has long been associated with a low rate of heart disease in countries such as Spain, Greece, and Italy.

View Heart Disease Popular Articles | View Heart Disease Top Authors

Print Article

Comment on Article

Favorite Article

Email to Friend

Republish Article

Article Directory Home

Disease And Illness

Heart Disease

Can't find what you're looking for? Try Google Search!

(Search in 23 languages: English, Spanish, Japanese, Arabic, Italian, German,
Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Dutch, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Greek,
Swedish, Romanian, Polish, Norwegian, Finnish, Danish, Czech, Croatian, Bulgarian)

(We serve worldwide - Locations updated as at Saturday, 30 August 2008 09:24 am , Singapore)

United States of America, USA . United Kingdom, UK (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) . Canada . Afghanistan . Albania . Algeria . American Samoa . Andorra . Angola . Anguilla . Antarctica . Antigua & Barbuda . Argentina . Armenia . Aruba . Australia . Austria . Azerbaijan . Bahamas . Bahrain . Bangladesh . Barbados . Belarus . Belgium . Belize . Benin . Bermuda . Bhutan . Bolivia . Bonaire . Bosnia-Herzegovina . Botswana . Brazil . British Virgin Islands . Brunei Darrusalam . Bulgaria . Burkina Faso . Burundi . Cambodia . Cameroon . Cape Verde . Cayman Islands . Central African Republic . Chad . Channel Islands . Chile . China . Christmas Island . Colombia . Comoros . Congo . Congo (Dem. Rep.) . Cook Islands . Costa Rica . Côte d'Ivoire . Croatia . Cuba . Curacao . Cyprus . Czech Republic . Denmark . Djibouti . Dominica . Dominican Republic . East Timor . Ecuador . Egypt . El Salvador . Equatorial Guinea . Eritrea . Estonia . Ethiopia . Falkland Islands and Dependencies . Faroe Islands . Fiji . Finland . France . French Guiana . French Polynesia . Gabon . Gambia . Gaza . Georgia . Germany . Ghana . Gibraltar . Greece . Greenland . Grenada . Guadeloupe . Guam . Guatemala . Guinea . Guinea-Bissau . Guyana . Haiti . Hawaiian Islands . Honduras . Hong Kong . Hungary . Iceland . India . Indonesia . Iran . Iraq . Isle Of Man . Israel . Italy . Ivory Coast . Jamaica . Japan . Johnston Atoll . Jordan . Kazakhstan . Kenya . Kiribati . Korea (North) . Korea (South) . Kuwait . Kyrgyzstan . Laos . Latvia . Lebanon . Leeward Islands . Lesotho . Liberia . Libya . Liechtenstein . Lithuania . Luxembourg . Macau . Macedonia . Madagascar . Malawi . Malaysia . Maldives . Mali . Malta . Marshall Islands . Martinique . Mauritania . Mauritius . Mexico . Micronesia (Federated States) . Midway Islands . Moldova . Monaco . Mongolia . Montserrat . Morocco . Mosquito Coast . Mozambique . Myanmar (Burma) . Namibia . Nauru . Navassa Island . Nepal . Netherlands . Netherlands Antilles . New Caledonia . New Zealand . Nicaragua . Niger . Nigeria . Niue . Norfolk Island . Northern Mariana Islands . Norway . Oman . Pakistan . Palau . Palestine . Panama . Papua New Guinea . Paracel Islands . Paraguay . Peru . Philippines . Pitcairn Islands . Poland . Portugal . Puerto Rico . Qatar . Reunion . Romania . Russia . Rwanda . Ryukyu Islands . Saint Helena . Saint Kitts and Nevis . Saint Lucia . Saint Pierre & Miquelon . Saint Vincent & The Grenadines . Samoa . San Marino . São Tom?& Príncipe . Saudi Arabia . Senegal . Serbia . Seychelles . Sierra Leone . Singapore . Slovakia . Slovenia . Solomon Islands . Somalia . South Africa . Spain . Sri Lanka . Sudan . Suriname . Swaziland . Sweden . Switzerland . Syria . Taiwan . Tajikistan . Tanzania . Thailand . Togo . Tonga . Transkei . Trinidad & Tobago . Tunisia . Turkey . Turkmenistan . Turks and Caicos Islands . Tuvalu . US Virgin Islands . Uganda . Ukraine . United Arab Emirates . Upper Volta . Uruguay . Uzbekistan . Vanuatu . Vatican City (Holy See) . Venezuela . Vietnam . Wake Island . Windward Islands . Yemen . Yugoslavia . Zaire . Zambia . Zimbabwe

Copyright © 2005 - by Larry Lim, Singapore - Article Search Engine Directory at ArticleSphere.com™
All Rights Reserved Worldwide. All Trademarks and Servicemarks are the property of the respective owners.

Template Design by Internet Marketing Singapore | Internet Marketing