- Atrial fibrillation - types
- Atrial fibrillation - causes
- Atrial fibrillation - treatment
- Atrial fibrillation - symptoms
- Atrial fibrillation and botox
- Flickeringatria - effects
- The smartphone application allows you to detect cardiac arrhythmias in advance
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Atrial fibrillation is the most common disturbance of the heart rhythm. Atrial fibrillation is very serious as it can lead to ischemic stroke, which may result in disability or death. What are the causes of atrial fibrillation? What symptoms may accompany it? What is the treatment?
Atrial fibrillation(MP) is a type of heart rhythm disturbance (arrhythmia) that involves very rapid and irregular contractions of the atria (350-700 / min).
- During fibrillation, the atrium hardly contracts, the blood in it stagnates and tends to form a clot. This can start and, following the flow of blood, it most often travels to the cerebral vessel, clogs it and causes ischemia and necrosis of a part of the brain - says Prof. Maria Trusz-Gluza, cardiologist from the Department and Clinic of Cardiology of the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice. - It is ischemic stroke that is the most common consequence of atrial fibrillation - she adds.
When the heart is working erratically, another problem arises - the body is hypoxic. Then the heart has to work harder to compensate for it. Over time, this can lead to heart failure. In turn, hypoxia of the body can often result in irreversible changes, e.g. brain hypoxia can lead to dementia.
U about 35 percent people with atrial fibrillation develop a stroke.
Atrial fibrillation - types
It should be noted that atrial fibrillation is not the same as atrial flutter. In the latter case, atrial contractions are ordered and occur at a frequency of 250-350 / min. In turn, atrial contractions in the range of 100-250 / min are called atrial tachycardia.
There are several types of atrial fibrillation:
- periodic (paroxysmal) atrial fibrillationappears and resolves spontaneously within 7 days.
- persistent (continuous) atrial fibrillationis not self-limiting. In this case, irregular work of the atria lasts longer than 7 days
- persistent long-term atrial fibrillation- persists for more than a year
- persistent atrial fibrillationthat did not resolve after cardioversion (after the heart rhythm was restored)
Atrial fibrillation - causes
The cause of atrial fibrillation can be cardiovascular conditions, such as:
- hypertension
- defects of heart valves
- ischemic heart disease (coronary artery disease)
- cardiomyopathy
- congenital heart defects
- myocarditis
- pericarditis
Systemic diseases, which also affect the heart, can also cause atrial fibrillation, e.g.
- sarcoidosis
- amyloidosis
- hemochromatosis
- heart cancer
Other medical conditions that can lead to atrial fibrillation include:
- hyperthyroidism
- diabetes
- lung diseases
- pheochromocytoma
Frequent and rapid contractions of the atria of the heart may also appear after cardiac surgeries (this is a common problem of people after coronary artery bypass grafting, i.e. bypass surgery) or be a complication of medications, alcohol, caffeine, and stimulants.
See the gallery of 5 photos
Atrial fibrillation - treatment
There are three methods of treating atrial fibrillation:
- medications
- controlling the ventricular rate - controlling the heart rate
They help to prevent the heart from beating too fast. They can also help prevent dangerous types of heartbeats. However, they do not stop atrial fibrillation.
- inhibiting blood clotting and reducing the risk of stroke
Taking them reduces the risk of a stroke. These are vitamin K antagonists or new generation anticoagulants. Both stop the blood in the heart from forming a clot. However, taking them can cause side effects. Vitamin K antagonists may cause, inter alia, haemorrhagic changes and increase the risk of bleeding. Likewise, anticoagulants that cannot be taken by patients with heart defects or after valve implantation.
- non-surgical procedures
- cardioversion, i.e. restoring the correct heart rhythm using the electrodes
- transcatheter (percutaneous) ablation - destroys or isolates the area of the heart that causes arrhythmias with the use of heat or cold (cryoablation). It is performed in patients refractory to atrial fibrillation treatment with drugs
- ablation of the atrioventricular node - when pharmacological treatment is ineffective and arrhythmia causes a very fast ventricular rhythm, a pacemaker is intentionally implanted and destroys the atrioventricular node
- treatmentssurgical(performed as a last resort)
- open heart procedures or less invasive - closure of the left atrium appendix (surgical or non-surgical method)
- You should follow the broad recommendations regarding a he althy lifestyle - says prof. Maria Trusz-Gluza, cardiologist. Put yourself under the care of a trusted doctor (preferably a cardiologist). According to his recommendation, you should take very regularly selected medications. This is extremely important in the case of drugs that reduce blood clotting (stroke prophylaxis), antiarrhythmic drugs or drugs lowering blood pressure - adds the cardiologist.
Atrial fibrillation - symptoms
Some atrial fibrillation is asymptomatic. However, even if there are some symptoms of MP, they are not identical in all people:
- accelerated or galloping heartbeat
- a feeling of pounding or pounding in the heart
- paroxysmal sweats
- decreased exercise tolerance
- shortness of breath
- fatigue
- dizziness
- fainting
Some atrial fibrillation is asymptomatic, so you may have MP and not know it.
Worth knowingCardioverter defibrillator can recognize AF on time and prevent it
Atrial fibrillation can be recognized in time and prevented. It is enough to implant the patient with a cardioverter-defibrillator, which can restore their correct rhythm in the event of arrhythmia detection. The indication for its implantation is, inter alia, Cardiac arrest due to VF in the past.
Atrial fibrillation and botox
Botox can reduce the risk of atrial fibrillation, argue Russian cardiac surgeons. Their study involved 60 patients who underwent bypass surgery. During the procedure, botox or saline was injected into the fatty tissue around the heart.
After a month, it turned out that in patients who received botox, the incidence of atrial fibrillation was 7 percent, and in those who received saline - 30 percent. In turn, one year after the operation, atrial fibrillation was not found in a single person from the group who received botulinum toxin. However, it occurred in 27 percent. subjects from the control group.
Also, scientists from Columbia University in New York have concluded that botox can prevent heart rhythm disturbances. In their opinion, botulinum toxin blocks the nerve signals that trigger the malfunction of the organ.
Flickeringatria - effects
Atrial fibrillation is one of the most serious epidemics of today - it is estimated that it affects 600-700 thousand people in Poland. people, and the incidence increases with age.
Flickering is the cause of 20-30 percent. ischemic strokes - the presence of fibrillation increases the risk of a stroke on average fivefold. Within an hour, 2-3 patients experience such a stroke; 60% of them will die within a year.
Other consequences of flicker include an increased risk of heart attack, heart failure, and cognitive impairment.
The diagnosis of atrial fibrillation is very important as early application of a drug that reduces blood clotting can protect the patient from ischemic stroke.
According to an expertprof. dr hab. Maria Trusz-Gluza, cardiologistSymptoms and diagnosis of atrial fibrillation
The flicker can be paroxysmal or chronic. Arrhythmias, especially paroxysmal ones, are often accompanied by intensified and unpleasant symptoms: weakness and impaired exercise tolerance, palpitations, sweating, fainting, dizziness, anxiety, anxiety. These symptoms may make it impossible to function normally in everyday life. Flicker attacks usually recur. The frequency of relapses and their duration varies individually (it can last from several dozen seconds to many hours).
If you have these symptoms, be sure to contact your doctor to find out if you have heart rhythm disturbances and what type - whether it is atrial fibrillation. Depending on how often the symptoms suggestive of flicker are present, such a rhythm monitoring system will need to be implemented. If the symptoms are frequent, it may be enough to record the ECG using the Holter method 24 hours a day. If symptoms are rare, 2-4 week outpatient ECG monitoring will be needed. Various simpler methods of heart rate assessment, such as palpation or using smartphone applications, will also be useful. The ECG assessment using appropriate applications will be of greater value.
According to an expertprof. dr hab. Maria Trusz-Gluza, cardiologistHow to prevent flickering?
Lifestyle modification is very important in the prevention and treatment of atrial fibrillation. This means:
- need to lose excess weight (best BMI: do not exceed 25) - calculate your BMI using the calculator
- increasing physical activity: regular movement 4-5 times a week, type - according to your preferences and abilities, but not strenuous
- changing the diet to a Mediterranean diet - important high vegetable content, as well as olive oil (reduction of the risk of flickering by 38%),fruit, grains, low-fat products, poultry, fish, legumes, nuts;
- limit: sweets, red meat
- reducing alcohol consumption - especially the strongest (some patients with flickering require complete elimination of alcohol)
- limiting energy drinks
- no smoking
- effective treatment of arterial hypertension (even slightly higher systolic blood pressure, e.g. 130-140 mmHg, may increase the risk of flicker) and diabetes
- effective relaxation techniques also important
The smartphone application allows you to detect cardiac arrhythmias in advance
- One of the hot topics of our discussions are technical innovations in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of atrial fibrillation - says prof. Andrzej Lubiński, cardiologist - Today both the patient and the doctors have access to many different tools. Mobile applications, Virtual Reality solutions, ECG recording vest and heart rate recording bracelet - these are some of them.
Six out of ten Poles do not part with their smartphone: this device can be a support in prevention. There are many free heart rate apps available. The organizers of the Arythmix conference draw the attention of, inter alia, to:
- Heart Rate Plus
- Instant Heart Rate
- Runtastic Heart Rate Monitor
Measurement is simple and quick: it usually consists of placing your finger on the camera lens and holding it for several seconds.
Blood, pumped into the blood vessels with each heartbeat, causes the finger to change color - on this basis, the application measures the pulse. The device informs about the heart rate value, sometimes (depending on the program) it displays the heart rate graph and enables data archiving.
The applications are available for various operating systems (Android, iOS). And although they are not the equivalent of a medical examination, they allow you to observe your own body, and disturbing symptoms may prompt you to consult a doctor.
More advanced than heart rate measurement applications are ECG systems, such as KARDIA Mobile. It is addressed to both doctors and patients. It consists of a small device in the form of a plate with two electrodes, attached to a mobile device with an application installed. The measurement of the ECG wave may take from 30 seconds. and consists in putting two fingers of the right and left hand to the electrodes, after starting the application. The result is displayed immediately upon completion. Measurements can be sent by the patient to the doctor.
| Apps to help you measure your heart rate | Apps to help you measure your heart rate and assess its regularity | Applications that help to measure the pulse and assess its regularity with the use of an additional device |
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- Tachycardia means fast heartbeat
- Bradycardia - when the heart beats too slowly
- Cardiac tamponade - causes, symptoms and treatment
Experts estimate that the knowledge of Poles on the prevention and treatment of atrial fibrillation is increasing - both due to the popularization of a he althy lifestyle (physical activity, he althy diet, giving up stimulants) and the availability of reliable sources of information. Among the latter is the website www.arytmiagroziudarem.pl, created by the Polish Cardiac Society (PTK). The website is a compendium of knowledge, including specialist advice related to the functioning of the patient in everyday life (e.g. information on diet or sports that may be practiced by a person suffering from atrial fibrillation).