Your heart skips a beat during your morning walk. You feel dizzy standing up. You're exhausted even after a full night's sleep. These symptoms may seem easy to ignore, but they could be signs of atrial fibrillation, or AFib, a common heart rhythm disorder that can increase your risk of stroke and heart failure.
What is Atrial Fibrillation?
A healthy heart follows a steady rhythm. With AFib, the heart’s electrical signals become disorganized. This causes the two upper chambers of the heart, called the atria, to beat irregularly.
“This disrupts normal blood flow between the upper and lower chambers of your heart, which can cause your heart to fall out of its regular rhythm and pace,” says Dr. Patrick Murphy, a cardiologist.
When the atria do not beat normally, blood can pool in the upper chambers. This can lead to blood clots that may travel to the brain and cause a stroke.
Know the Symptoms of Atrial Fibrillation
AFib symptoms can be different for each person. Some people may have noticeable symptoms, while others may have no symptoms at all.
Common symptoms include:
- Heart palpitations or fluttering
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Chest discomfort
- Extreme fatigue
- Weakness or reduced exercise tolerance
Dr. Murphy encourages people to pay attention to changes in how they feel. “If there is a sign or a symptom that comes up, don't blow it off. Pay attention and see your doctor,” he says.
Regular checkups also can help identify changes in your heart rhythm, particularly because AFib symptoms may develop gradually or go unnoticed.
What Can Increase Your Risk of AFib?
The risk of developing AFib increases with age. Certain lifestyle factors also may play a role.
“One of the things that can increase the chance of atrial fibrillation, especially in younger people, is too much caffeine, particularly energy drinks,” Dr. Murphy says. “Those need to be minimized as much as possible.”
Staying active, making healthy lifestyle choices and talking with your healthcare provider about changes in your health can help you take care of your heart.
AFib Treatment Options
AFib treatment depends on the individual and may include lifestyle changes, medications or advanced procedures.
One treatment option is cardiac ablation, which can reduce or stop AFib episodes so you feel more like yourself, often with less need for daily rhythm medication. It's minimally invasive: your doctor uses energy to target the small areas of heart tissue that send faulty electrical signals, with no open-heart surgery and a quicker recovery.
Another option is the pulsed field ablation. Instead of heat or cold, it uses short electrical pulses that target heart tissue while largely sparing nearby areas like the esophagus and nerves, which helps lower the risk of complications.
Don't Ignore Changes in Your Heart Health
AFib can increase the risk of serious complications, including stroke, but early detection and appropriate treatment can help people manage the condition and live full, active lives.
“Luckily today, we have a lot of treatment modalities that can make people feel better, live longer and be safer,” Dr. Murphy says. “But the thing that the patient needs to do is get help. We can help.”
Don't wait for AFib symptoms to get worse. If you notice a racing, fluttering or irregular heartbeat, or you have concerns about your heart rhythm, find a cardiologist near you and take the first step toward a steadier heartbeat.
Call 911 right away if you have chest pain or pressure, or signs of a stroke, such as sudden face drooping, arm weakness or trouble speaking, even if those symptoms go away.
