By
Medical Care Review | Tuesday,
September 17,
2024
Age is the most significant risk factor for AFib. Lifestyle adjustments can minimize your chances of developing AFib and help you control it if you do. Several therapy options are available for AFib, which encompass a variety of medications and treatments. AFib can result in significant health problems, including strokes.
Fremont, CA: Atrial fibrillation, often known as AF or AFib, is characterized by a quivering, fluttering heartbeat. You can also hear the doctor refer to it as arrhythmia. It signifies that your heart's usual beat is out of sync. Because your blood is not moving correctly, you are more prone to develop heart failure. That is when your heart cannot meet your body's demands. Blood can also collect inside your heart, forming clots. If a clot becomes lodged in your brain, you may have a stroke.
AFib is classified by duration rather than kind. Doctors define it based on how long it lasts or what causes it. Yours may alter over time. Your treatment plan will be tailored to your unique problem.
Persistent Atrial Fibrillation
Persistent AFib is typically a temporary AFib that persists for more than a week. It may either resolve on its own or require medication or intervention to terminate it. Medication is attempted first, and if unresponsive, low-voltage electrical shock resets the rate of your heart back to normal via DC cardioversion. This procedure is usually carried out by doctors in a hospital while you are drowsy, so you may not feel anything.
Long-Standing Persistent Atrial Fibrillation
This indicates that your AFib has lasted for more than a year and is non-reversible. Medications and treatment, such as electrical cardioversion, may not be able to terminate the AFib. Your medical doctors might try another kind of treatment, like ablation, which burns certain parts of your heart's electrical system to reinstate your normal rhythm.
Permanent (Chronic) Atrial Fibrillation
This cannot be remedied with therapy. If you have this kind of disease, you and your doctor will determine if you require long-term medicine to regulate your heart rate and reduce your chances of having a stroke.
Valvular Atrial Fibrillation
This affects someone suffering from an artificial heart valve or valve condition such as valvular stenosis, which is the stiffening of one of the heart valves, or valvular regurgitation, an inappropriate closure of a valve where some blood flows backward. Your risk for valvular AFib multiplies if you have mitral valve disease or artificial heart valves.
Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation
A problem with the heart valve does not cause this form of AFib. Other causes include elevated blood pressure and an overactive thyroid gland, but doctors are not always able to determine the reason.
Both valvular and nonvalvular AFib may cause blood to accumulate in the heart, increasing the risk of problems such as blood clots and strokes. Medicines and other therapies can reduce the risk of developing these issues.
Acute Onset Atrial Fibrillation
This fast, erratic pulse appears suddenly and then disappears. In most cases, it resolves on its own within 48 hours. Age, cardiovascular disease, alcoholism, diabetes, and lung illness are all contributing factors.
