Do You Have Atrial Fibrillation? How Would You Know?
Mellanie True Hills felt as if her heart was jumping out of her chest. Patty Borkowski didn’t have any symptoms at all. How would you know if you have the most common irregular heartbeat, atrial fibrillation?
Atrial Fibrillation causes the upper chambers of the heart to quiver, which can cause the heart to overwork itself and eventually lead to congestive heart failure. In addition, the quivering allows blood to pool in the upper chambers and form clots. These clots, when launched into the body, can cause a stroke. atrial fibrillation increases the risk of stroke by five times. One-third of people with atrial fibrillation (afib) will have a stroke.
Detecting and treating afib is essential to avoiding a stroke.
Determining if you have afib means paying attention to your body. The atrial fibrillation patient resource StopAfib.org describes what afib feels like:
Different patients have different symptoms. Some patients describe afib as feeling like their heart has skipped a beat, followed by a thud and a speeding up or racing of the heart. Others describe it as an erratic heartbeat or strong heart palpitations. For still others, it feels like fluttering or butterflies in the chest, or worms that are dancing or crawling. Others have chest and throat pressure that mimics a heart attack, or constriction around the left bicep.
The first time, it's really scary, and you wonder, "Is this a heart attack?" It may leave you dizzy, faint, light-headed, anxious, breathless, weak, or just plain exhausted. After it stops, you may feel drained.
For some people, afib doesn't stop, and may continue on for hours, days, weeks, months, or even years.
For Mellanie True Hills, founder of StopAfib.org, her first afib incident started with a skipped heartbeat, followed by her heart racing. During her second episode, while she was out for a walk, within seconds her heart rate more than tripled on her heart rate monitor, reaching 300 beats per minute. She always became so dizzy, nauseous, and lightheaded during episodes that she feared passing out with each.
Occasionally she is asked, "How can you tell when your heart skips a beat or starts racing?" Her answer usually is, "It's usually pretty obvious, especially when your heart literally feels as though it is going to leap out of your chest."
Generally, afib is so overt that it's hard to miss, though for some afib patients, the symptoms can be subtle.
Patty Borkowski’s afib was detected during a routine check-up. Like Patty, many people experience afib because of other underlying heart disease. Others have “Lone Afib” or atrial fibrillation without any other heart disease.
While many people experience afib as adrenalin-related, typically during the day and related to exercise, caffeine or other such triggers, others (more often men) experience vagal afib. During vagal afib the heart slows down and can be brought on by sleeping or eating and happens more often at night. Those with vagal afib can sometimes “run-off” episodes of afib by exercising.
Symptoms can vary widely from person to person. “With afib, we are all an ‘experiment of one.’ It is rare to find another afib patient who has the exact same combination of triggers and symptoms as you do,” says Mellanie.
Regular check-ups with your doctor and acting on any abnormal heart palpitations, racing heart, dizziness or extreme fatigue are important. In any case, following up symptoms with tests, such as an EKG or wearing an event monitor, will determine if afib is an issue.
Don’t ignore your symptoms. Get checked out and protect yourself from stroke!
The Patient's Perspective is a series of recorded teleconferences and articles presented by the Embrace Your Heart Wellness Initiative and hosted by Eliz Greene. Each teleconference focuses on a specific challenge facing women with heart disease. For more information visit www.EmbraceYourHeart.com
Comments
I have had 2 major arrhythmias and now I have atrial Fib. I first had Wolf Parkinson White (W.P.W.)which I went through a catheter Ablation. Then while they were in there they found Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia (I.S.T.)
I went through 3 ablations with that one. it was just a matter of finding a Doctor that was willing to do a catheter ablation when the arrhythmia is around your diaphragm nerve. I also have sick sinus node dysfunction so I now have a pacemaker. To let you know, A Fib is really nothing to sneeze at, it is dangerous. and should be monitored by a qualified cardiologist. as long as you understand what you are looking at. with W.P.W. it shows symptoms as early as your teens to your mid 20s. I.S.T. I have noticed can show itself in either your 20 to 30 or even later, but not much information is found on theses Arrhythmias, due to the fact that they are found in just 10% or less of the population. But with W.P.W. it is one that will cause a heart attack at any time in your life and for no reason. it is all electrical. My A fib is really mild which is so much easier to deal with. my I.S.T had my heart racing as fast as 190 beats per minutes. that would occur at any moment, day or night sleeping or awake, happy or sad. even reading a boring book. hence the name Inappropriate sinus Tachycardia. Now I am only going by what I have experienced. which I have had to deal with these since I was 16 years old. Now with Wolf Parkinson White syndrome, it has a distinctive read out on a simple EKG. while I.S.T. you need to wear a holter monitor. because the arrhythmias will hit at any time during the day or night. I am part of a support group on I.S.T. there are a lot of people who are in other Countries, where the Doctors really don't understand how severe their arrhythmias are. They are told that they have anxiety. But I have heard of people being persistent, and not letting the doctor put them off. If you really think that you need more attention to your heart don't let a doctor put it off, you are the one that has to live in your body and you have to live with what ever you are feeling. the doctors can run tests and diagnose, but in the end,, you are the one that has to live with your body. if you feel that there is something odd that is going on in your body..just keep looking for someone that will listen. The worst that you will find is that you are normal and that is the best news ever!!! But, if there is something going on, they can find it. You will be treated accordingly and feel a lot better!!!
Ok im 23 soon to be 24 and I have noticed for the past, maby 3 years that my heart tends to 'jump' now and then, skip a beat, or so it would seem. Is this a sign that I have afib? Maby I could get some openions befor I seek profesional help.
It's great you're researching your symptoms and potential causes before heading out to see a medical professional. It will make you a more informed patient and help you advocate for your health. Here are a few resources you may find helpful.
According to the NIH, symptoms of AFIB include:
* Sensation of feeling heart beat (palpitations)
* Pulse may feel rapid, racing, pounding, fluttering, or it can feel too slow
* Pulse may feel regular or irregular
* Dizziness, light-headedness
* Fainting
* Confusion
* Fatigue
* Shortness of breath
* Breathing difficulty, lying down
* Sensation of tightness in the chest
For more in-depth information, visit http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000184.htm
Also, the Cleveland Clinic -- one of the best heart hospitals in the country has a great resource center where you can direct your questions to cardiac nurses -- a feature I can vouch for as I've used it myself.
http://www.clevelandclinic.org/heartcenter/
You may also want to check out the American Heart Association's Web site where you can find diagrams that explains AFIB in more detail.
http://medmovie.com/mmdatabase/MediaPlayer.aspx?ClientID=65&TopicID=0
Finally, you may want to check out the EmpowHer's patient advocacy sheets when you see your doctor. The advocacy sheet can be found here...
http://empowher.com/conditions/advocacylist
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