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Atrial Fibrillation
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Cardiology: Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial refers to the heart's two upper chambers, the left and right atria.
The two lower chambers are called the ventricles. Fibrillating means
quivering, or rapid beating.
Irregular, rapid beating of the atrial chambers characterizes Atrial
Fibrillation. This happens when the normal system that conducts
electricity in the atria malfunctions. A storm of electrical activity
across both atria causes them to fibrillate 300 to 600 times per minute.
The ventricles pick up only a small number of these impulses, but the
ventricular rate can approach 180 or higher. Whether Atrial Fibrillation
happens at high or low heart rates, its irregular rhythm means the
ventricles can't pump blood efficiently to the rest of the body. Instead,
blood pools in the heart and the body doesn't get enough.
This can result in a varying symptoms from relatively mild ones, such as
fatigue and cough, to serious ones, such as angina and stroke. Atrial
Fibrillation causes more than 70,000 strokes each year in the U.S., where
160,000 new cases of Atrial Fibrillation are diagnosed each year. Atrial
Fibrillation's likelihood increases with age.
Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation requires medication and, often, surgery.
A variety of procedures are available. The most common initial step is
Cardioversion - restoration of the heart's normal rhythm - accomplished
either with medicine or electrically (direct-current cardioversion).
Atrial Fibrillation can manifest several ways. Older people typically get
Chronic Atrial Fibrillation. Excess adrenaline - often during a "fight or
flight" situation - causes Adrenergic Atrial Fibrillation. Neurogenic
Atrial Fibrillation stems from an imbalance in the nervous system's
regulation of the heart. Men between 30 and 50 are subject to Vagal Atrial
Fibrillation after a meal or at rest. Young people can be affected by lone
or primary Atrial Fibrillation, which presents no identifiable cause;
Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation, which causes intermittent attacks of
variable length; and rare familial Atrial Fibrillation.
More Information on the Atrial Fibrillation Guidebook |
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What causes Atrial Fibrillation and what are the common signs and
symptoms? |
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