Atrial fibrillation (also known as AFib or AF) is the most common type of arrhythmia when the heart can beat too fast, too slow, or with an irregular rhythm. In a normal heart, the four chambers of the heart beat in a steady, rhythmic pattern. With AFib , the atria (upper chambers of the heart) fibrillate (contract very fast and irregularly - quiver or twitch quickly) and create an irregular rhythm. About 15–20 % of people who have strokes have this heart arrhythmia, and 10% have a heart attack, but prognostic influence is disputed and only 33% of AF patients think atrial fibrillation is a serious condition.
General treatment options include medicines preventing blood clots from forming, controlling ventricle contraction and restoring a normal heart rhythm, and treating underlying disorders.
Treatment procedures include low energy electrical shocks (electrical cardioversion), catheter ablation, pacemaker or drug implants such as Watchman and open heart surgery.
People who experience significant temperature drops particularly during cold weather are more likely to suffer heart failure and an irregularity in their heartbeats known as atrial fibrillation. Rates of hospitalization are at their highest during cooler months of the year, particularly in February.
Treatment procedures include low energy electrical shocks (electrical cardioversion), catheter ablation, pacemaker or drug implants such as Watchman and open heart surgery.
People who experience significant temperature drops particularly during cold weather are more likely to suffer heart failure and an irregularity in their heartbeats known as atrial fibrillation. Rates of hospitalization are at their highest during cooler months of the year, particularly in February.
