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What is Afib?Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation (Afib) is the most
common type of cardiac arrhythmia. An
arrhythmia is any heart rhythm disorder
where the heartbeats are inconsistent and
in an Afib patient’s case irregular.
The heart consists of 4 chambers, the
upper two are called the atria, and the
lower two are called the ventricles. Afib
occurs when fast and disorganized
electrical signals cause the walls of the
atria to contract rapidly, or “fibrillate,”
instead of contracting normally. As a
result, the atria stop working properly and
don’t pump all their blood into the
ventricles. If all the blood doesn’t flow into
the ventricles, the blood that remains,
pools in the atria. When the blood pools in
the atria, clots can form. This increases
the risk of strokes because part of a clot
can break off and travel to the
brain.
During Afib, the ventricles
contract from the heart’s
electrical activity. However,
the abnormal electrical signal
traveling from the atria makes
the ventricles beat faster than
normal. As a result, the
ventricles don’t pump blood
efficiently. This can lead to
heart failure, a condition in
which the heart can’t pump
enough blood to meet the
body’s needs.
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What are the symptoms of
Afib? The most common symptom is a
quivering or fluttering heartbeat.
Additional common symptoms are the
following:
General fatigue
Rapid and irregular heartbeat
Fluttering or thumping in the chest
Dizziness
Shortness of breath and anxiety
Weakness
Faintness or confusion
Fatigue when exercising
Sweating
Chest pain of pressure
What causes Afib?
About 30% of Afib cases are tied to
genes that are passed down from
generation to generation. A research
published in December 12th, 2008 issue
of the journal “Cell” indicated that the
gene NUP155 has been found to be
involved in the genetic form of Afib.
Researchers have traced the gene
responsible for Afib in one family and
found that family members with two
copies of the variant developed
symptoms of Afib, and some suffered
death in early childhood.
NUP155 is apparently the cause.
Researchers then studied mice
and found that these with two
defective copies of NUP155 died
early and those with one copy
shared signs of Afib. NUP155 is
involved in shutting other
molecules in and out of the cell
nucleus. when NUP155 is
mutated it leads to a decline in
expression of Hsp70 and the
heart is unprotected from
damages, which is why atrial
fibrillation develops. Other
genes responsible for Afib are
KCNE2, KCNJ2, and KCNQ1
genes.
However, Afib is not always
passed down genetically. It can
affect anyone with other heart
conditions such as:
High blood pressure (hypertension)
Atherosclerosis
Heart valve disease
Congenital heart disease
Cardiomyopathy
Pericarditis
When no other conditions are
associated with Afib, it’s known
+
3
++ Atrial Fibrillation Triggers
percent for several hours.
your heart rate by 20 to 100
same effect, possibly raising
Marijuana can have the
the only drug culprits:
your heart, but they aren't
Afib because they stimulate
cold medications can trigger
Over-the-counter cough and
2. Recreational Drugs:
one.
procedure, even a minor
you have any medical
fibrillation history before
know about your atrial
your heart.” Let your doctor
physical stress, stimulates
such as emotional or
flight-or-fight response,
“Anything that triggers the
Dr. Vasaiwala says.
procedure can be a trigger,”
type of surgery or medical
for atrial fibrillation, but any
surgery is a major trigger
well-known that heart
1. Medical procedures: “It’s Cocaine can also trigger an
abnormal heartbeat.
3. Stress: “Stress is a common
trigger of atrial fibrillation,”
Vasaiwala says. ”Too much
stress is like a shot of
adrenalin to your heart.”
Identify your personal
stressors and take steps to
avoid or defuse them. If
you can’t rule out all
causes of stress, practice
stress-reduction techniques
to lessen the impact.
4. Dehydration: Dehydration
can trigger atrial fibrillation.
Low levels of minerals in
the blood (electrolytes),
especially potassium, can
trigger an abnormal heart
rhythm, and when you’re
dehydrated, electrolytes
are depleted. Dehydration
is most common in hot
weather, especially when
exercising outdoors, but it
can also result from an
illness that includes
Types of Atrial Fibrillation
can't be restored with treatment. Both paroxysmal and persistent AF may become more frequent and,
normal heart rhythm condition in which a Permanent AF is a Fibrillation
3) Permanent Atrial with treatment.
own, or it can be stopped week. It may stop on its continues for more than a abnormal heart rhythm condition in which the Persistent AF is a
Fibrillation2) Persistent Atrial
in less than 24 hours.about a week, but usually severe. They stop within Symptoms can be mild or then stop on their own. rate begin suddenly and signals and rapid heart (AF), the faulty electrical SIZ-mal) atrial fibrillation In paroxysmal (par-ok-
Fibrillation1) Paroxysmal Atrial
+How is Afib diagnosed?EKG: An EKG is a simple,
painless test that records
the heart's electrical
activity. It's the most
useful test for diagnosing
AF. An EKG shows how
fast your heart is beating
and its rhythm (steady or
irregular). It also records
the strength and timing of
electrical signals as they
pass through your heart.
A standard EKG only
records the heartbeat for
a few seconds. It won't
detect AF that doesn't
happen during the test.
To diagnose paroxysmal
AF, your doctor may ask
you to wear a portable
EKG monitor that can
record your heartbeat for
longer periods. The most
common type of portable
EKG is a Holter. A Holter
monitor records the
heart’s electrical activity
for either 24 or 48 hours.
You wear small patches
called electrodes on your
chest. Wires connect
these patches to a
portable recorder.
+Echocardiography
(echo): uses sound
waves to create a
moving picture of your
heart. The test shows
the size and shape of
your heart and how well
your heart chambers
and valves are working.
Echo also can identify
areas of poor blood flow
to the heart, areas of
heart muscle that aren't
contracting normally,
and previous injury to
the heart muscle
caused by poor blood
flow. This test
sometimes is called
transthoracic (trans-
thor-AS-ik)
echocardiography. It's
painless and
noninvasive (no
instruments are
inserted into the body).
For the test, a device
called a transducer is
moved back and forth
over your chest. The
device sends special
Transesophageal
Echocardiography:
Transesophageal (trans-
e-SOF-ah-ge-al) echo, or
TEE, uses sound waves
to take pictures of your
heart through the
esophagus. The
esophagus is the
passage leading from
your mouth to your
stomach. Your heart's
upper chambers, the
atria, are deep in your
chest. They often can't
be seen very well using
transthoracic echo. Your
doctor can see the atria
much better using TEE.
During this test, the
transducer is attached
to the end of a flexible
tube. The tube is guided
down your throat and
into your esophagus.
You'll likely be given
medicine to help you
relax during the
procedure. TEE is used
to detect blood clots
Radiofrequency ablation or catheter ablationA catheter (thin, flexible tube) is inserted into the patient’s blood vessels and is gently guided to the heart. The physician carefully destroys malfunctioning tissue using the catheter to deliver energy (such as radiofrequency, laser or cryotherapy) to scar the problematic areas. The scarred areas will no longer send abnormal signals. If successful, the heart will return to a normal rhythm. This minimally invasive procedure usually has a short recovery period. Patients are generally placed on a short course of anti-arrhythmic drugs while the procedure takes full effect. Open-heart maze procedure Maze heart surgery is a complex procedure in which a surgeon creates small cuts in the upper part of your heart. The cuts are then stitched together and scar tissue forms. The scars interfere with the transmission of electrical impulses that can cause AFib. Normal heartbeat is then restored.
ablation on one side of the heart.Atricure Hand Piece, performs the see the heart directly. A special tool, the areas through a thoracoscope, and to surgeon to maneuver the tools, view of the chest. These incisions allow the 5cm and two 1cm incisions on each side after Dr. Randall K. Wolf, requires one The Wolf Mini Maze procedure, named Wolf Mini Maze
What are the treatments of Afib?
can't be restored with treatment. Both paroxysmal and persistent AF may become more frequent and,
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