Atrial fibrillation: how do you notice?

It does not always give symptoms, but when there are it is good to do the checks immediately.

It does not always give symptoms, but when there are it is good to do the checks immediately. And, if necessary, start anticoagulant therapy in time.

Age range Resting heart rate
Infants 80 to 180 bpm
Children 80 to 100 bpm
Adolescents 70 to 120 bpm
Adults (with minimal difference between men and women) 60 to 90 bpm

If under normal conditions the resting heart rhythm of an adult is 60-90 beats per minute, there are situations in which the beats of the atria accelerate vortically, up to 600 every minute.

In this case we speak of atrial fibrillation, a relatively frequent arrhythmia, which mainly affects the elderly over seventy, but not only.

The accelerated and decomposed rhythm that characterizes it interferes with the correct filling of the ventricles and, therefore, with the distribution of blood to the organs.

Without usually endangering the lives of those who suffer from it.

However, if the disorder lasts for a certain period of time, it can cause damage to the heart muscle, with the appearance of decompensation or even pulmonary edema.

But, above all, there is an increased risk of stroke: in people with atrial fibrillation it is much higher than in those without heart disease.

Often remains silent

Fibrillation of the atria presents with a sudden surge in heartbeats that become accelerated and irregular. Those affected sometimes report feeling “the heart in the throat”.

But not always this arrhythmia gives recognizable signs. It even happens that those who suffer from it, especially if they are young, do not notice anything even for months. And that it is discovered by chance, perhaps during a visit performed for a completely different reason. With the disadvantage of late diagnosis.

To avoid fearsome consequences, such as stroke, the normal rhythm of the heart should in fact be restored within 48 hours: after this period of time the risk of thrombus forming, and therefore emboli, begins to soar.

Warning signs

In addition to manifesting themselves with perceptible palpitations, the accelerated and irregular beats of the atria make the heart unable to adapt to some normal everyday situations.

A condition that can lead to symptoms such as:

  • unjustified weakness or exhaustion
  • shortness of breath as a result of normal efforts, such as climbing stairs
  • dizziness or lightheadedness
  • feeling faint or dizzy
  • pain or tightness in the chest
  • temporary loss of vision.

Medical check-ups

The warning signs should not be underestimated: it is better to report them immediately to the doctor so that he can first check the pulse.

In case of irregular pulse and tachycardia, the diagnosis of atrial fibrillation is very likely. An electrocardiogram may confirm this suspicion.

It would then be important to be able to identify with certainty, through the anamnesis, the moment of onset of the arrhythmia. This is rather difficult in all those cases in which the symptoms are very nuanced or even absent.

The choice of treatment

Occasional episodes of atrial fibrillation may resolve spontaneously. But sometimes, especially in the presence of particularly disabling symptoms, it is necessary to restore the normal rhythm of the heart.

In cases where the onset of arrhythmia is made recognizable by the symptoms, within the following 48 hours a drug therapy with antiarrhythmics or an electrical cardioversion can certainly be started.

If, on the contrary, fibrillation could be present for more than 48 hours, there is too high a probability that atrial thrombi have already formed.

It will therefore be necessary to establish an adequate anticoagulant treatment before deciding whether and how to act on the heart rhythm.

Moreover, the interventions implemented to bring atrial contractions back to normal are not always effective, making anticoagulant drugs indispensable for long periods or even forever.

A therapeutic choice that is not always easy, which must be individualized taking into account the clinical conditions and risk factors of each one.

Joycelyn Elders is the author and creator of EmpowerEssence, a health and wellness blog. Elders is a respected public health advocate and pediatrician dedicated to promoting general health and well-being.

The blog covers a wide range of topics related to health and wellness, with articles organized into several categories.

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