Have you been feeling a little run down lately, rapid heartbeat, lightheadedness, and dizzy? Then you may be suffering from atrial fibrillation.
If you don’t have it now, chances are good you will. It’s time to learn about the least understood heart condition in the world today.
Here the London Heart Clinic Barts Heart Centre Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Syed Ahsan provides important information about atrial fibrillation.
So, scroll down to dig deeper into this to know what it is and what are the causes of atrial fibrillation?
What is atrial fibrillation?
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a disease characterized by rapid and very irregular heartbeats. Although AF itself is not life-threatening, it often creates significant symptoms, such as a rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, and mild fatigue. This can lead to more severe difficulties, especially stroke, and – in people with heart disease – worsening heart failure.
Here is a quick video that explains atrial fibrillation gets more common as we get older, and the risk of developing AF can be increased by hypertension, heart disease, and previous heart attacks.
Causes of atrial fibrillation
No doubt with age, the risk of developing atrial fibrillation increases, since, with aging, age-related changes occur that affect all systems and organs of a person, not excluding the heart, which leads to an increase in the likelihood of developing a variety of diseases, which include AF.
About half of men over the age of 67, as well as half of the women over the age of 75, suffer from atrial fibrillation. However, you should also be aware that the likelihood of developing AF is significantly increased for all people,
Atrial fibrillation (AF) can be caused by several heart conditions, such as heart attack, chronic hypertension, coronary artery disease, pericarditis, mitral regurgitation, heart failure, or just about any other heart problem.
This arrhythmia is also very common in hyperthyroidism, pneumonia, or pulmonary embolism.
Taking amphetamines or other stimulants (such as cold medications containing pseudoephedrine) can cause AF in some people, and drinking just one or two alcoholic beverages, a condition known as holiday heart syndrome. While The London Heart Clinic doctors traditionally say that caffeine also causes AF, recent clinical studies indicate that this is not the case in most people.
Most people with atrial fibrillation also do not have a specific cause. This, called idiopathic atrial fibrillation, is often a condition associated with aging. Although AF is rare in patients younger than 50, it is fairly common in people in their 80s or 90s.
More recent research has shown that this type of arrhythmia is lifestyle-related in many cases. For example, overweight and sedentary people have a much higher risk of AF. In people with lifestyle-related AF, an intensive lifestyle modification program can help correct the arrhythmia.
Heart diseases can manifest in a variety of ways and London Heart Clinic doctors are experts in evaluating the cause of your signs, by thorough assessment and proper testing.
Well, the London Heart Clinic has access to a network of world-class professionals who are specialists in many areas of cardiology. They work together to make sure that you get the highest standard of care.
Feel free to contact us to book your appointment with the best cardiologists in London.
