When the heart beats, the chambers squeeze or contract to pump blood and then relax so they can receive blood again. The process of squeezing and relaxing usually happens regularly. But sometimes, a person develops manifestations of atrial fibrillation, where the atria (upper chambers) start firing abnormal electrical impulses. This overrides the heart’s natural pacemaker, causing the atria to randomly contract, which means they don’t have enough time to relax. Learn more about atrial fibrillation symptoms here, and how you can determine your risk for its potential consequences.
Are You an Atrial Fibrillation Patient?
If you’re aware that you have atrial fibrillation, then you’re probably familiar with the following. Now, if you suspect that you have Atrial Fibrillation or AF, then here are the atrial fibrillation symptoms to watch out for:
- Awareness of a heart beating fast. AF is the most common type of arrhythmia, hence its primary symptom is an irregular heartbeat. Also, your heartbeat may exceed 100 beats per minute. However, please remember that AF can happen in slow, normal or fast heart rates.
- Fluttering or thumping in the chest
- Weakness
- Dizziness
- Shortness of breath and anxiety
- Sweating
- Fatigue during physical activity or general fatigue
- Chest pain or pressure
- Loss of consciousness or near loss of consciousness
IMPORTANT
Feeling chest pain or pressure is a medical emergency. If you experience it, please go to the emergency room right away.
AF is More Than Just an Inconvenience
Considering the atrial fibrillation symptoms, it’s easy to see that the condition is not just an inconvenience. But there’s more reason why you must address AF as soon as possible.
You see, there are numerous possible causes for AF, like electrolyte imbalance, thyroid hormone disorders, ischemic heart disease, aging, cardiomyopathy, heart valve disease and congenital heart disease. Many of these need to be treated or addressed to slow down their progression or prevent complications. Hence, if you have AF, it’s not uncommon for cardiologists to order several diagnostics, like ECG, thyroid function tests, CBC, etc.
Furthermore, atrial fibrillation can lead to blood clots in the heart and therefore increases your risk of having heart ailments and even stroke.
For this reason, if you’re an atrial fibrillation patient, it’s best to know your risk of having a stroke. You can take advantage of our Stroke Risk Quiz For Atrial Fibrillation Patients.
Stroke Risk Quiz For Atrial Fibrillation Patients
On top of knowing the different atrial fibrillation symptoms, it will also be helpful to ascertain your risk of having a stroke in the future. With our Stroke Risk Quiz For Atrial Fibrillation, you can also learn about valuable tips that can support your long-term health.
Our risk screener uses the CHA₂DS₂-VASc Score for Atrial Fibrillation Stroke Risk. Each of your responses has an equivalent score (0, +1, +2), which will be added up to calculate your stroke risk percentage. Generally, the higher the sum, the higher your risk of getting a stroke within the year.
Simply click on the button below to start answering the questions. All it takes is a few minutes and you’ll have your results. Alternatively, you can head over here for the screener.
Low-stroke risk
People with low risk may only be advised by their doctor to continue their current treatment plan and adapt to a healthy lifestyle consisting of a balanced diet, regular exercise, and smoking cessation.
Moderate to high risk
People whose risk appears to be moderate or high may be advised by their doctor to consider anticoagulant therapy on top of their current treatment and lifestyle modifications.
Remember how having AF increases the risk of blood clots, which can lead to other problems, like stroke?
Anticoagulant therapy involves oral or injected anticoagulants, medicine that increase the time it takes for the blood to clot. This prevents existing blood clots from becoming bigger and the formation of new clots.
Anticoagulant therapy is not for everyone, as some conditions may complicate the treatment. Hence, it’s crucial to work closely with your doctor regarding the best course of action.
Key Takeaways
Atrial fibrillation symptoms mainly consist of an irregular and often very fast heartbeat as well as fluttering in the chest. As AFib can increase the risk of blood clots and stroke, it’s essential to be aware of your risk. You can use our Stroke Risk Quiz for Atrial Fibrillation Patients here. Learn more about Heart Arrhythmias here.
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