President George H.W. Bush, the 41st American President, is one among the many Americans who are being increasingly affected by this condition – atrial fibrillation.
Atrial Fibrillation occurs when the two higher chambers of the heart (the atria) begin to quiver instead of beating and lose rhythm with the lower chambers (the ventricles). In such cases, the blood doesn’t get pumped out of the atria effectively; and it may have a tendency to get clotted.
If such a blood clot happens to enter the arteries, it could lead to a stroke. If reports are to be believed, most of the people who suffer from strokes, have a condition of atrial fibrillation.
While the condition by itself isn’t life-threatening, it could lead to various other complications. In the least extreme cases, it will result in fatigue; whereas in most extreme cases, it could lead to a stroke – which is a life taker.
Understanding what is atrial fibrillation and its causes and symptoms can help you keep yourself away from an impending stroke.
Each time the heart beats, there is an electrical signal sent from the top of the heart to the bottom. With the signal, the heart begins to contract and pump blood. The process is repeated every time the heart beats. In the case of a healthy adult, each electrical signal is supposed to begin from the right atrium.
In the case of Atrial Fibrillation, the signals do not begin from the node in the right atrium, which should be the ideal case. Instead of traveling through the atria as normal, they spread throughout the atria in a disorganized fashion. This causes the atria to fibrillate (quiver in an uncontrolled matter).
High blood pressureAtrial Flutter is a milder version of the atrial fibrillation condition. In this case, the patient’s heart rhythm is a little more organized than it is in the case of fibrillation. The symptoms, causes and treatments will be similar. However, atrial flutter is usually not life-threatening, if treated properly. Strokes, however, may be common even in the case of atrial flutter.
Being equipped with the knowledge about what is atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter will help understand the functioning of this vital organ of our body. If atrial fibrillation goes unnoticed, it can lead to a serious condition in the long run.
Meta Description – A bird’s eye view of what atrial fibrillation means, its causes and differentiation from atrial flutter.
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