It is no secret that the older you get, the more likely it is that you will be affected by atrial fibrillation (AFib). This type of irregular heartbeat increases with age and can often be triggered by emotion or stress. While it is not yet considered a “normal” part of aging, it is something you need to be aware of and possibly prepare for.
What Is Atrial Fibrillation?
If you haven’t had cardiac arrest or a heart attack, you may not be familiar with atrial fibrillation. The Mayo Clinic defines it as “a disorder of heart rhythm in which the atria (the upper chambers of the heart) beat erratically and irregularly”. That makes it a type of arrhythmia, or unexpected heart rhythm that occurs during sleep (nocturnal atrial fibrillation). The American Heart Association adds that “atrial fibrillation is an irregular heartbeat caused by an abnormality in the electrical impulses that regulate heart function.”.
AFib can be difficult to detect because there are no obvious symptoms associated with the disorder. However, it is often discovered during a routine medical examination or during the performance of a complicated medical test.
Why Is It Difficult To Diagnose?
One of the reasons why atrial fibrillation is so difficult to diagnose is because there are no specific symptoms associated with the disorder. In most cases, it is either detected during a routine physical or during the course of a complicated medical procedure. In some cases, it can be inferred by the patient’s behavior or the results of a medical test. In other words, there is rarely a clear-cut way of telling if you have AFib or not. It is a tricky situation because untreated AFib can lead to potentially dangerous complications.
What Are The Complications?
Aside from the fact that atrial fibrillation is difficult to diagnose, there are several other complications that can arise due to the disorder. Heart disease and stroke are the two most significant complications that can arise from untreated AFib. According to the American Heart Association, “patients with AFib are five to seven times more likely to suffer a stroke than patients without the condition.” and “patients with AFib are five to seven times more likely to develop heart disease.” When left untreated, AFib can also lead to other serious complications, including blood clots in the legs (deep vein thrombosis), which can cause pulmonary (lung) embolism. Lastly, AFib can cause sudden death if left untreated. For this reason, it is imperative that you do everything in your power to maintain good health and avoid stress as much as possible.
How Is It Treated?
Since there are no specific symptoms associated with atrial fibrillation, it can be difficult to know when it is treated and when it is not. The safest and most effective way of treating AFib is through pharmacological means. The most commonly used drugs for the treatment of AFib are quinidine, dronedarone and amiodarone. These medications primarily affect the electrical impulses in the heart and can be highly effective in treating and sometimes even curing AFib. In some cases, it may take several tries before finding the right drug combination for optimum results.
When Should You Be Tested For AFib?
To determine whether or not you have AFib, your doctor will perform a physical examination as well as order some blood tests. If you are found to have AFib during any of these tests, it means that you have the condition and need to be treated. However, if you are not yet diagnosed with AFib but show signs of the condition during regular medical examinations, it may be a good idea to be tested for it. In some cases, it can be difficult to know for sure whether or not you have AFib, and a blood test can often tell the difference between the two. If you are found to have AFib, you will need to take medications as soon as possible to prevent further complications.
How Is It Prognosticated?
Simply put, prognosis is the “predictive analysis of the likely outcomes of a given situation” or, in other words, the “prognosis is the prognosis”. When it comes to atrial fibrillation, the outlook is generally poor. This is in part because there are no reliable methods of determining how long the condition will last before either becoming permanent or disabling. In some cases, it can be treated successfully; however, in many others it will lead to potentially serious complications. The only real way of knowing for sure whether or not you have AFib is by undergoing tests. If you are found to have the condition, there are several different treatment options available to you, including medication and/or modification of your lifestyle.
What About Screening?
In some cases, doctors may recommend screening for atrial fibrillation due to the potential complications associated with the condition. For this reason, it is often recommended that patients with certain risk factors for the disease undergo testing. These factors include age, diabetes, high cholesterol levels and hypertension (high blood pressure). If you are found to have AFib during screening, treatment is usually straightforward and can often be very effective. However, in many cases, the disease remains undiagnosed even after extensive testing due to the absence of any specific symptoms. For this reason, it is often considered a “chronic” condition and, as mentioned before, complications can arise even if treatment is administered properly. In such cases, it is important to establish a good partnership with your doctor to ensure that the condition is being treated and that treatment is being administered according to protocol.
The Bottom Line
In most cases, atrial fibrillation is a condition that is either detected or made known during the course of a routine medical examination or during the course of a complicated medical procedure. It is often a difficult condition to diagnose in its early stages due to the lack of any obvious symptoms associated with the disorder. If you are found to have AFib during any of these tests, it usually means that you have the condition and need to be treated as soon as possible. However, if you are not yet diagnosed with the disease but show signs of AFib during regular medical examinations, it may be a good idea to be tested for it as soon as possible. After all, early detection is often the key to successful treatment.