Signs & Symptoms of AFIB

Atrial Fibrillation, known as AFIB or AF, is an irregular heartbeat or arrhythmia that can result in a stroke as well as other heart-related problems. AFIB causes the upper chamber of the heart to beat irregularly rather than beating effectively to move blood into the ventricles.

AFIB can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications. At least 2.7 million Americans are living with AFIB. The number is expected to increase with the aging population in the United States.

About 2 percent of people younger than 65 years old will be diagnosed with AFIB. Meanwhile, 9 percent of those who are 65 or older will develop AFIB. Since the chance of developing AFIB increases with age, more women are expected to be diagnosed with it because they generally live longer than men.

If you have AFIB then you have risk of stroke five times greater than someone with a regular heartbeat. Chances are that to manage that risk, you’re taking a blood thinner like warfarin, which can come with risks of its own.

There is help for patients with AFIB not caused by a heart valve problem. WATCHMAN is a permanent implant, about the size of a quarter that closes off a part of the heart where blood clots commonly form. It does not require open heart surgery, and in most cases the patient will go home the next day.

Research shows that many people are able to stop taking warfarin as soon as 45 days after the procedure. In one study, 99 out of 100 people were able to stop taking warfarin by the end of the first year.

The most common symptom: a quivering or fluttering heartbeat

AFIB is the most common type of irregular heartbeat. The abnormal firing of electrical impulses causes the atria (the top chambers in the heart) to quiver (or fibrillate).

Sometimes people with AFIB have no symptoms and their condition is only detectable upon physical examination. Still, others may experience some symptoms. Additional common symptoms of AFIB include:

Fluttering or thumping in the chest

Rapid and irregular heartbeat

Faintness or confusion

Shortness of breath and anxiety

General fatigue

Dizziness and weakness

Sweating

Fatigue when exercising

Chest pain or pressure

Specialized care for the treatment of heart rhythm disorders, like AFIB.

Many new treatment options are available to help control arrhythmias. Dr. Arthur Kendig, a cardiac electrophysiologist (EP cardiologist), with Southeast Health EP Cardiology is a fellowship trained cardiologist that specializes in diagnosing and treating heart rhythm disorders and the electric system of the heart.

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*Some information courtesy of the American Heart Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.