Atrial Fibrillation Treatment In Three Steps
The integrated electrical system of the heart regulates the rhythm of the heart. If the electrical signal is disrupted owing to some reason, abnormal heart rhythm or arrhythmia occurs. Atrial fibrillation is a type of arrhythmia in which the heart beats erratically at a very fast rate.
Risk Of Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation occurs when the atria or the upper chambers of the heart contract at an abnormally faster rate. This disrupts the coordinated movement of the upper and the lower chambers (ventricles) of the heart.
In such circumstances, the ventricles are incompletely filled with blood, thereby reducing blood supply to the lungs and the rest of the body.
Palpitation is a common symptom of atrial fibrillation. This condition leads to shortness of breath, dizziness, fatigue, confusion and chest pain. If left untreated, atrial fibrillation can lead to stroke and heart failure.
Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation In Three Steps
Preventing Blood Clot
Atrial fibrillation significantly increases the risk of stroke. Preventing stroke is usually the key objective of atrial fibrillation treatment. When the upper chambers of the heart are contracting at an abnormally fast rate, they cannot transport blood effectively into the lower chambers of the heart.
As a result, blood accumulates in the upper chambers, increasing the risk of formation of a blood clot. The clot might break loose and travel into the artery that supplies blood to the brain, thereby obstructing blood flow to the brain.
Blood thinning medication or anticoagulants can reduce the risk of stroke in people with atrial fibrillation. People on anticoagulant medications should consult their physicians before consuming antibiotics, supplements, herbal preparations and over-the-counter drugs.
Reducing Heart Rate
Rapid heartbeat in patients with atrial fibrillation can be slowed down by reducing the ventricular contraction of the heart with specific medications.
The electric impulses can be normalized with calcium channel blockers, beta-blockers or digitalis. Besides consuming medicines for stabilizing heart rate, atrial fibrillation patients should avoid foods that act as cardiac stimulants.
Caffeine and alcohol can boost your heart rate. Smoking can aggravate abnormal heartbeat. A low sodium and low fat diet can reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems that worsen atrial fibrillation.
Restoring Heart Rhythm
When regulating the heart rate alone is not sufficient for improving the function of the heart, doctors try to restore the heart rhythm with antiarrhythmic drugs that reduce abnormal contraction in the atria. People prone to arrhythmia should increase consumption of magnesium rich foods.
Magnesium is found in leafy green vegetables, banana, nuts, lentils, beans, peas, potato with skin, whole grain products and milk. Frequently doctors rely on electrical cardioversion for stabilizing the electrical system of the heart with low energy shocks.
Early recurrence of atrial fibrillation after electrical cardioversion can be prevented by increasing consumption of vitamin C rich foods and supplements. When medications and electrical cardioversion cannot restore the normal rhythm of the heart, doctors use catheter ablation to stabilize the heart rhythm.
In catheter ablation, the atrioventricular node, which generates the abnormal electrical signal, is destroyed with radio wave energy. A pacemaker is then implanted to regulate the normal rhythm of the heart.
