Atrial Fibrillation / Atrial Flutter
Atrial Fibrillation
What is Atrial Fibrillation? Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) is defined as an irregular atrial heart rhythm which increases your risk for stroke about five-fold. Atrial fibrillation is a disorder found in about 2.2 million Americans. During atrial fibrillation, the heart's two small upper chambers (the atria) quiver instead of beating effectively. Blood isn't pumped completely out of them, so it may pool and clot. If a piece of a blood clot in the atria leaves the heart and becomes lodged in an artery in the brain, a stroke results. About 15 percent of strokes occur in people with Atrial Fibrillation.
Atrial Flutter
What is Atrial Flutter? Atrial Flutter is defined as a rapid atrial heart rhythm which sometimes can beat up to 250 beats per minute. The main danger of atrial flutter is that the heart does not pump blood well when it is beating too fast. When blood is not pumped well, vital organs, such as the heart and brain, may not get enough oxygen from the blood leading to a stroke.
How to control your Atrial Fib/Flutter?
- See your physician regularly as recommended
- Take medications as prescribed
- If taking Coumadin (Warfarin) take medications as prescribed and DO NOT skip dosed until recommended by your physicians
- If taking Coumadin (Warfarin) follow diet instructions as recommended by your physician.
- If taking Coumadin (Warfarin) keep appointments for blood testing
Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability and the third leading cause of death in the United States. Over 780,000 Americans will suffer a stroke this year and nine out of ten stroke survivors will sustain long-term impairment. Stroke costs the US healthcare system over 62 billion dollars annually.