Atrial fibrillation also called AFib or AF is a quivering or irregular heartbeat arrhythmia that can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications.
At least 2. Normally, your heart contracts and relaxes to a regular beat. In atrial fibrillation, the upper chambers of the heart the atria beat irregularly quiver instead of beating effectively to move blood into the ventricles. If a clot breaks off, enters the bloodstream and lodges in an artery leading to the brain, a stroke results. About 15—20 percent of people who have strokes have this heart arrhythmia. This can cause problems including dizziness , shortness of breath and tiredness.
You may be aware of noticeable heart palpitations , where your heart feels like it's pounding, fluttering or beating irregularly, often for a few seconds or, in some cases, a few minutes. Sometimes atrial fibrillation does not cause any symptoms and a person who has it is completely unaware that their heart rate is irregular. It's important to get medical advice to make sure it's nothing serious. You could be having a heart attack. Call immediately as you need immediate treatment in hospital.
When the heart beats normally, its muscular walls tighten and squeeze contract to force blood out and around the body. They then relax so the heart can fill with blood again.
This process is repeated every time the heart beats. Secular trends in incidence of atrial fibrillation in Olmsted County, Minnesota, to , and implications on the projections for future prevalence external icon. Estimates of current and future incidence and prevalence of atrial fibrillation in the U.
Am J Cardiol. About Multiple Cause of Death, — Accessed February 1, Heart disease and stroke statistics— update: a report from the American Heart Association. Independent risk facors for atrial fibrillation in a population based cohort. Heart disease and stroke statistics— update: a report from the American Heart Association external icon.
Heart Rhythm Society. Regular exercise:. Brendon talks about the benefits that exercise can offer people living with atrial fibrillation. It's a good idea to talk to your doctor before starting an exercise plan. Cardiac rehabilitation classes are a great way to get started if they're available in your area.
You could also consider a green prescription , which is a free, New Zealand Government-funded programme that provides exercise advice to people with chronic conditions such as AF. If you are just starting to exercise or find that you're tiring more easily, build up your activity gradually. Your energy levels will improve and you will eventually be able to do more exercise.
There are small steps you can take to build up your confidence to exercise. You may only do 5 to 10 minutes of walking around the house. If you can walk around the house easily, look to increase this by a minute the next day and so on. Ideally you should aim to build up to five half hour sessions of cardio exercise a week.
The exercise doesn't need to be high intensity, it can be low to moderate exercise such as walking or a bike ride. If you want to increase the intensity slightly, you can include some hills but make sure you've had an adequate warm up before you start. Exercise such as yoga or pilates can also be good for lowering your heart rate. Brendon talks about the importance of starting off slow, and working up to your goals. If you're getting chest discomfort, lightheadness or dizziness, or excessive shortness of breath, stop exercising straight away and talk to your doctor.
According to research , fatigue tiredness is one of the most commonly reported symptoms of AF along with shortness of breath and heart palpitations. This may occur for a number of reasons, including:. There are a few ways to try and manage this fatigue.
Try to keep your heart at a normal rate and rhythm as much as possible. Try to avoid things that trigger your AF and remember to take your medication as prescribed. Regular exercise, a healthy diet and quality sleep also play a key role in preventing fatigue. If you think your medication may be partly responsible, you could talk to your GP to see if there's an alternative drug. Never stop taking your medication without talking to your doctor first. Fatigue is also sometimes a symptom of depression, so talk to your GP if you need professional support.
When you've been diagnosed with AF, the best kind of eating programme to follow is a heart healthy eating plan. The plan will help you manage your atrial fibrillation symptoms and reduce your risk of other types of heart disease.
A heart healthy diet means eating a dietary pattern based largely on minimally-processed foods with plenty of vegetables and fruit. Include some intact whole grains in place of refined grains: legumes, nuts, seeds and other sources of healthy fats such as oily fish. The diet also means cutting back on foods that are high in saturated fats and trans fats, salt sodium and sugar.
You'll find more about how to follow a heart healthy eating pattern on our nutrition pages. There are also some foods you'll need to avoid if you're taking certain medications. If you're on warfarin you'll need to make sure you don't eat large quantities of vitamin K. Foods that contain high levels of vitamin K include:. If you're on anti-arrhythmic drugs , such as amiodarone, you'll need to avoid grapefruit as it can make your medication less effective.
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