Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Support Group
Atrial fibrillation (AF or afib) is an abnormal heart rhythm (cardiac arrhythmia) which involves the two small, upper heart chambers (the atria). Heart beats in a normal heart begin after electricity generated in the atria by the sinoatrial node spread through the heart and cause contraction of the heart muscle and pumping of blood.
I'll try to keep it brief...
My son is going for his physical with a new doctor in a couple of days, and I know they will want his personal and family medical history...when they ask if anyone in his family has had heart disease, does AFib count?
Second, I read a lot of posts by people talking about how frequently they have episodes--how do you know when you are in AFib? If someone says they are in AFib for six hours, does that mean they are dizzy or lightheaded for six hours, or if they check their pulse does it actually beat at like 160bpm for that long? (I can't imagine being able to count that fast!)
Third, if someone is on daily anti-arrythmics and beta-blockers, how likely is it that they could experience AFib symptoms? I guess I've been in it without knowing in the past, and wonder if I may eventually start to have identifiable "episodes" as it seems like the meds gradually stop being as effective for most people. Or do some people just always stay asymptomatic, and only find out their AFib is getting worse through having tests like holter monitors on some kind of regular basis?
My son is going for his physical with a new doctor in a couple of days, and I know they will want his personal and family medical history...when they ask if anyone in his family has had heart disease, does AFib count?
Second, I read a lot of posts by people talking about how frequently they have episodes--how do you know when you are in AFib? If someone says they are in AFib for six hours, does that mean they are dizzy or lightheaded for six hours, or if they check their pulse does it actually beat at like 160bpm for that long? (I can't imagine being able to count that fast!)
Third, if someone is on daily anti-arrythmics and beta-blockers, how likely is it that they could experience AFib symptoms? I guess I've been in it without knowing in the past, and wonder if I may eventually start to have identifiable "episodes" as it seems like the meds gradually stop being as effective for most people. Or do some people just always stay asymptomatic, and only find out their AFib is getting worse through having tests like holter monitors on some kind of regular basis?
Some people are symptomatic and some aren't. Some are both.
People with persistent afib are usually asymptomatic or else they are in a world of hurt.
petey
I have no doubt that I am having an episode of afib. For me it is very dramatic, increased heart rate,
Feeling like my heart is slamming around, or a fish flopping in my chest.....very scary feeling. And it can stop just as abruptly as it started.
Some people in permanent afib really don't have any symptoms. Beta blockers can certainly subdue the symptoms of afib, so it is possible to have silent episodes.
AFIB, panic attacks, diabetes etc. Best of luck. ;) BTW: Regardless of what type of med.s that you are on you can still go into an AFIB episode, especially if you're on beta blockers.
When diagnosed, the goal is to get your pulse rate down to under 100 or so. This is done with meds. Sometimes it takes trial and error to find what works. I have been in afib for several days with meds to keep my rate down.
I use a bp monitor to count the number of beats per minute. My first dr. told me the monitor can't accurately pick up the number of beats because it is so fast. But, it is a good indicator that the rate is high, and with a med. you can see it dropping to a safer rate.
I put my fingers on my wrist or carotid artery to see if my pulse is in rhythm or not. I also use my monitor to verify. I can't tell the speed.
If the Beta Blocker or antiarrythmic is working you may still experience break through episodes. But, they should not be frequent. Again, Trial and error until you find what works for you. I have heard that the meds 'wear out' and become ineffective after awhile, then you need to find another.
I've been checking my pulse with my bp monitor, comparing the results with the watch thingy I got to check for my target heart rate when I exercise, and then seeing what I get when I take my own pulse (learning to do this as I've never bothered checking my pulse since I've always had an irregular heart beat that I could not figure out how to count).
I'm curious about what beat it is that we are counting, though. I may be way off here, but I always thought that normal heart beat went "lub-dub", with the "lub" being the atria contracting and the "dub" being the ventricles. In afib, the atria are fast and irregular, but the AV node filters out some of those beats--right? So are we just counting the "dub", which would still be at an elevated rate? But I've read here of people having a slow rate, but still in afib? Is it afib because the beat is irregular?
I'm so confused! And I totally understand if these are such dumb questions and so irrelevant, that it could be a waste of time to even attempt to explain to me. It is all really new, and difficult to know what is important and what isn't. I really appreciate everyone's patience!
Yes, You can have a slower heart beat and still be in afib. Mine goes to 70 a few hours after I take a beta blocker. It stays there for another 7-8 hrs.
I can feel the irregular beat on my wrist with my fingers, but I have never tried to count the beats while in afib.