Look for signs of hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid), such as an enlarged thyroid gland (1).Check for swelling in your legs and feet (possible signs of heart failure or an enlarged heart).If your doctor suspects that you have afib or another serious heart condition, you can expect to undergo an examination of your heart and lungs. In addition to asking about your symptoms, your doctor will probably ask you about your family history of heart conditions, your diet and exercise habits, and other risk factors for heart disease. Your doctor will diagnose or rule out afib based on: Using recreational stimulant drugs (such as cocaine).Some factors you can’t control may increase the risk of developing afib, including the following:Ĭertain aspects of your lifestyle may also contribute to afib, such as: (1) In some people with afib, an underlying cause is never identified.
Sarcoidosis (inflammatory disease that affects organs).Other health conditions may also increase the risk of developing afib, including: (1,3) Many people with afib have an underlying heart condition or have experienced a past event that has altered the heart's electrical or mechanical function. As a result, they don’t pump blood as effectively to your body. This means your atria can’t pump blood effectively into your ventricles.īecause of the disorganized electrical impulses that begin in your atria, your ventricles can also contract very quickly and irregularly. In atrial fibrillation, many different electrical impulses happen all at once in your atria, which causes very fast and disorganized contractions. This allows your atria to pump blood into your ventricles, and for your ventricles to pump blood to your lungs (right side) and the rest of your body (left side). With a normal heartbeat, the two upper chambers of your heart (known as the atria) electrically activate and contract, then the two lower chambers (ventricles) do the same. (1)Ĭauses and Risk Factors of Atrial Fibrillation As a result, it’s important to get treatment for afib and manage your condition to try to prevent dangerous complications. Regardless of whether or not it causes symptoms, afib can put you at higher risk for a stroke. However, in some people, the condition doesn’t cause any symptoms. ( 2)Ītrial fibrillation can lead to a number of symptoms, including fatigue, dizziness, chest pain, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations. While a normal resting heart rate is 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm), atrial fibrillation can cause your atria to beat 300 to 600 times per minute, per the Cleveland Clinic. Fibrillation refers to a rapid, irregular heartbeat. ( 1)Īfib begins in the upper chambers of your heart, known as the atria. It causes your heart to beat irregularly and can significantly increase the heart rate, leading to your heart’s upper and lower chambers not working together properly, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Atrial fibrillation (AF or afib) is a type of heart rhythm disorder, or arrhythmia.
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