Increase your IQ during Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month
It’s estimated more than 12 million people will have atrial fibrillation, or AFib, in the U.S. by 2030. There are numerous risk factors, including obesity, sleep apnea, diabetes, alcohol use, smoking and advancing age.
If AFib is something you’ve heard about, but don’t know about, we’ve got you covered.
AFib is the most commonly treated form of heart arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat. People with AFib may feel their heartbeat is faster or slower than normal, or they can feel as if they are having skipped heartbeats. AFib occurs when the upper chambers of the heart, the atria, beat irregularly, and blood doesn’t flow as well as it should to the lower chambers of the heart, the ventricles.
That causes blood flow to slow or pool, increasing the risk for clots and stroke.
AFib patients are at five times greater risk for a stroke.
About 15-20 percent of all strokes are related to AFib, according to the American Stroke Association and American Heart Association. AFib patients are at five times greater risk for a stroke.
It’s possible to have AFib, not know it, and not have any symptoms. Exact numbers aren’t known, but it’s estimated between 10 and 40 percent of those found to have AFib don’t report any symptoms. That’s why seeing your primary care physician for a regular check-up is so important.
AFib symptoms can include the following:
If you have any of these symptoms, you should consult your doctor.
AFib can be treated in several ways:
Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute’s Comprehensive Heart Rhythm Management Program, employs the latest technology to help patients with AFib.
Specialized care for AFib patients is available through the Heart and Vascular Institute’s AFib Center of Excellence, the region’s first and only outpatient program for patients with newly diagnosed or uncontrolled AFib. It offers early access to electrophysiology (EP) practitioners who provide patient-centric care plans that focus on disease education and advanced approaches in rhythm control. The AFib Center of Excellence will also connect patients with specialists in partnering departments, including sleep and bariatric medicine, through a fast-track referral process.
The mission of the AFib Center of Excellence is to give patients the tools and connections to reduce the likelihood of AFib becoming a long-term problem. Its goals are to help patients spend less time in the hospital – meaning fewer emergency room visits and hospital stays that are shorter and less frequent because you're being cared for proactively in the doctor's office.
Consult with your doctor to see if this treatment option is right for you.
Listen to The Healthiest You podcast about AFib with expert insights provided by cardiologist Hari Joshi, MD.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is among several organizations providing helpful information on AFib.
