Diagnosing Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial Fibrillation is diagnosed by the doctor using a stethoscope in the first instance. This will probably be followed by an Electrocardiogram ( ECG) which will confirm the irregularity of the heartbeat.

Sometimes the patient wears a heart monitor for 24 hours or even more. This will detect any abnormal heart beats that may be caused by atrial fibrillation by recording all heart activity over a prolonged period.

It is not always possible to rely on the pulse beat felt in the wrist to detect AF as not only will the heart beat irregularly, many heartbeats which can be heard by listening to the heart cannot be distinguished at the wrist. They do not reach the wrist because the heart, contracting weakly, has not adequately filled with blood.

Controlling Atrial Fibrillation

After diagnosis has confirmed the presence of Atrial Fibrillation, the next step is to control the heart beat.

Beta blockers

Medication is very useful in achieving this. Beta-Blockers can slow the heartbeat by reducing the impulses transmitted by the sino-atrial node, the body's pacemaker. This reduces the rate at which the atria and ventricles contract.

Digoxin

Digoxin slows down the rate at which the sino-atrial node initiates the electrical impulses in the heart.

Anti-arrhythmics

Other drugs known as Anti-arrhythmics return the Atrial Fibrillation to normal. They attain a normal rhythm by slowing down the electrical impulses to the heart muscle. Sometimes these particular drugs are referred to as medical cardioversion.

Reducing the risk of strokes

The risk of stroke caused by blood clots associated with Atrial Fibrillation is avoided by the use of Anti-Coagulants which prevent the blood from clotting. Patients who suffer from Atrial Fibrillation sometime take anti-coagulants such as Warfarin or Heparin only until their heart returns to its normal rhythm.

Clotting control also might be achieved naturally. It is decided in some cases that the dangers of excessive bleeding resulting from the use of anti-coagulants might outweigh the dangers of blood clots. Patients taking anticoagulants are very carefully monitored at regular intervals.

Cardioversion Atrial Fibrillation >>