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Atrial fibrillation is a term used to draw a heart circumstance involving an unnatural heartbeat or cardiac arrhythmia . People with atrial fibrillation have a problem with their heart ’s electrical activity . Atrial fibrillation is commonly referred to as A - fib . In people with this condition , the electric signals between the two chambers of the meat that should be coordinated do not work together as they should , which stimulate the contraction of the heart to find unpredictably . Due to this , the heart starts to beat either too fast , too slow , or irregularly.(1,2,3 )
There are many dissimilar type of treatments for atrial fibrillation , with the accurate one count on the severity of your condition . The focus of atrial fibrillation intervention is to control your heart rate , reduce the hazard of chance event , and also restore normal heartbeat calendar method of birth control . The right atrial fibrillation procedure for you depend on your heart surgeon ’s testimonial . You will discuss your treatment programme with your cardiologist and healthcare squad to decide what is the most suitable treatment for you . There are several factors taken into consideration to select the right atrial fibrillation discourse . These include:(4,5,6 )
If you have any other underlying condition that postulate to be treated
The first step to set the right treatment procedure for your atrial fibrillation is to find oneself the underlying cause of the A - fib . If there is an underlying cause , you might only need to be treated for this . For example , if your atrial fibrillation is triggered by an overactivethyroid gland , a status known ashyperthyroidism , medicine to treat this shape can also help bring around the A - fib.(7,8 )
Atrial Fibrillation Treatment Procedures
The heart of people with atrial fibrillation is not able to pump parentage decently through its chambers and out to the body . Sometimes , blood can lead off to compile also in the heart , leading to coagulum formation , which could cause aheart attackorstroke .
There are many dissimilar treatments for A - fib , including medications , non - surgical procedures , and surgical procedures . These discourse slow down your beat and help bring it back to a normal heart rhythm while also preventing the formation of clots and hold back your heart hefty .
Let us appear at some procedures to treat atrial fibrillation .
Medications for Treating Atrial Fibrillation
Medications are prescribed for the bar of blood clots and strokes . They also help slow down your heart rate and control the core speech rhythm to institute it back to normal . Here are some of the mutual types of medications dictate for atrial fibrillation .
pedigree Thinners : origin thinners are a class of drug used to reduce the blood line to reduce the likeliness of evolve clots or getting a cam stroke . However , these medicines increase the risk of haemorrhage , which is why when on these medicinal drug , you might have to cut back on doing activeness that may cause injuries , as blood thinners make you more susceptible to bruising and shed blood too much . The normally prescribed blood thinners for atrial fibrillation are:(9,10 )
nub Rate Medications : The most common treatment for atrial fibrillation is with medicine that aid contain the heartbeat . These drugs slow down your speedy sum rhythm and allow your heart to pump blood easily . If you demand drugs to slow down down your pump charge per unit , you might be prescribe beta - blockers like:(11,12 )
atomic number 20 channel blocking agent may also be prescribed for slowing down your nub charge per unit and intone down the contractions of the heart . In such case , you may be prescribe drugs like verapamil or Cardizem .
Heart Rhythm drug : These music help slow down the electrical signals of the warmheartedness , which brings the affection rhythm into a normal sinus regular recurrence . These intervention are also known as chemical substance cardioversion . Sodium channel blocker , like flecainide , quinidine , or propafenone , are usually prescribed . Potassium channel blockers , such as sotalol , dofetilide , and amiodarone , are also used for decelerate down the electrical signals that are induce atrial fibrillation.(13,14 )
In instance where medication do not play , or they cause severe side effect , there are two major procedures that are used to treat atrial fibrillation without surgical intervention . These are known as electric cardioversion and cardiac cutting out . Let ’s take a look at these procedures .
Electrical Cardioversion
Cardioversion is normally recommended for those multitude with atrial fibrillation who did not get relief with medications . The unconscious process involves giving an electric jounce to the heart under controlled lot to help- restore the normal heart rhythm . The subroutine is generally done in the infirmary so that the heart rhythm can be closely monitored.(15,16 )
If you endure from atrial fibrillation for over two days in a words , cardioversion can , however , increase the risk of developing a blood clot . In such a compositor’s case , your Dr. will order an anticoagulant medication for at least three to four calendar week before the procedure of cardioversion is carried out . The medical specialty are to be go forward for at least four week after the procedure to lower the danger of have a stroke.(17,18 )
In an emergency or in severe pillowcase , motion-picture show of the heart are taken to look for bloodline clots , and electric cardioversion is stock out without suffer to take the medication first . Anticoagulation medications are stop after your doctor view as that the cardioversion was successful . However , you may postulate to go on taking the medicine even after cardioversion if your doctor set that you are at a high jeopardy of atrial fibrillation happening again or you have a in high spirits risk of exposure of having aheart attackor stroke.(19,20,21 )
Most the great unwashed only want to undergo one cardioversion , and since the procedure happens under sedation , you wo n’t have any memory of being shocked . It is possible to fall back home on the same day as the procedure . A slight uncomfortableness of cardioversion could be that your skin becomes roiled at the place where the paddles are attached . Your doctor will urge a cream or lotion to ease any pain anditching .
Cardiac Ablation
There are two major types of cardiac cutting out – catheter ablation and surgical ablation .
Also known as pulmonic vena extirpation or radiofrequency cutting out , catheter ablation is not OR . It is also a less invasive pick for ablation . During this type of excision , the doctor inserts a sparse , flexible tubing into one of the lineage vessels in your neck or wooden leg . The line is point to the heart , and once it reaches the region that is make the irregular flash , the tube sends out electrical signaling to demolish the cells do the arrhythmia . After the routine , the treat heart tissue aid your heartbeat return to normal again.(22,23 )
There are two case of catheter ablation as well – radiofrequency cutting out and cryoablation .
In radiofrequency ablation , catheters are used to send radiofrequency energy to fix your regular heartbeat as it disrupts the abnormal electrical pathways in the heart that are causing the arrhythmia . Radiofrequency DOE is standardized to using microwave oven heat . The radiofrequency energy causes minor Nathan Birnbaum to get some amount of scarring on the interior of the ticker or around each vein or a group of nervure . This touch on the regular rhythm of the heart.(24 )
Meanwhile , in cryoablation , a unmarried catheter infix a balloon that has a substance present on the tip to freeze the tissues of the kernel , make a mark and disrupting the abnormal electrical pathway that is causing the arrhythmia.(25 )
Surgical extirpation involves actually cutting subject the chest to perform ablation . This is done through a maze procedure which is ordinarily carry out while you are having undefendable center surgical process for treating other warmheartedness - tie in problems like a valve replacement or even a electrical shunt surgery . In this process , the sawbones makes some minor slash in the upper part of the heart and stitches them together to cause scar tissue to form . This disrupts the abnormal electric sign , thus stopping the temporary heartbeat .
It is essential to keep in idea that most people with atrial fibrillation rarely ask open center operating theatre . The less invasive pick are utilized most of the time .
Pacemaker
Another procedure for atrial fibrillation is slip in a sinoatrial node . A SA node is a tiny machine that keeps cart track of your heartbeat and sends a signaling to stimulate or offend your heart if it originate beat out too easy or too fast . The cardiac pacemaker has very tenuous wires that connect it to the heart to admit it to incessantly monitor your spunk charge per unit . While getting a cardiac pacemaker may fathom scary , but it is actually just a minor subprogram in which your doctor first place a acerate leaf into a gravid vein near the shoulder to channelize the wire of the pacemaker into the heart . The pacemaker is then stick in into the breast by making a small cut , and once it is in place , the gimmick is tested to guarantee that it is working correctly.(26 )
There are some risks tie in with putting in a pacemaker , including :
Once you have a cardiac pacemaker , you have to follow certain precautions , let in maintain some distance from objects that give off strong magnetised energy , as this could disrupt your sinoatrial node ’s electrical signals . Such devices may include metal detectors , electric generators , MRImachines or some other medical equipment , MP3 players and cells phones ( rarified shell ) , etc.(27 )
Conclusion
Your doctor will discourse with you the various options usable for treating your atrial fibrillation and which procedure would be the good choice for you . They will also recommend other lifestyle change that you’re able to take to keep yourheart sound . Changes like controlling your blood pressure sensation , bring off your cholesterol levels , quitting smoke , maintain ahealthy weight , and other such positive changes can assist you achieve a better quality of life history , even with atrial fibrillation .
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