Atrial fibrillation or flutter: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia (2023)

FAQs

How can I tell if I have atrial fibrillation or flutter? ›

In people with atrial fibrillation, the pulse is usually rapid and is always irregular. In people with atrial flutter, the pulse is usually rapid and can be regular or irregular. The reduced pumping ability of the heart may cause weakness, faintness, and shortness of breath.

Atrial Flutter is a less severe heart condition than Afib. A person suffering from Atrial Flutter can, if not treated, effectively develop Afib. The symptoms of Atrial Flutter are less severe and easily controlled as compared to Afib.

In atrial fibrillation, the atria beat irregularly. In atrial flutter, the atria beat regularly, but faster than usual and more often than the ventricles, so you may have four atrial beats to every one ventricular beat.

Your pulse may feel fast, uneven, or both. The normal heart rate is 60 to 100 beats per minute. In atrial fibrillation or flutter, the heart rate may be 100 to 175 beats per minute.

Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG).

Wires connect the electrodes to a computer, which displays the test results. An ECG can show if the heart is beating too fast, too slow or not at all. An ECG is the main test for diagnosing atrial fibrillation.

What causes atrial flutter? Electrical signals that are too frequent cause atrial flutter, making the upper chambers of your heart contract (pump) too often.

Sometimes, atrial flutter goes away by itself and no further action is needed. If it persists, your doctor may pursue any of the following treatments: Treatment of any underlying conditions. Catheter ablation — procedure to destroy the errant electrical pathways; performed together with an electrophysiological study.

Does this affect my life expectancy? Most patients with atrial flutter lead an entirely normal life with modern drugs and treatments.

Although atrial flutter is usually not life-threatening at first, it does limit how well your heart pumps blood. This can cause a clot to form in your heart. If the clot breaks loose, it could lead to a stroke. Over time, atrial flutter can weaken your heart muscle.

People with atrial flutter have a heart rhythm that's more organized and less chaotic than that of atrial fibrillation. Sometimes a person may have episodes of both atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation. People with atrial flutter may not have symptoms.

How do you stop heart flutters? ›

The atrial pacemakers terminated many attacks of paroxysmal atrial flutter safely and reliably in a follow-up period ranging from 24 to 60 months (average, 42). No major complications developed.

The most obvious symptom of atrial fibrillation (AF) is palpitations caused by a fast and irregular heartbeat. A normal heart rate, when you are resting, should be between 60 and 100 beats a minute. In atrial fibrillation, it may be over 140 beats a minute.

When you have heart palpitations, your heartbeat feels uncomfortable or unusual. You may feel it in your chest, neck or throat. Your heartbeat may feel like it is: racing or beating very fast.

Antiarrhythmic drug treatment can be used to convert atrial flutter to sinus rhythm. Three drugs—ibutilide, flecainide, and propafenone—have a reasonable expectation of accomplishing this.

Evidence suggests that initial administration of calcium-channel blockers, like diltiazem, and beta-blockers, like metoprolol, are the most effective drugs in rate-controlling atrial rhythm disturbance [43].

​Treatments for atrial flutter

To prevent a blood clot from forming in your heart, you may be started on a blood thinner medicine. The most common one is warfarin (Coumadin^®). Other blood thinners that work as well as warfarin, have a lower risk of bleeding, and don't need regular blood tests are also available.

Patients with atrial flutter can be asymptomatic or present with symptoms as palpitations, lightheadedness, fatigue, and shortness of breath especially in the presence of rapid ventricular conduction. Decreased exercise tolerance is another symptom that can be present during patient evaluation.

Coarse atrial fibrillation may mimic atrial flutter over limited electrocardiogram (ECG) strips. Prolonged recordings will uncover an irregular rate and variation in P wave morphology (as compared to a regular rate and P wave morphology with atrial flutter).

Although heart palpitations can be worrisome, they're usually harmless. Rarely, heart palpitations can be a symptom of a more serious heart condition, such as an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), that might require treatment.

What is the best sleeping position for heart palpitations? ›

This is because the heart is on the left side of the chest and when lying on the left side the heart is closer to the chest wall. This physical closeness makes skipped and therefore skipped beats may be easier to feel. If you notice heart palpitation when lying down, try lying on your right side to see if this helps.

Treating AFib

However, the expert heart care team at Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center now offers a new treatment for AFib, the WATCHMAN™ heart implant. The implant is placed during a one-time, minimally invasive procedure and lowers the risk of bleeding and stroke in AFib patients.

AFib episodes rarely cause serious problems, but they'll need to get checked out. If they're uncomfortable or their heart is beating rapidly, call 911 or go to an emergency room. Doctors may use medications or a device called a cardioverter to help their heart go back to a normal rhythm.

If you have A-fib , it's also important to know which foods and drinks to avoid. For example, your care provider may recommend that you limit or avoid alcohol. Alcohol can cause health issues in some people. People with atrial fibrillation often take blood thinners to prevent blood clots.

That implies that a BP of 120–129/80 mmHg might be the optimum BP for patients with AF undergoing hypertension treatment.

Anxiety is a very common cause of heart palpitations. Some people experience palpitations only in certain stressful situations, while others have palpitations more frequently.

Usually, palpitations are either related to your heart or the cause is unknown. Non-heart-related causes include: Strong emotions like anxiety, fear, or stress. They often happen during panic attacks.

Palpitations are characterized as a general or heightened awareness of your own heartbeat – whether it's too fast, too slow, or otherwise irregular. You might feel like your heart is thumping, racing, or fluttering. And you could feel this sensation in your chest or your neck.

Background: Diltiazem (calcium channel blocker) and metoprolol (beta-blocker) are both commonly used to treat atrial fibrillation/flutter (AFF) in the emergency department (ED).

What drugs should be avoided in atrial flutter? ›

If you have atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) and are on blood thinners to lower your risk of blood clots and stroke, beware of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). NSAIDs include common pain relievers naproxen (Aleve®) and ibuprofen (Advil®).

Bisoprolol* or metoprolol succinate are first-choice beta-blockers for patients with atrial fibrillation as they are prescribed once-daily and do not require dose adjustment in patients with renal impairment. Bisoprolol is preferred as it is more cardioselective than metoprolol and may cause more bradycardia.

firmly place the index and middle finger of your right hand on your left wrist, at the base of the thumb (between the wrist and the tendon attached to the thumb) using the second hand on a clock or watch, count the number of beats for 30 seconds, and then double that number to get your heart rate in beats per minute.

Symptoms of atrial flutter are similar to those of AFib. They include a fluttering feeling in the chest, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, dizziness, fatigue, and difficulty exercising.

If you suspect you have Afib, checking your pulse can be a simple way to listen in on your heart beat and check for irregularities. To do this, put the index and middle fingers of your right hand on the inside of your left wrist, and feel for a pulse.

The most obvious symptom of atrial fibrillation is heart palpitations – where the heart feels like it's pounding, fluttering or beating irregularly, often for a few seconds or possibly a few minutes.

Beta blockers and calcium channel blockers are the drugs of choice because they provide rapid rate control. These drugs are effective in reducing the heart rate at rest and during exercise in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers are first-line agents for rate control in AF. These drugs can be administered either intravenously or orally. They are effective at rest and with exertion.

What Are the Risks of Atrial Flutter? The main danger with atrial flutter is that your heart doesn't pump blood very well when it beats too fast. Vital organs like the heart muscle and brain may not get enough blood, which can cause them to fail. Congestive heart failure, heart attack, and stroke can result.

Occasional (paroxysmal atrial fibrillation).

A-fib symptoms come and go, usually lasting for a few minutes to hours. Sometimes symptoms occur for as long as a week and episodes can happen repeatedly. Symptoms might go away on their own. Some people with occasional A-fib need treatment.

Can you tell if you are in AFib by checking your pulse? ›

Some people with AFib have symptoms such as palpitations, shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness or light-headedness. Other people with AFib have no symptoms at all. AFib can be detected by checking your pulse.

Atrial fibrillation (Afib) is an irregular heart rhythm that begins in your heart's upper chambers (atria). Symptoms include fatigue, heart palpitations, trouble breathing and dizziness. Afib is one of the most common arrhythmias. Risk factors include high blood pressure, coronary artery disease and having obesity.

your heart rate is consistently lower than 60 or above 100 (particularly if you're experiencing other symptoms of atrial fibrillation, such as dizziness and shortness of breath)

AFib episodes rarely cause serious problems, but they'll need to get checked out. If they're uncomfortable or their heart is beating rapidly, call 911 or go to an emergency room. Doctors may use medications or a device called a cardioverter to help their heart go back to a normal rhythm.