You might be surprised to learn that atrial fibrillation doesn’t have harmful consequences by itself. In fact, the increased risk for stroke causes the real danger, even when there are no noticeable symptoms. Atrial fibrillation significantly increases the risk for stroke and other health issues.
There are several causes for atrial fibrillation. Even though the cause might be sometimes unknown, it’s usually a result of some other health issues, such as uncontrolled hypertension, coronary artery disease, or it’s a complication after heart surgery.
Experiencing atrial fibrillation usually means that you are at a higher risk of developing other medical problems, such as heart failure, chronic fatigue, stroke, inconsistent blood supply, and additional heart rhythm problems.
The Link Between Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke
The heartbeat fibrillates in an erratic way and the atria of the heart contracts irregularly. So, when a heart contraction is too fast or too uneven, it doesn’t completely squeeze the blood from the atria into the next chamber. Thus, the blood is not completely pumped out of the atria and can remain and pool there. As a result, blood clots might appear. These clots can travel and cause a blockage. So, if a blood clot forms in the atria, it can travel to the brain and block the blood supply to an artery in the brain. This is what causes a stroke, which is known as an embolic stroke or a cardioembolic stroke.
Atrial Fibrillation and Heart Failure
If the heart doesn’t pump enough blood to meet the need of the body, it is known as heart failure. Atrial fibrillation can lead to heart failure because the condition causes the heart to beat fast and the heart doesn’t fill properly with blood to pump out to the body. When atrial fibrillation is the cause of heart failure, it can come to shortness of breath and fatigue due to the fluid in the lungs. So, a person might face reduced stamina, mental fatigue, and heart-failure related weight gain.
Moreover, atrial fibrillation might lead to additional heart rhythm problems because the heart’s electrical system stops with the proper work and doesn’t keep the heart chambers in rhythm. As the heart’s electrical system controls the heartbeats. The heart’s normal electrical pattern is as follows, starting at the top of the heart, the heartbeat travels to the lower parts of the heart. The sinoatrial node starts the contraction in the top of the heart and in normal adults, it’s normal to produce 60-100 heartbeats per minute.
On the other hand, the atrioventricular node regulates the timing for the lower portion of the heart. There’s a delay of the electrical pulses at the atrioventricular node before they are allowed to move into the ventricles. Thanks to this delay, the ventricles have extra time to finish filling with blood before contracting.
However, a person suffering from atrial fibrillation might face some issues. For instance, the sinoatrial node may not start the contraction, but the contraction may start randomly in other areas of the atria or even in the pulmonary veins.
With atrial fibrillation, the contractions are disorganized and rapid. Moreover, the atrioventricular node isn’t able to regulate the chaotic current and thus, the ventricle beats more often and triggers breathlessness. As a result, there is an unpredictable blood supply and there is no coordination in the beating of the atria and ventricles. So, the ventricles may beat 100 to 175 times a minute in atrial fibrillation.
Nevertheless, how fast the heart beats and how often rhythm disturbances occur is closely related to all atrial fibrillation consequences, risks, and symptoms. The condition itself can be brief that an atrial fibrillation episode that resolves on its own. However, the condition might become persistent. That’s when treatment is necessary, as well as incorporating a heart-healthy lifestyle.