Atrial fibrillation, also known as Afib, is the most common type ofarrhythmia, and it currently affects almost 2.5 million Americans. And, as with many health issues, there's a lot of misinformation circulating about Afib. Get the truth behind these common atrial fibrillation myths so you can better understand this form ofirregular heartbeat.
Myth: Atrial fibrillation only affects the elderly.
Fact: Yes, Afib is more common in people over 70, and the greatest number of cases is in people 80 and older — but it can occur at any age. Among adults younger than 55, fewer than one in 1,000 have atrial fibrillation. However, the risk of developing Afib over a person’s entire life is considered to be between 18 and 25 percent. The causes vary, and can include everything from trauma to medications to heart attack.
Myth: You can tell when you’re having atrial fibrillation symptoms.
Fact: The symptoms of Afib may be barely noticeable or even nonexistent. Atrial fibrillation symptoms are not always noticeable because the chamber that is fibrillating, or quivering, is the small upper chamber, which doesn’t do the bulk of the work in pumping blood. “If a healthy or near-normal heart goes into Afib, there’s still normal pump function from the lower chamber, which helps the blood flow passively through the upper chamber that is fibrillating,” says Thomas Togioka, MD, acardiologistat Marina Del Rey Hospital in Marina del Rey, Calif. “There is a small loss of efficiency that, in a normal heart, may not be noticed.”
Myth: You can’t exercise when you have atrial fibrillation.
Fact: For most people, this is false. “Exercise is typically fine forpeople with atrial fibrillation, as long as their heart rate does not get too fast,” says Sarah Samaan, MD, a cardiologist at Legacy Heart Center; a physician partner at the Baylor Heart Hospital in Plano, Texas; and author ofBest Practices for a Healthy Heart: How to Stop Heart Disease Before or After It Starts. “Some people who are in atrial fibrillation may notice poor endurance andshortness of breathwhile exercising. And exercise may provoke an Afib episode in people with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (meaning the symptoms start and stop on their own). But generally, instead of discouraging people fromworking out, we work to find a treatment that controls the problem and allows them to stay active.”
Before you start exercising, it’s important to talk to your doctor or cardiologist aboutwhich exercises are best for you, and whether or not you should use a heart rate monitor during your workouts.
Myth: Diet doesn’t affect atrial fibrillation.
Fact: Caffeine and alcohol, along with other stimulants, can trigger atrial fibrillation symptoms. In addition, very rich foods may be a problem for some people. Andsalty foodscan raise blood pressure, which in turn could provoke an Afib episode.
Myth: The biggest risk of atrial fibrillation is having a heart attack.
Fact: With atrial fibrillation symptoms like heart palpitations, it’s easy to see why people think this. In reality, the largestrisk of atrial fibrillationis an embolic stroke, which occurs when a blood clot forms, commonly in the heart, and is swept through the bloodstreams to the brain. “Not everyone with Afib is at a high risk of a stroke, but many are,” says Dr. Togioka. However, certain types ofatrial fibrillation treatmentsuch as anti-clotting drugs, can helpprevent stroke.
Myth: Atrial fibrillation affects life expectancy.
Fact: It depends. Younger, generally healthy people who keep symptoms under control and take medications to prevent stroke typically do not have an increased risk of death from Afib. However, the underlying cause is usually the determining factor. Someone who developed atrial fibrillation after a heart attack that caused significant heart muscle damage may have a worse prognosis than someone with treatable high blood pressure and a normal heart.
Myth: Electrically shocking the heart fixes atrial fibrillation.
Fact: “Although an electrical cardioversion procedure resets the heart rhythm back to normal for most people, it has no impact on whether or not atrial fibrillation will return,” says Dr. Samaan. The low-energy shocks of electrical cardioversion succeed about 75 percent of the time, but the procedure often has to be repeated because the arrhythmia returns.
Myth: Atrial fibrillation can be cured.
Fact: It depends on the cause.Thyroid disordersand binge drinking, for example, can both lead to Afib, but if those conditions are treated, the Afib should resolve. On the other hand, causes such as high blood pressure and冠状动脉疾病generally result in cases of Afib that are not curable — but they are manageable.
如果你有问题阿布t Afib and the best ways to manage it,talk to your doctor.
