News & Articles
The Symptoms and Causes of Atrial Flutter
- 8:21, 6th September 2018
- Test Organization
- Heart and Blood Vessels
- Atrial Flutter
Atrial flutter or atrial fibrillation is the condition where your heart rate becomes rapid and therefore, increases the risk of heart failure and stroke. This might occur at regular intervals and generally, does not pose any life threat. However, with too much of atrial flutter, you might get bouts of weakness and shortness of breath.
It is advisable to not treat the matters of heart lightly and get an electrocardiogram done to know if the symptoms are making way for atrial flutter or other heart rhythm disorders.
Symptoms of Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial flutter can be of four types - occasional, persistent, long-standing persistent and permanent. You might be unaware of this condition existing in your body unless you undertake a physical examination. Your body might bear the signs of:
# Irregular heartbeat with a lot of palpitations and sensations of flip-flops in the chest
# Excessive weakness and fatigue
# A lesser ability to exercise or perform any work for long
# Increased feeling of lightheadedness and dizziness
# Shortness of breath
# Chest pains at frequent intervals
Potential Causes of Atrial Flutter
While the normal heart rate is 60-100 beats in a minute, people having atrial fibrillation may experience 100-180 beats in a minute. However, many people have a condition known as lone atrial fibrillation which is not caused by any heart defects and serious outcomes are very rare. The common causes of flutter include:
# Coronary artery diseases
# High blood pressure
# Abnormal heart valves
# Congenital heart defects
# Metabolic imbalance or an overactive thyroid gland
# Excessive intake of stimulants like caffeine, alcohol or tobacco
# Previous cases of heart surgery
# Viral infections or diseases like pneumonia or any other surgery
# Sleep apnea
In order to prevent atrial flutter, have a healthy lifestyle as prescribed by Curedit and live a life free from risky heart diseases.
