Atrial fibrillation (AFib)

If your heart is out of rhythm, you want to know why and get exactly the care you need quickly. When you come to Advocate, you’ll have your own cardiac rhythm care team of specialized electrophysiologists, cardiologists, surgeons, advanced practice nurses and nurses, all who have extensive training and experience in diagnosing and treating atrial fibrillation (AFib).

And we’ll keep your primary care and other doctors up to date every step of the way.

What is atrial fibrillation (AFib)?

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is one of the most common types of arrhythmia, or irregular heart rhythm. It occurs when the upper chambers of the heart – the atria – beat rapidly and out of sync. This can cause blood to collect and form blood clots, which can break loose into your bloodstream, travel to your brain and cause a stroke including a ministroke or a silent stroke.

Over time, atrial fibrillation (AFib) can also weaken the heart and lead to heart failure.

Sometimes AFib may only be occasional. This is called paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AFib), where symptoms last a short time and may go away on their own. Other times, atrial fibrillation (AFib) can be persistent or permanent. This is known as chronic atrial fibrillation (AFib) and requires treatment.

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) symptoms

Feeling your heart flutter doesn’t always indicate anything serious. But it’s a good idea to see your doctor if it comes back or is severe, or if you have other symptoms.

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) symptoms include:

• Fluttering sensation
• Heart palpitations, a feeling that your heart is skipping a beat, or beating too hard or fast
• Lightheadedness, dizziness or fainting
• Fatigue or weakness, especially with physical exertion
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain

Causes and complications of atrial fibrillation (AFib)

As you get older, atrial fibrillation (AFib) can become more common. Certain other risk factors may contribute to developing atrial fibrillation (AFib), including:

• High blood pressure
• Atherosclerosis or other heart conditions
• Obesity
• Sleep disorders
• Excessive use of caffeine, tobacco or alcohol
• Thyroid disease, lung disease or other health conditions

If it isn’t treated, atrial fibrillation (AFib) can lead to health complications. Atrial fibrillation (AFib) complications can include:

• Blood clots: The irregular heart rhythm of atrial fibrillation (AFib) can cause blood clots, which can lead to a stroke, including ministroke and silent stroke. Research shows that up to 20% of strokes are caused by atrial fibrillation (AFib).
• Heart failure: Atrial fibrillation (AFib) can weaken the lower chambers of your heart. This weakening can result in heart failure and other conditions.

Heart health tips to help prevent atrial fibrillation (AFib)

Here’s what you can do to help prevent atrial fibrillation (AFib):

• See your primary care provider at least once a year for heart, thyroid and blood pressure checks
• Exercise regularly
• Achieve and maintain a healthy weight
• If you have high blood pressure or thyroid disease, take your prescribed medication

Diagnosing atrial fibrillation (AFib)

Sometimes you may not even know you have atrial fibrillation (AFib), and your doctor may detect it during tests or treatment for other conditions. Other times, you may first notice a fluttering sensation in your chest (arrhythmia) as a sign of atrial fibrillation (AFib).

To determine your exact type of arrhythmia and diagnose atrial fibrillation (AFib), you may be referred to one of our electrophysiologists, a physician who specializes in the heart’s electrical system and arrhythmia.

We’ll start with a thorough exam and listen to your heart with a stethoscope to check for an irregular heartbeat. We may order tests for you, such as:

• Lab testing to check your electrolyte levels or thyroid hormone levels to look for a cause of your atrial fibrillation (AFib)
• Chest X-ray to examine the structure of your heart and lungs
• Electrocardiogram (EKG) to record the electrical activity of your heart and check your heart rhythm
• Echocardiogram, a heart ultrasound that creates images of your heart’s structures and cardiovascular system
• Portable monitoring such as:
  • Holter monitoring, which uses a small, battery-powered EKG that continuously records your heart rate and rhythm over a 24-hour period
  • Transtelephonic monitoring, which monitors and records your heart rate and rhythm over a longer period
• Cardiac catheterization, where we guide a long, thin tube called a catheter through an artery to your heart to find out what kind of arrhythmia you may have and where it starts. We may also test medicines during this procedure to see which ones will work best in treating your arrhythmia.

Find out more about our heart and vascular testing and diagnosis.

Treating atrial fibrillation (AFib)

In designing an atrial fibrillation (AFib) treatment plan that’s right for you, we’ll look at how often you have symptoms, how severe they are, what’s causing them and if you have any other conditions.

We may recommend one or more treatments to return your heartbeat to a healthy rate, prevent blood clots or destroy the tissue causing the problem. These treatments may include:

• Medication such as beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, anti-arrhythmic drugs or blood thinners, which slow your heartbeat and prevent blood clots
• Cardiac cryoablation catheter, a minimally invasive technique in which we release a coolant through an inflatable balloon that destroys the cells triggering the erratic electrical signals causing your abnormal heartbeat
• Cardioversion, where our specialists send an electrical pulse to your heart to correct the arrhythmia and quickly restore your normal rhythm
• Cardiac ablation, a minimally invasive procedure where we may use the stereotaxis magnetic navigation technology to gently guide a catheter to your heart and use heat or extreme cold to destroy the tissue causing your abnormal rhythm
• Pacemaker, a small device that generates electrical signals similar to your heart's own natural impulses to help you keep a steady rhythm
• Maze procedure, a surgical procedure where our experts create a pattern of scar tissue to block the triggers causing your atrial fibrillation (AFib)
• Robotic-assisted atrial ablation, a minimally invasive procedure where we create scar tissue to block the triggers causing your atrial fibrillation (AFib)
• Left atrial appendage closure, a minimally invasive procedure in which we implant a small device as a safe and effective alternative to blood thinners to help prevent blood clots