Can anyone tell me anything about atrial fibrillation? of the heart.?

I have recently been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, been given no info on it by the consultant or my g.p.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common, abnormal rhythm of the heart.

The heart contracts (beats) and pumps blood with a regular rhythm, for example, at a rate of 60 beats per minute there is a beat every second. The heart may beat faster or slower with a shorter or longer interval between beats, but at any one rate the interval between beats is constant. This regular rhythm occurs as a result of regular electrical discharges (currents) that travel through the heart and cause the muscle of the heart to contract. In AF, the electrical discharges are irregular and rapid and, as a result, the heart beats irregularly and, usually, rapidly.

AF is common; half a million new cases are diagnosed yearly in the U.S., and billions of dollars are spent annually on its diagnosis and treatment. What causes atrial fibrillation?

Normal function of the heart

The heart has four chambers. The upper two chambers are the atria, and the lower two chambers are the ventricles. Blood returning to the heart from the body in the superior and inferior vena cava contains low levels of oxygen and high levels of carbon dioxide. This blood flows into the right atrium and then into the adjacent right ventricle. After the ventricle fills, contraction of the right atrium pumps additional blood into the right ventricle. The right ventricle then contracts and pumps the blood to the lungs where the blood takes up oxygen and gives off carbon dioxide. The blood then flows from the lungs to the left atrium and into the adjacent left ventricle. Contraction of the left atrium pumps additional blood into the left ventricle. The left ventricle then contracts and pumps the blood to the rest of the body. The heartbeat (pulse) that we feel is caused by the contraction of the ventricles.

The ventricles must deliver enough blood to the body for the body to function normally. The amount of blood that is pumped depends on several factors. The most important factor is the rate of contraction of the heart (the heart rate). As the heart rate increases, more blood is pumped. In addition, the heart pumps more blood with each beat when the atria contract and fill the ventricles with additional blood just before the ventricles contract.

With each beat of the heart, an electrical discharge (current) passes through the electrical system of the heart. The electrical discharge causes the muscle of the atria and ventricles to contract and pump blood. The electrical system of the heart consists of the SA node (sino-atrial node), the AV node (atrio-ventricular node) and special tissues in the atria and the ventricles that conduct the current.

The SA node is the heart's electrical pacemaker. It is a small patch of cells located in the wall of the right atrium; the frequency with which the SA node discharges determines the rate at which the heart beats. The electrical current passes from the SA node, through the special tissues of the atria and into the AV node. The AV node serves as an electrical relay station between the atria and the ventricles. Electrical signals from the atria must pass through the AV node to reach the ventricles.

The electrical discharges from the SA node cause the atria to contract and pump blood into the ventricles. The same discharges then pass through the AV node to reach the ventricles, traveling through the special tissues of the ventricles and causing the ventricles to contract. In a normal heart, the rate of atrial contraction is the same as the rate of ventricular contraction.

At rest, the frequency of the electrical discharges originating from the SA node is low, and the heart beats at the lower range of normal (60-80 beats/minute). During exercise or excitement, the frequency of discharges from the SA node increases, increasing the rate at which the heart beats

It is a condition that a lot of people have. Basicly, it means that, instead of beating uniformly and evenly, the Atria in your heart are fibrillating, or randomly squeezing. This will give you an irregular heartbeat and can increase the chance of stroke or heart attack. This is because the blood tends to pool in the atria instead of moving on to the ventricles. Your doctor has probably prescribed some medications to help prevent this from happening.

Other than being aware that you have it, and following your docotrs orders for treatment, it is not something that should greatly concern you. Millions of people in the US walk around with this condition without ever knowing it. It is one of the more benign disorders of the heart that you can have.

AF is a very common heart rhythm problem, especially if above age 50. The top chambers of your heart quiver rather than beat in rhythm. You will need to start on a blood thinner. Monitor your BP closely. Lose weight if overweight. Go easy on caffeine. Typically AF does not cause heart attacks but your chances of a stroke are increased and that is why you need to take blood thinner.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atrial_fibr...

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/...

Atrial Fibrillation (also called AF or A Fib) is a common heart rhythm disorder caused by a problem in the conduction of electrical impulses in the upper chambers, or atria, of the heart. A Fib and other rapid heartbeats that arise in the atria, or in the juncture between the atria and the lower chambers (ventricles) are called "supraventricular tachycardias."

In A Fib, the electrical signals that coordinate the muscle of the upper chambers (atria) of the heart become rapid and disorganized, typically causing the atria to beat faster than 300 beats per minute. (The normal rate when the heart is at rest is about 60 to 80 beats per minute). When this happens, the atria may contract poorly and no longer effectively force blood into the lower chambers (ventricles). As a result, the flow of blood to the body may be reduced. Atrial fibrillation may occur from time-to-time, or it may be a permanent condition.Paroxysmal A Fib. Episodes of A Fib that end spontaneously are called paroxysmal A Fib. This type of atrial fibrillation usually comes on suddenly, and its symptoms can range from mild to severe. The irregular heart rhythm may last for a few seconds, minutes, hours or longer before the heart resumes a normal rhythm on its own.In younger people who have no other disease that affects the heart, atrial fibrillation or flutter usually is not considered serious. Some people with atrial fibrillation, however, are at increased risk of stroke, heart failure or heart muscle disease.

Sometimes, A Fib can damage heart muscle and alter the normal electrical signals to the heart. This may change the patterns of contraction and relaxation of heart muscle. This is known as electrical remodeling.

Atrial fibrillation is a quivering of the atria in the heart. The atria are above the ventricles. The atria can actually 'quiver' to 600 beats a minute. Keeping the ventricular rate within normal range is important. To have controlled A Fib is to have the ventricular heart rate (your heart rate) below 100 beats per minute. This can happen for many reasons. (Age, medications, or it can happen and go away.) Typically the person w/ A-Fib is placed on medication to keep the heart rate under control and also placed on blood thinning medication to prevent a thrombis (clot) from forming in the quivering atrium. Hope this helps!

you should see a heart doctor...i have a defibrillator in because of that problem..if your heart gets too much out of rhythm, the dedfib. will go off and shock your heart back into normal rhythm.. its a strange feeling when your heart is out of sinc .....

Ask your GP or a cardiologist,their are several different treatment for AF and sometimes a physician will recommend no treatment for certain reasons.