Atrial fibrillation, an arrhythmia, can significantly elevate your risk of heart-related problems like stroke. The Upper East Side Cardiology team offers exceptional individualized care for Upper East Side atrial fibrillation to prevent life-threatening complications and restore your quality of life.
An overview of atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is a form of arrhythmia (abnormally rapid heart rhythm) that can result in blood clots. Untreated Afib can increase your risk of heart failure, stroke, and other heart-related conditions. Atrial fibrillation causes your atria (the heart’s upper chambers) to beat irregularly, chaotically, and out of sync with the ventricles (the lower chambers). Because the condition rarely causes symptoms, many people may not be aware they have it until they experience a stroke or heart failure. However, the chaotic heartbeat may sometimes result in weakness and shortness of breath. Atrial fibrillation episodes may be persistent or intermittent. Although not life-threatening, this medical disorder requires treatment to prevent life-threatening complications like stroke. Your treatment plan may involve therapy to restore normal heart rhythm, a catheter procedure to prevent faulty heart signals, and medications. Atrial fibrillation may also occur with atrial flutter, another form of arrhythmia. Fortunately, it responds to the same treatments used to treat atrial fibrillation.
When to consult your doctor
Some individuals with atrial fibrillation have no symptoms. However, the signature symptoms of this disorder include shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain, reduced ability to exercise, weakness, fatigue, and a pounding heartbeat. Atrial fibrillation can be permanent, long-standing persistent, persistent, or occasional. If you experience any symptoms indicating atrial fibrillation, inform your most trusted specialist at Upper East Side Cardiology. If you also experience chest, seek emergency care as it could be a heart attack.
If you notice A-fib symptoms, you can call your doctor and describe your symptoms. Your provider may request you to check whether your pulse is weak or erratic, an indicator of A-fib. However, if your atrial fibrillation is mild, you may not notice a change in your pulse but may feel out of breath or tired. Some people may not experience these symptoms and may faint.
Available treatments for Atrial fibrillation
During your initial appointment at Upper East Side Cardiology, the team may discuss your symptoms, review your medical history and perform a thorough medical exam. They may use Electrocardiogram to measure your heart’s electrical activity, blood tests to rule out other disorders, a Holter monitor to record your heart’s activities throughout the day, a stress test, or an echocardiogram to provide images of the motion, structure, and size of your heart.
Afterward, your doctor may develop a treatment plan to control your heart rate, reset your heart rhythm and prevent blood clots. Your doctor educates you about the available treatments and works closely with you to determine the most appropriate treatment. The team may prescribe medications like beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, blood thinners, or anti-arrhythmic medications to alleviate your symptoms. They may also recommend cardioversion therapy to reset heart rhythm or surgery if your symptoms don’t respond to the noninvasive procedures.
Call the Upper East Side Cardiology office or schedule an appointment online for comprehensive medical care.