Take Charge Of Your AFib And Keep Your Symptoms In Check

Atrial Fibrillation, often called AFib, is the most common type of heart arrhythmia that prevents the top chambers of the heart from contracting normally. If you have AFib, you are not alone, as more than 2.7 million people have AFib in the United States, and that number continues to increase as the population ages.

The sooner this irregular heartbeat (AFib) is diagnosed, the more likely you are to get appropriate treatment. So look out for the most common symptoms, including heart palpitations, irregular pulse, dizziness, a feeling of tightness in the chest, and trouble breathing or fatigue (the most common symptom). The best way to fight AFib and other heart conditions is by giving your lifestyle a healthy boost, which includes eating heart-healthy foods that are low in sodium and fat, maintaining a healthy weight and staying active. It is as much important that your known health problems are being actively addressed and kept in check. Treatment options for individuals diagnosed with AFib include medications to control the heart rate or rhythm, blood thinners to prevent blood clot formation, and medical and surgical procedures.

Living with AFib can be quite challenging, too often patients make the condition tougher to manage by making a few mistakes, avoiding which can help keep your symptoms under control and live well:

Being careless about taking medicines- People with AFib don’t always experience predictable symptoms, some people do not feel their AFib, and sometimes symptoms come and go, which is what tempts individuals to skip medications, even more so if the medicines cause side effects or require lifestyle changes and frequent testing. Some AFib medications help prevent blood clots, which can cause a stroke and disability or death, which makes it important for one and all to take AFib medications regularly.

Avoiding getting blood tests- Blood needs to be tested on a regular basis (if you take a blood thinning medicine) so that your doctor can ensure your blood is neither too thick nor too thin, which is vital to preventing a life-threatening clot or a bleeding episode. If blood testing seems difficult for you, ask your doctor if they can prescribe any newer blood thinners that don’t need the same monitoring.

Ignoring AFib symptoms- We’ve already discussed about the symptoms, so watch out for symptoms, such as dizziness, lightheadedness, fatigue, and shortness of breath, and one may also have palpitations. Do not ignore or overlook these symptoms if you’re treating your AFib. These symptoms could indicate your treatment isn’t working as well as it should, which means your treatment plan needs a thorough evaluation.

Leading the same (unhealthy) lifestyle- Adopting healthy lifestyle habits can greatly contribute towards you living healthy with AFib, with diet and exercise being an important part of the heart health. Exercising regularly and eating a heart-healthy diet can help strengthen your heart, keep a healthy weight, and relieve stress. However, make sure to discuss with your doctor before making any lifestyle changes if you’re on blood thinners.

Ignoring common AFib triggers- AFib can be quite unpredictable. Besides medications, you also need to do your part to keep it under control, which includes avoiding common AFib triggers such as stress, alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, and some over-the-counter medicines. Ignoring or overlooking these triggers can complicate your treatment. Work with your doctor to come out with a plan to manage these triggers.

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