What is AFib? Risk factors, treatment options and strategies to keep thriving

An irregular heartbeat, called an arrhythmia, can make you feel like your heart flutters, pounds or beats too fast. And the most frequently diagnosed arrhythmia of all—atrial fibrillation or AFib —is becoming even more common.

In AFib, the upper and lower chambers of your heart don’t beat in sync. When not treated, this can eventually lead to increasing symptoms or other conditions like heart failure or stroke.

Because AFib is common, especially as you get older, it’s important to know the risk factors and when to check on your heart.

If you’re diagnosed with AFib, you have several options to keep your heart going strong and reduce your risks.

Causes and risk factors of AFib

Doctors don’t fully know why AFib happens. Most of the time, an exact cause can’t be identified. But they do know the risk factors that make you more likely to develop the condition.

“Certain conditions and habits are known to be risk factors for atrial fibrillation, which means people with certain conditions are more likely to have arrhythmia,” said Greg Olsovsky, MD, a clinical cardiac electrophysiologist on the medical staff at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Temple. “It is also known that there are hereditary factors, and some patients have a family history of atrial fibrillation.”

Along with family history, some AFib risk factors include:

• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Thyroid disease
• High cholesterol
• Sedentary lifestyle
• High body-mass-index (BMI)
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Alcohol intake
• Cigarette smoking

“Treating the conditions and eliminating the risk factors can help prevent the recurrence of atrial fibrillation and make treatments like medication and ablation more effective,” Dr. Olsovsky said. “Since we do not know the cause of atrial fibrillation, working on lifestyle changes and managing risk factors is also recommended to prevent the progression of arrhythmia.”

4 strategies to manage AFib

Once you experience AFib, it’s common to have it again, even if you have effective treatments the first time. The good news is that many of the risk factors are manageable, and you can take steps to reduce the risk of AFib getting worse.

“It is important to have a strategy to monitor for arrhythmia recurrence and its associated symptoms,” said Julian Rodriguez, AGACNP, a nurse practitioner in electrophysiology at Baylor Scott & White – Temple. “If atrial fibrillation is detected and managed effectively and promptly, you may be able to avoid going to the emergency room or being admitted to the hospital.”

Some of the strategies you might discuss with your cardiologist or electrophysiologist include:

1. Managing other conditions related to AFib: If you have AFib, work with your care team to optimize your treatment for related conditions. By focusing on conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid disease or high cholesterol, you can help prevent the progression of your arrhythmia.
2. Making lifestyle changes: Lifestyle changes are also a common strategy when you’re living with AFib. Avoiding alcohol and tobacco and focusing on sleep may improve the success of your treatment. Regular aerobic exercise helps with weight loss if your BMI is over 25. However, talk to your doctor about physical activity if you are having a recurrence or worsening symptoms, as you may need to avoid certain activities.
3. Considering medications or procedures: Sometimes, you may be able to wait and see if your AFib resolves on its own. Other times, your care plan for AFib will involve taking extra medication when symptoms worsen or scheduling an elective procedure for cardioversion or ablation. A cardioversion uses electric shock to get your heart back in the right rhythm. An ablation destroys the area of your heart that’s triggering your AFib, helping prevent it from happening again.
4. Knowing the warning signs that you need care now: Most of the time, you don’t need to visit the emergency room for AFib. But you should still watch out for warning signs that you need immediate care. These include chest pain that doesn’t go away with rest, severe difficulty breathing, passing out or feeling like you’re going to pass out, changes in mental status, weakness in one part of your body or not feeling safe staying home.

Whether you have risk factors for AFib or have been managing the condition for years, the key to staying on top of this common condition is having a plan in place that fits your needs.

“People with atrial fibrillation should have an action plan for recurrences,” Julian said. “This plan should be discussed with your cardiologist or heart rhythm specialist.”

With a clear plan and your care team by your side, you’ll be prepared to address increasing symptoms or a recurrence of AFib sooner. And that means you can feel more confident managing your condition and staying in control of your heart health.

Get started on a strategy for your AFib by checking in with a cardiologist near you.