Atrial Fibrillation Medical Reference
- What Is Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia?
Get the facts on multifocal atrial tachycardia, a type of heart rhythm problem in which the heart beats too fast due to certain problems with the heart’s electrical system.
- What Is HAS-BLED?
Named for risk factors, HAS-BLED determines your chances of bleeding when you have AFib and take blood thinners.
- What Is the Valsalva Maneuver?
The Valsalva maneuver is a breathing method that may slow your heart when it’s beating too fast. It works by having you breathe out strongly through your mouth while you close your nose tight.
- Is Your Pounding Heart Anxiety or AFib?
Your heart feels like it’s racing or skipping beats. Could it be anxiety, or is it atrial fibrillation? Here’s how to tell the difference.
- How to Stop an AFib Episode
Some episodes of AFib can come and go on their own. Sometimes, you may be able to take steps to help ease symptoms or stop an episode when it starts.
- Complications of Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation affects how your heart pumps blood. That can cause problems like stroke and heart failure, but these complications are preventable.
- What to Know About Digoxin Levels
Find out what you need to know about digoxin levels and discover the pros, cons, risks, benefits, and how they may affect health.
- Will I Need a Pacemaker for My Atrial Fibrillation?
Atrial fibrillation can make your heart beat with an unsteady rhythm. If you have AFib and your heart is beating too slowly, you might need a pacemaker, along with other treatments, to keep it at a safe rate.
- Which Medicines Might Raise My Heart Rate?
Tachycardia, or a fast heart rate, can be caused by many medications, including antibiotics, antidepressants, and even certain supplements.
- What Is Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)?
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is a circulatory disorder that can make you feel faint and dizzy. Learn more about the symptoms, causes, and treatment of this condition.
- AFib: Why Weight Loss Helps
Extra pounds can raise your risk of an abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation. The good news: Weight loss can help you beat this condition.
- What Are Premature Atrial Contractions?
If you feel like your heart occasionally skips a beat, you could actually be having an extra heartbeat. One condition that causes this extra beat is premature atrial contractions.
- What to Expect From Cardiac Ablation for AFib
How long before you're back on your feet? Will it cure your AFib? Your recovery and results will depend on which procedure you have, but here's a general idea.
- Is Taking Supplements OK When You Have AFib?
Which supplements may help your AFib? Which ones won't? Will any cause problems with your medication? Find out what to consider before you take anything.
- What's the Link Between AFib and Thyroid Disease?
Learn about the link between an overactive thyroid and atrial fibrillation (AFib), when to call your doctor, and what tests and treatments you can expect.
- Your Atrial Fibrillation Medical Team
Treating atrial fibrillation takes a team effort. Meet the doctors and specialists who'll help keep your heart healthy.
- AFib and Pregnancy: What to Know
Atrial fibrillation can be successfully managed during pregnancy with some medication changes. Most women with AFib go on to have healthy pregnancies and healthy babies.
- What Is Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation?
Does your heart skip a beat sometimes? It might be paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.
- Tips for Living With Afib
AFib doesn't have to disrupt your life. Learn ways to manage your atrial fibrillation symptoms and keep your heart healthy.
- What Are the Treatments for AFib?
Atrial fibrillation is when your heart quivers, beats irregularly, or skips beats. Learn about treatments and procedures to treat AFib, including risks.
- What Are the Symptoms of Atrial Fibrillation?
Does your heart feel like it's fluttering or pounding? Learn how to spot the symptoms of atrial fibrillation so you can stop complications before they start.
- Medications That Treat Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation, also known as AFib, is when your heart flutters. Learn about medicines that can help get your heart back into rhythm.
- Supraventricular Tachycardia: the Treatments
From medications to pacemakers, learn how supraventricular tachycardia is treated.
- Tips for Living With Supraventricular Tachycardia
Living with supraventricular tachycardia? Get diet and lifestyle tips to help you better manage your condition.
- What to Do If Your Heart Races, Slows Down, or Skips a Beat
Ever felt your heart skip a beat? Find out what you can do when your heartbeat feels anything but normal.
- What Can Trigger Supraventricular Tachycardia?
Caffeine, alcohol or stress? With a little detective work, you can figure out your personal triggers for supraventricular tachycardia.
- What Are the Symptoms of Supraventricular Tachycardia?
Do you know the symptoms of supraventricular tachycardia? They include a rapid heartbeat, dizziness, and sweating.
- Ventricular Tachycardia
Ventricular tachycardia causes your heart to beat too fast. But you have several treatment options.
- Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT): What Is It?
What is supraventricular tachycardia? Learn what causes your heart to sometimes beat too fast.
- What Is Brugada Syndrome?
Learn more about this rare but serious heart problem.
- Which Type of Atrial Fibrillation Do You Have?
Paroxysmal, persistent, and permanent: types of atrial fibrillation.
- What is Bradycardia?
Is your resting heart rate slower than normal? It could be a heart rhythm disturbance called bradycardia.
- What Is Bigeminy?
Here's what causes bigeminy, a type of heart arrhythmia, and how it can be treated.
- AFib With Rapid Ventricular Response (RVR)
Find out the causes, symptoms, and treatment of AFib with rapid ventricular response, a condition that changes the rhythm of your heartbeat.
- Tachycardia: Causes, Types, and Symptoms
Tachycardia is a common, treatable condition that causes rapid heartbeat. Learn what causes your heart to beat too fast and how doctors diagnose and treat it.
- What Are Heart Palpitations?
Your heart might skip a beat for many reasons, from caffeine to stress to AFib.
- Maze Procedure (Surgical Ablation) for AFib
Get the facts about the maze procedure (surgical ablation) for atrial fibrillation, including preparation and recovery.
- Catheter Ablation as a Heart Arrhythmia Treatment
WebMD explains what happens before, during, and after catheter ablation, a nonsurgical procedure that is used to treat atrial fibrillation.
- Does Alcohol Cause AFib?
Drinking alcohol can be good for your heart, but it can also raise your chances of getting atrial fibrillation (AFib) or triggering an episode.
- Cardioversion for AFib
Cardioversion is a medical procedure used to treat atrial fibrillation (AFib) and other types of irregular heartbeat, or arrhythmia. Learn about the difference between chemical and electrical cardioversion, how electrical cardioversion differs from defibrillation, possible risks, and recovery time.
- How Atrial Fibrillation Is Diagnosed
If your doctor thinks you have AFib, he may ask for tests to confirm the diagnosis, find out what's causing it, and figure out the best way to treat it.
- Atrial Fibrillation (AFib): Symptoms and Treatment
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is the most common form of heart arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat. For more than 2 million Americans, the electrical signals that control their heart contractions are off-kilter. Learn more about atrial fibrillation (AFib) at WebMD.
- What Triggers Atrial Fibrillation?
Find out what things can raise your chances of getting this common problem with your heartbeat's rate or rhythm.
- Living With Arrhythmia: Tips for Managing Your Heart Rhythm Disorder
An arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat. It could be harmless, or it might be very serious. Find out the symptoms and how doctors diagnose and treat it.
- Cardiac Ablation
Cardiac ablation is a medical procedure for treating arrhythmia, irregular heartbeat, and atrial fibrillation (AFib). Learn more about the types of ablation, the procedures, possible risks and complications, and the recovery process.
- What Is Atrial Flutter?
Atrial flutter is an abnormality in the beating of the heart. WebMD provides a comprehensive look at the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of atrial flutter and its cousin, atrial fibrillation.