Your heart is wired to beat
up to 100,000 times a day.
Tiny, electrical signals create
a constant pulse that controls
the rate and rhythm
of each beat.
But sometimes, the heart's
electrical system gets faulty,
causing it to beat abnormally.
One common type of irregular
heartbeat is Atrial Fibrillation
-- or AFib for short.
With AFib, the upper chambers
of the heart -- the atria --
'fibrillate' or quiver
erratically.
When this happens, blood doesn't
get pumped into the ventricles
like it should,
and blood pools in the atria.
Clots can form that break free
and travel...causing a dangerous
risk of heart attack and stroke
and an increased risk of heart
failure.
Many people with AFib
don't have any symptoms at all,
while others may have chest
pain, a rapid heartbeat,
or dizziness.
While most AFib episodes aren't
usually life threatening,
it can be part of an underlying
heart condition.
Your doctor may suggest
treatments like medication
to prevent blood clots...
Or surgery to implant
a pacemaker.
So talk to your doctor about
AFib...
And find out what you can do
to stay heart healthy.
