Atrial Fibrillation and Blood Clots
Irregular Beat Allows Blood to Pool in Heart Chambers
May 4, 2009
The discovery of an irregular heartbeat condition can be disturbing. The flutter may be so slight that it goes unnoticed until discovered by a doctor. At other times, an irregular heartbeat may be rough enough to cause a person to head for the emergency room. In either case, the condition that causes the heart to beat inefficiently is one of several things that may cause dangerous blood clot.
How Irregular Heartbeat Causes Blood to Clot
The abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation, is a disorder that the American Heart Organization believes is found in about 2.2 million people in the United States. During an irregular heartbeat episode, the atria, the heart's two upper chambers, quiver. The heartbeat can be either irregular or two fast and the sufferer may experience a thumping inside the chest and become dizzy, short of breath, or anxious. Atrial Fibrillation may case one to tire easily or faint.
When the heartbeat is ineffective, all of the blood may not be pumped out of the small chambers. The pool of blood that is left behind may clot. If a piece breaks away, it travels with the blood from the heart to the brain. If it becomes stuck in an artery in the brain, it can cause a stroke. Strokes occur in about 15 percent of people who have atrial fibrillation.
Regulating an Irregular Heartbeat
There are several medicines used to slow down a rapid heartbeat and others are used to restore a normal heartbeat rhythm. An electric shock may also be given to push a heart back into a regular beating mode. Radio frequency waves can be introduced through blood vessels to deliver a burst of energy that unblocks pathways.
Finally, a pacemaker can be implanted under the skin of the upper chest to regulate heart rhythm. The heart has a natural pacemaker, called the sinus node, which makes the electrical signals that cause the heart to beat and pump blood efficiently. If the sinus node cannot be otherwise corrected or regulated, a pacemaker is required.
Medicines to Reduce Risks
The American Heart Association recommends treatment of individuals with an irregular heartbeat to prevent stroke. Regular anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications thin the blood and make it less likely to clot. Warfarin is a common anticoagulant and aspirin is the antiplatelet drug used most often used. Doctors differ on their prescription of warfarin or aspirin or another similar medication. Warfarin has more side effects, but it is more effective. Aspirin is often prescribed for low-risk patients with atrial fibrillation.
Importance of Regular Heartbeat
A regular heartbeat ensures that oxygen and food carried by the blood are properly supplied to all parts of the body. If oxygen and nourishment are not supplied as they should be, a person with atrial fibrillation may be tired or may even suffer heart failure.
If an atrial fibrillation condition is suspected, talk to a doctor, nurse or other health-care professional or visit the American Heart Association website. If experiencing chest discomfort and shortness of breath, as well as cold sweats, nausea, or lightheadedness, call 1-888-4-STROKE (1-888-478-7653). A stroke may have been suffered if there is sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body. Other symptoms of a stoke include sudden confusion, trouble speaking, trouble understanding, trouble seeing in one or both eye, trouble walking, dizziness, loss of coordination, and sudden headache with no known cause.
