Atrial Fibrillation:
Sym p to ms an d C auses
Dr Carolyn Dean is a medical doctor and naturopath. She has authored and co-authored over 35 books
Atrial Fibrillation: Symptoms and Causes Dr. Carolyn Dean Atrial fibrillation is a condition of the heart which causes the muscle to beat irregularly and/or abnormally quickly. This can cause issues such as shortness of breath, dizziness and tiredness.
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A R e g u l a r H e a r tb e at Causes of Atr i al Fi bri l l ati o n
A regular heartbeat should be somewhere in the region of 60 to 100 beats per minute, evenly spaced, when the individual is at rest. The heart naturally begins to beat faster when we exercise, but this is not the same as atrial fibrillation. A heart beating normally will contract and relax the muscular walls regularly to force blood into the rest of the body and let blood back into the heart.
Atrial fibrillation is caused when the heart walls contract too rapidly and irregularly for the chambers to properly relax and let the blood flow back in. It is more likely to affect older people, but it can also be caused by drinking too much alcohol or smoking.
Sy m p to m s The main symptoms of atrial fibrillation are heart palpitations, which feel like a fluttering, pounding or irregular beating of the heart. This can last for anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes at a time.
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Dr Carolyn Dean
You can learn more about different ways to treat atrial fibrillation by visiting the blog of Dr. Carolyn Dean.