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HowToPreventHeartDisease.com |
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How To Live With Atrial Fibrillation? Being a kind of heart disease, atrial fibrillation (also known as AFib or AF) is a condition in which quivering or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) occurs. It can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications. People who have AFib might feel their hearts flip-flops, skips beats, and sometimes feel like it is banging against the chest wall, especially when they are carrying stuff up the stairs or bending down. General symptoms of AFib include dizziness, fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, and chest pain, especially when one has heart disease. Nevertheless, not all people with AFib will have these signs and only discover it during regular check-up. While AFib can affect adults of any age, it becomes more common among older folks. AFib is more likely to occur in people with conditions such as high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, or a heart valve problem. AFib is not necessarily life-threatening, but it can be uncomfortable and often requires treatments, including medications to prevent a stroke and control heart rate, and procedures like cardioversion to restore normal heart rhythm. Living with AFib can affect many aspects of one’s life, including stamina, relationships and emotional health. And there may be restrictions on some activities associated with certain medications that one may take. This, however, does not mean that people with AFib cannot live normal and active lives provided they can follow a healthy lifestyle and have a healthy and balanced diet. Controlling diabetes and blood pressure are important for people with AFib as they are about 5 times more likely to have a stroke, and people with diabetes and high blood pressure are more likely to develop AFib. Eating foods low in sugar and salt and watch the weight can help lower the blood sugar and blood pressure, and so is the risk of AFib complications. The diet should consist of plenty of fruits and vegetables like leafy greens and colorful veggies. Adding some heart-healthy fats like omega-3, choosing whole grains instead of refined carbohydrates for their fiber, and getting lean meats and legumes for protein intake can help, too.
Limiting alcohol and stop smoking are part of a healthy lifestyle. Binge drinking is linked to heart rhythm problems even for healthy people, though having a glass of wine at dinner should probably be fine. Nicotine, like other stimulants, can trigger AFib or other abnormal rapid heart rhythms. Research has shown that current and former smokers have been found to have a higher risk of developing AFib and smoking also raise the risk of getting a stroke. For people wish to stop smoking, nicotine patches, gum, or lozenges may help. But to have higher chance of success, one can seek medical treatment. There is no strong evidence that links caffeine intake to the risk of AFib or its complications. But drinking too much caffeine could possibly raise blood pressure and heart rate that might trigger AFib. Therefore, it is advisable to keep the caffeine intake to, say 2 cups of coffee per day. People with AFib will probably be prescribed with blood thinners to lower the risk of stroke. Since these drugs might interact with some foods, supplements or even other medications, they should ask their doctors what is safe to eat and what foods to avoid, while taking the drugs. Not too many research has been done to link stress to AFib, though excessive worry, rage or anxiety can make AFib worse due to faster heart rates. Stress adversely affects cortisone levels, immune system, and autonomic nervous system, which may indirectly or directly impact the heart’s rhythm. Moreover, ongoing stress often leads to unhealthy habits, such as smoking and heavy drinking, both are bad for the heart. One should find a way to lower stress by doing things like going for a walk, listening to music, and exercising. As shown by research, yoga helps people with AFib feel better and lower heart rate, blood pressure and anxiety/depression scores. Regular physical activity or exercise can help lower the chance of complications from all kinds of heart disease, though intense exercise can sometimes bother the AFib. The doctor can help advise what kind of exercise is best and safe.
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