#Atrial flutter symptoms professional

When this doesn’t happen, physicians at Tampa General Hospital will often treat atrial flutter using catheter ablation, which involves using radiofrequency energy to restore a normal heart rhythm. When the hearts chamber fibrillates, it quivers or shakes, rather than contracting. In some cases, atrial flutter will resolve on its own without the need for treatment. In contrast to atrial flutter, atrial fibrillation is a more chaotic rhythm that does not follow one set loop. If there’s still a question as to what is causing a patient’s symptoms, a physician may direct him or her to undergo an electrophysiological study or wear an event monitor for a certain amount of time. Physicians often use electrocardiograms (EKGs) to diagnose atrial flutter.

#Atrial flutter symptoms professional

If you think that you might have atrial flutter, it’s important to seek professional medical advice, since this condition can lead to cardiomyopathy and increase your risk of stroke if left untreated. Heart palpitations (a fluttering sensation within the chest) Atrial flutter is often caused by another heart condition, such as coronary artery disease or another heart rhythm problem.Having previously undergone cardiac surgeryĪlthough atrial flutter doesn’t always produce noticeable symptoms, many individuals with this condition experience:.Having previously undergone catheter ablation to treat atrial fibrillation.There are various risk factors that can increase the chances of developing atrial flutter, including: Many individuals have both of these conditions. But with atrial flutter, the atria beat regularly-they simply beat faster than the ventricles. With atrial fibrillation, the atria beat is irregular. Many people use the terms atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation (AFib) interchangeably, believing that they’re the same condition.

But with atrial flutter, problems with the heart’s electrical system cause the atria to beat faster and more frequently than the ventricles. Normally, the heart’s atria (upper chambers) and ventricles (lower chambers) work together to pump blood to the rest of the body-first the atria contract and force blood into the ventricles, and then the ventricles contract and force blood out of the heart. Still, others may experience one or more of the following symptoms: General fatigue. Atrial flutter is a type of abnormal heartbeat, or arrhythmia. Sometimes people with AFib have no symptoms and their condition is only detectable upon physical examination.