What You Need to Know About Atrial Fibrillation

The symptoms were mild at first. Ann could feel her heart beating in a rapid, irregular rhythm. At first, she tried to ignore it, dismissing it as the onset of a fainting spell. But the malady persisted in bothering her. Simple activities like gardening made her feel dizzy and lightheaded.

"I would lie down until it passed, but it kept happening until I became afraid to do hardly anything at all," Ann told her doctor.

Not long after a series of examinations, the doctor told Ann that she, like thousands of other Americans, was suffering from atrial fibrillation.

"Can I die from it? What am I supposed to do about it?"

The doctor knew that occasionally people could and did die from the heart arrhythmia but he assured Ann to remain calm, telling her that she would be fine after treatment.

"But what is it?" Ann wondered. "And why haven't I heard of it before?"

Atrial fibrillation is one of the most common heart disorders. Actually, it's a rhythm disorder, an irregular beating of the heart which doctors call an arrhythmia. Although longevity is common among the population having this cardiac abnormality, it can be life-threatening if not properly treated and managed.