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Read moreEverything about
atrial fibrillation (AF)
Some patients suffer the condition constantly, but many others only have it for some periods at a time. Atrial fibrillation can increase your risk of blood clots, unfortunately often in the brain. Additionally atrial fibrillation can weaken the heart’s pumping power, contributing to the risk of heart failure.
Symptoms
Symptoms
Are you short of breath? Do you find it more difficult to exercise? Does your heartbeat feel restless? Or maybe you need to use the bathroom more often. If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may have atrial fibrillation.
Treatment
Treatment
There are different ways to treat atrial fibrillation: medication, electric shock, ablation. It is also important to consider the risk of blood clots during treatment.
Prevention
prevention
The risk of blood clots, particularly in the brain, is significantly increased by atrial fibrillation. Fortunately it is possible to take measures to reduce your risk of developing the condition through a combination of diet, exercise, and other measures.
Risk factors
Risk factors
There are a number of risk factors for developing atrial fibrillation. Some can be influenced, but not all.
Living with atrial fibrillation (AF)
Living with atrial fibrillation (AF)
While atrial fibrillation is unpleasant it is perfectly possible for sufferers to live a good life, enjoying all of the physical and social activities that are close to their hearts.
Diagnosis
reassurance
Treatment
Secondary
prevention
Follow up
Suspicion
What is your situation and what can you do?
Maybe you suspect you have atrial fibrillation but haven’t been diagnosed yet. Perhaps you have already been diagnosed and started treatment. Perhaps your treatment is not sufficiently effective – and what can be done? Maybe you have doubts about whether you are getting the right treatment. And in addition, you are probably also thinking about whether you can do something yourself to improve your situation and prevent the problem from developing further.
Tap on the various situations / topics to see more about where you stand and what you can do from here.
Primary Prevention
Primary Prevention
No matter where you stand, it always pays to know about and prevent risk factors.
Suspicion
Perhaps you notice that you occasionally lose your breath easily or get tired faster than usual when you try to be active. You may sometimes notice that your heart beats differently – faster or irregularly – than usual. Maybe you have a friend or someone in the family who has atrial fibrillation and you think you can recognize some of what they say in yourself. One in three will develop atrial fibrillation at some point in their lives. Often when we are older – but atrial fibrillation already starts to become more frequent from the age of 40-50. If you suspect that you have atrial fibrillation, you should talk to your doctor.
The way to detect if you have atrial fibrillation is through an EKG, which can be taken by the doctor.
But there are ways in which you can see on your own whether you should go to the doctor, for example you can continuously take a Rhythm Analysis via our app. However, the app cannot see if you have atrial fibrillation, but it can help you track it down and equip you to handle your atrial fibrillation.
It may also be that you have a watch – a “smart watch” – e.g. Apple Watch – which can record EKG.
Below are a number of articles that can help you find out if you have atrial fibrillation:
What is atrial fibrillation
A little about the heart
Atrial fibrillation – From symptoms to treatment
Symptoms of atrial fibrillation
Diagnosis reassurance
If you have been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, there are various things to consider.
Is there something wrong with your heart that could be important for you to have atrial fibrillation? Do you have atrial fibrillation all the time or only occasionally? Do you need blood thinners to avoid getting blood clots due to atrial fibrillation?
From symptoms to treatment
Different types of atrial fibrillation
What do we know about the causes of atrial fibrillation?
Objectives of the treatment
Healthy lifestyle
Treatment
It is important that you get atrial fibrillation treated as soon as possible so that you can have a good life even if you have this problem. The treatment consists of a cocktail that includes:
- Prevention
- Can you do anything to prevent it from getting worse?
- Can you do anything to live a better life despite atrial fibrillation?
- The position taken for the need for blood-thinning medication
- Treatment of atrial fibrillation – this can be medical treatment, electric shock to the chest or ablation. Or combinations of these.
- Medical treatment of atrial fibrillation
- Blood clots and heavy bleeding
- Ablation treatment for atrial fibrillation
- Closure of the left atrium of the heart (LAAC)
- DC conversion
Secondary prevention
Is it possible to prevent atrial fibrillation (heart fibrillation) yourself? Prevention includes prevention of the harmful effects of atrial fibrillation, but also prevention of getting atrial fibrillation at all, as well as prevention of repeated episodes of atrial fibrillation after you have first experienced the problem.
Primary prevention is the factors you have influence over:
Secondary prevention refers to treatment that helps prevent other complications that can be caused or worsened by atrial fibrillation:
Follow up
Unfortunately, there is no “cure for atrial fibrillation”, so the problem can be solved once and for all. The treatment that is effective and provides a good quality of life today is not necessarily as good in 2, 5 or 10 years. The risk of blood clot complications changes with age – and with whether other defects appear. Fortunately, we are also getting smarter – so the way to treat atrial fibrillation, which was optimal 10 years ago, may no longer be the best. And in 5 or 10 years we will probably have become even wiser and know what is the best treatment and way to live one’s life with atrial fibrillation.
It is important to find the best treatment as soon as possible. And prevent the situation from developing further. Delayed treatment can mean that your life with atrial fibrillation becomes worse than it should have been. If you are already in treatment, it may also be a good idea to re-evaluate and you will then also receive the type of treatment that suits you best in terms of both effect and possible side effects.
Goals of treatment
Live better with your atrial fibrillation
When should ablation therapy be considered?
What do we know about the causes of atrial fibrillation?
Other heart rhythm disorders
The Rhythm Doctor app is coming soon!
The Rhythm Doctor app is coming soon!
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Hvis du vil have besked når appen er klar så skriv din email herunder, så sender vi dig en email med at link til hvor du kan se og hente appen!
eBook
I will try to give my opinion on what you should know as a patient suffering from the condition. The topic will be divided into different chapters designed to create a crash-course for atrial fibrillation.