A blood clot passing up to the arteries supplying the brain may cause a stroke. For this reason, treatment may involve medication to control the heart rate or rhythm, and medication to prevent clots from forming in the blood. Find out how to treat atrial fibrillation and possible complications of having AF. The most obvious symptom of atrial fibrillation AF is palpitations caused by a fast and irregular heartbeat. Some people with atrial fibrillation have no symptoms and it is only discovered during routine tests or investigations for another condition.
The exact cause of atrial fibrillation AF is unknown, but it becomes more common with age and affects certain groups of people more than others. Not everyone with atrial fibrillation falls into one of the above groups.
Sometimes the cause can be idiopathic no known cause and can affect extremely athletic people. Feeling your pulse to check if you have an irregular heartbeat can give a strong indication of whether you have atrial fibrillation AF.
However, a complete diagnosis requires a full medical investigation. If your GP thinks you have atrial fibrillation after assessing your symptoms, you will be asked to have an electrocardiogram ECG and referred to a heart specialist, known as a cardiologist.
Small stickers called electrodes are attached to your arms, legs and chest and connected by wires to an ECG machine. Every time your heart beats, it produces tiny electrical signals. An ECG machine traces these signals on paper. It takes about five minutes and is painless. If you have the test during an episode of atrial fibrillation, the ECG will record your abnormal heart rate.
This will confirm the diagnosis of atrial fibrillation and rule out other conditions. However, it may be difficult to capture an episode, as the irregular rhythm may 'come and go', therefore, to capture this your GP or cardiologist, may ask you to wear a small, portable ECG recorder for a longer period of time away from the hospital or GP surgery.
Find out more about having an ECG. It can help identify any other heart problems and assess the structure and function of your heart and valves.
Find out more about having an echocardiogram. A chest X-ray may be performed and will identify any lung problems that may have caused the atrial fibrillation.
Blood tests can also be useful in the diagnosis of atrial fibrillation. They may show anaemia, which could be complicating the situation, problems with kidney function or hyperthyroidism overactive thyroid gland. The first step is to try to find out the cause of the atrial fibrillation. If a cause is found, treatment for this may be enough. For example, medication to correct hyperthyroidism an overactive thyroid gland may cure atrial fibrillation.
Some people with atrial fibrillation may need more than one anti-arrhythmic medicine to control it. There are a number of drugs that can be used to try to restore a normal heart. It is important you know what side effects to look out for if taking such medication and seek medical advice if you experience any of them. To find out about side effects, read the patient information leaflet that comes with your medicine for more details. The way the heart beats in atrial fibrillation means that there is a risk of blood clots forming in the heart chambers.
If these get into the bloodstream, they can cause a stroke our complications of atrial fibrillation section has more information on this. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Madias C. Ambulatory ECG monitoring. Accessed March 1, Holter monitor. American Heart Association. Accessed March 8, Holter and event monitors. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Ambulatory heart rhythm monitoring. Mayo Clinic; Noseworthy PA expert opinion.
Mayo Clinic. Rajakariar K, et al. Accuracy of a smartwatch based single-lead electrocardiogram device in detection of atrial fibrillation. Lown M, et al. American Journal of Cardiology. Noseworthy PA, et al. Other long-range biometric techniques include gait analysis , which identifies someone by the way he or she walks.
This method was supposedly used to identify an infamous ISIS terrorist before a drone strike. But gaits, like faces , are not necessarily distinctive. A new device, developed for the Pentagon after US Special Forces requested it, can identify people without seeing their face: instead it detects their unique cardiac signature with an infrared laser. While it works at meters yards , longer distances could be possible with a better laser.
They work by detecting the changes in reflection of infrared light caused by blood flow. By contrast, the new device, called Jetson, uses a technique known as laser vibrometry to detect the surface movement caused by the heartbeat.
This works though typical clothing like a shirt and a jacket though not thicker clothing such as a winter coat. The most common way of carrying out remote biometric identification is by face recognition. But this needs good, frontal view of the face, which can be hard to obtain, especially from a drone. Face recognition may also be confused by beards, sunglasses, or headscarves.
So, how do you stop your pulse like Derren Brown? Also read:. Quick links. Do you like this site?
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