Atrial fibrillation can cause subtle symptoms to come and go. These signs can be so vague that you don’t think it’s caused by a heart attack. You may consider yourself unhealthy.
But you may have atrial fibrillation and not even know it. Some people don’t have any symptoms at all. You may hear it called ambulatory atrial fibrillation.
Why diagnosis of atrial fibrillation is important
When you have this common irregular heartbeat, the upper chambers of your heart do not contract normally. Clots will form and then enter your brain to cause a stroke, so there’s a reason to have an ECG at home.
Whether or not you notice any symptoms, you may be more likely to develop atrial fibrillation if you have any of the following risk factors:
- Older
- hypertension
- corpulent
- AFib family history
- binge drinking
- Previous heart surgery
- diabetes
- Thyroid problems
- Chronic kidney disease
- Lung diseases
- Sleep apnea