how to stop afib episode?

A person who has symptoms of an A-fib episode should consult a doctor, even if the symptoms resolve on their own.

A doctor may prescribe medications to keep a person’s persistent A-fib under control.

However, stress and unhealthy lifestyle habits can trigger an A-fib episode, even in people who are taking their medication.

Here are additional ways to help prevent an A-fib episode.

Intense emotions, such as stress and anger, can cause problems with the heart’s rhythm.

The regular practice of stress management techniques, such as focused deep breathing, muscle relaxation, and yoga could reduce the risk of an A-fib episode.

A 2015 study published in the Journal of Arrhythmia reported that people with A-fib who did twice-weekly yoga sessions over a 3-month period experienced significant reductions in high blood pressure and heart rate.

Read more on managing stress here.

Substances such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and even alcohol can trigger A-fib or make it worse. Energy drinks and excess caffeine can also trigger A-fib.

Exercise helps with cardiac health and stress management. The American Heart Association (AHA) suggests people should aim for at least 150 minutes or 2.5 hours of activity per week.

When exercising, people should be careful not to overexert themselves, as this can lead to an A-fib episode.

A 2012 study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found an association between moderate-to-high alcohol intake and A-fib among people aged 55 or older with heart disease or diabetes.

The study also adds that among people who drink moderately, the effect of binge drinking on the risk of A-fib was similar to that of regular heavy drinking.

According to another study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, there is an association between individual A-fib episodes and higher odds of recent alcohol intake.

This research suggests that avoiding or limiting alcohol may be one way to stop an A-fib episode.

According to a 2020 study published in the European Heart Journal, people who stopped smoking after an A-fib diagnosis had a lower risk of stroke compared with those who continued smoking.

One of the best ways for a person to reduce their risk of heart disease is to quit smoking.

Learn more about strategies to quit smoking here.

According to the AHA, a healthy diet and lifestyle are the keys to preventing and managing heart disease.

The AHA suggests a person eat an overall balanced diet that includes:

Staying hydrated with adequate fluid intake throughout the day may help stop an A-fib episode.

Lack of adequate sleep or obstructive sleep apnea may trigger an A-fib episode.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults should aim for 7–9 hours of sleep a night.

Read more on tips for better sleep here.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), obesity is an abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may worsen health. Research shows obesity is a risk factor in the incidence and progression of A-fib.

Maintaining a healthy weight range can help prevent a person from developing or worsening A-fib.

Read tips for successful weight loss here.

Underlying medical causes can trigger an A-fib episode. Examples include:

Treating the underlying cause is a way for healthcare professionals to stop A-fib episodes.

The Valsalva maneuver increases pressure in the chest. If a person is experiencing a high heart rate with A-fib, this technique might help manage the problem.

However, more research is still necessary to determine whether the Valsalva maneuver can really manage an abnormal heart rhythm. At present, there is limited scientific data around these maneuvers.

Seeking medical care to ensure that proper medications are administered is very important, even if the A-fib is well-tolerated without significant side effects.

Read more about the Valsalva maneuver here.

• Engage in deep, mindful breathing.
• Get some exercise.
• Valsalva maneuver.
• Practice yoga.
• Put some cold water on your face.
• Contact a health professional.

If you notice your heart flutter or quiver periodically or have episodes of rapid beating, you could have arrhythmia – an irregular heartbeat. The most common form of arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation, or AFib.

When you have AFib, the upper chambers of your heart (the atria) beat irregularly. This reduces your heart’s ability to move blood and can lead to blood pooling and clotting inside your heart.

This increases your risk for heart attack and stroke.

Other AFib symptoms may include:

Some people with AFib, however, have no symptoms, says cardiovascular specialist and electrophysiologist Mark Krebs, MD. They discover they have AFib when they go to the doctor for a checkup or treatment for another medical condition.

That’s why it’s important to schedule regular checkups, especially if you have risk factors for AFib – for instance, high blood pressure, preexisting heart disease, age, physical inactivity, stress, smoking, and being overweight.

“The absence of symptoms does not mean that individual does not have an increased risk for potential problems from atrial fibrillation,” Dr. Krebs says. “A faster heart rate sustained for days or weeks on end can weaken the heart muscle.”

And because AFib carries a risk for developing blood clots, which could lead to heart attack or stroke, it’s in your best interest to be diagnosed so your doctor can treat you and lower your risk of potentially life-threatening complications.

Dr. Mark Krebs explains symptoms of AFib and the fact you can have AFib without knowing it.

Click play to watch the video or read video transcript.

Once your doctor examines you and detects the signs of AFib, he can order tests to confirm the diagnosis. From there, your doctor can prescribe a plan of treatment to help you manage and live with AFib or other type of arrhythmia.

Diagnostic tests for AFib include:

Electrocardiogram (EKG/ECG) – in which electrodes are placed on the skin to record your heart’s electrical activity.

Holter monitoring – in which you wear a portable ECG device, a Holter monitor, which records your heart activity for 24 to 48 hours.

Cardiac event recording – in which you wear an event recorder, similar to a Holter monitor, but worn for a longer period. This device records heart activity when activated by an arrhythmia episode and is typically used if you have intermittent abnormal heart rhythms.

You can lead a normal, active life with AFib, says Kevin Kravitz, MD, cardiovascular specialist and electrophysiologist.

“You shouldn’t be afraid of atrial fibrillation,” he assures. “It can cause symptoms that affect your quality of life, and we can treat that with medications.”

While AFib symptoms themselves are not life-threatening, the condition can raise your risk of heart attack and stroke. If untreated, AFib doubles the risk of heart-related deaths and can increase stroke risk five-fold.

Dr. Kevin Kravitz talks about living with AFib.

Click play to watch the video or read video transcript.

You can lower the risks of AFib with treatment and lifestyle changes, such as:

A healthy diet and exercise can help prevent or address obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure, which are common AFib risk factors.

Dr. Kevin Kravitz talks about how to reduce the risk of an AFib episode.

Click play to watch the video or read video transcript.

Other ways to manage your AFib include:

And you may need regular blood tests if you take blood thinners to prevent stroke.

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) can have a significant negative impact on quality of life. Not everyone with atrial fibrillation has symptoms but for those who do the symptoms can be very pronounced and can interfere with their ability to do normal daily activities. Many people with AFib symptoms can precisely report AFib episode length and if there is anything that is likely to trigger an AFib attack.  Thankfully, atrial fibrillation treatment is usually quite effective at decreasing or eliminating AFib episodes.

An atrial fibrillation episode occurs when chaotic electrical impulses in the upper chambers of the heart (atria) override the heart’s internal pacemaker and cause an erratic, often fast, heart rhythm. There are different kinds of atrial fibrillation. These are generally defined by AFib episode length and include:

An AFib episode can last for minutes (paroxysmal AFib) or it can persist indefinitely (permanent AFib). Having had atrial fibrillation puts you at a higher risk of having more AFib episodes in the future. This is because atrial fibrillation causes structural changes in the heart which can contribute to the initiation and maintenance of future AFib. Approximately 30% of people with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation go on to develop persistent or permanent AFib.

There are certain health conditions, lifestyle choices and personal characteristics that put you at higher risk for developing AFib. These include:

Sometimes a person has a number of risk factors for atrial fibrillation but does not develop atrial fibrillation until there is an additional trigger like dehydration, high altitude, low blood oxygen levels, illness, or excessive exercise. On rare occasions, triggers like these can cause an episode of AFib in a person without any risk factors. This is called lone AFib.

There are a variety of symptoms associated with atrial fibrillation. Some people have no AFib symptoms and are unaware they have an abnormal heart rhythm until it is diagnosed incidentally or because they have developed an AFib complication like heart failure. Symptom severity ranges from very mild to debilitating. Signs of an AFib attack may include:

If you have atrial fibrillation, it is important to discuss treatment options with your doctor. People with untreated atrial fibrillation have a higher risk of stroke, heart failure and death. Atrial fibrillation treatment is highly individualized and depends on your medical history, symptoms, and lifestyle.

Treatment is important even if you do not have any symptoms with your AFib. If a person is asymptomatic, treatment may focus primarily on controlling the heart rate and stroke prevention. However, rhythm control (i.e. getting out of AFib and restoring normal sinus rhythm) may still be a treatment goal even for people without AFib symptoms.

For example, Paul is a 75 year old male with high blood pressure and sleep apnea. He had a heart attack a few years ago and sees a cardiologist once a year. This year at his annual visit, his cardiologist noticed that Paul had a rapid, irregular pulse and ordered an electrocardiogram (ECG). The ECG showed atrial fibrillation with a heart rate of 120 beats per minute. Paul was very surprised to hear that he was in AFib because he had no symptoms. He was started on medication to lower his heart rate and a blood thinner to decrease his stroke risk. An echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) was ordered which showed that his heart function was decreased. He saw his cardiologist a few weeks later and they discussed the different ways to stop Paul’s AFib. The hope was that if Paul was no longer in atrial fibrillation, his heart function would return to normal.

Ultimately, the cardiologist recommended that Paul have an electrical cardioversion to shock his heart back into a normal rhythm. Paul underwent cardioversion and normal sinus rhythm was restored. When he saw his cardiologist in follow up, an ECG showed that his heart was

still in normal sinus rhythm. Paul reported that since the cardioversion he noticed that he had more energy and was able to keep up with his wife again when they went on a walk. He said he thought he had just been slowing down because he was getting old and was happy to be feeling so much more energized. A repeat echocardiogram showed that his heart function had normalized.

To help prevent future episodes of AFib, Paul worked with his cardiologist to learn more about what helps AFib. They worked together to make sure his blood pressure and sleep apnea were well controlled. His cardiologist pointed out to Paul that his weight had been creeping up over the past few years and Paul was now considered obese. Obesity increases the risk of AFib and his cardiologist recommended he make dietary changes and get at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week with a goal of losing at least 10% of his body weight.

Atrial fibrillation treatment can be complex and may involve medications, procedures, and lifestyle changes. Working closely with your healthcare team can give you the tools you need to know what to do when you have AFib.

A rapid heart rate is a hallmark of atrial fibrillation. It is very common for someone with atrial fibrillation to have an uncontrolled or exaggerated heart rate response to exercise. This can cause a person with AFib to have decreased exercise capacity, fatigue, or shortness of breath with activity which can have a significant negative impact on a person’s quality of life.

In addition to the immediate impact on quality of life, atrial fibrillation with an uncontrolled heart rate can lead to heart failure over time. This is why rate control is one of the primary AFib treatment goals. Rate control is usually achieved with medications like beta-blockers or calcium channel blockers.

If a person has episodes of AFib only very rarely a daily medication may not be needed. Instead, a pill-in-the-pocket approach may be recommended for stopping AFib. In this treatment strategy a person only takes the medication when an AFib attack occurs. A person must have noticeable AFib symptoms for the pill-in-the-pocket approach to be utilized. When this treatment is successful people often report feeling empowered that they know how to deal with their AFib and they like having a medication that only needs to be taken when necessary.

Aside from medications, there are things you can do to lower your heart rate and even decrease the frequency of AFib episodes. These include:

If you feel like you are in AFib, stay calm. Atrial fibrillation is not a medical emergency and stress is known to worsen AFib. What to do during an AFib episode may be different depending on your situation.

A person who has symptoms of an A-fib episode should consult a doctor, even if the symptoms resolve on their own.

A doctor may prescribe medications to keep a person’s persistent A-fib under control.

However, stress and unhealthy lifestyle habits can trigger an A-fib episode, even in people who are taking their medication.

Here are additional ways to help prevent an A-fib episode.

Intense emotions, such as stress and anger, can cause problems with the heart’s rhythm.

The regular practice of stress management techniques, such as focused deep breathing, muscle relaxation, and yoga could reduce the risk of an A-fib episode.

A 2015 study published in the Journal of Arrhythmia reported that people with A-fib who did twice-weekly yoga sessions over a 3-month period experienced significant reductions in high blood pressure and heart rate.

Read more on managing stress here.

Substances such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and even alcohol can trigger A-fib or make it worse. Energy drinks and excess caffeine can also trigger A-fib.

Exercise helps with cardiac health and stress management. The American Heart Association (AHA) suggests people should aim for at least 150 minutes or 2.5 hours of activity per week.

When exercising, people should be careful not to overexert themselves, as this can lead to an A-fib episode.

A 2012 study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found an association between moderate-to-high alcohol intake and A-fib among people aged 55 or older with heart disease or diabetes.

The study also adds that among people who drink moderately, the effect of binge drinking on the risk of A-fib was similar to that of regular heavy drinking.

According to another study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, there is an association between individual A-fib episodes and higher odds of recent alcohol intake.

This research suggests that avoiding or limiting alcohol may be one way to stop an A-fib episode.

According to a 2020 study published in the European Heart Journal, people who stopped smoking after an A-fib diagnosis had a lower risk of stroke compared with those who continued smoking.

One of the best ways for a person to reduce their risk of heart disease is to quit smoking.

Learn more about strategies to quit smoking here.

According to the AHA, a healthy diet and lifestyle are the keys to preventing and managing heart disease.

The AHA suggests a person eat an overall balanced diet that includes:

Staying hydrated with adequate fluid intake throughout the day may help stop an A-fib episode.

Lack of adequate sleep or obstructive sleep apnea may trigger an A-fib episode.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults should aim for 7–9 hours of sleep a night.

Read more on tips for better sleep here.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), obesity is an abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may worsen health. Research shows obesity is a risk factor in the incidence and progression of A-fib.

Maintaining a healthy weight range can help prevent a person from developing or worsening A-fib.

Read tips for successful weight loss here.

Underlying medical causes can trigger an A-fib episode. Examples include:

Treating the underlying cause is a way for healthcare professionals to stop A-fib episodes.

The Valsalva maneuver increases pressure in the chest. If a person is experiencing a high heart rate with A-fib, this technique might help manage the problem.

However, more research is still necessary to determine whether the Valsalva maneuver can really manage an abnormal heart rhythm. At present, there is limited scientific data around these maneuvers.