How does atrial flutter affect blood flow?
How does atrial flutter affect blood flow?
Atrial flutter means your heart doesn’t pump blood as well as it should. When blood flow slows, clots are more likely to form. If one travels to the brain, it can cause a stroke. A fast heartbeat also makes the heart muscle weaker over time.
Can atrial flutter cause blood clots?
Although atrial flutter is usually not life-threatening at first, it does limit how well your heart pumps blood. This can cause a clot to form in your heart.
Can AFib affect your blood sugar?
Study investigators also found a greater risk for atrial fibrillation in patients with deteriorating glycemic control. In another population-based study, risk for atrial fibrillation was correlated with higher levels of blood glucose, suggesting that poor glucose control also plays a role in risk for the condition.
Can you have atrial flutter with a normal heart rate?
When atrial flutter occurs in people with a normal healthy heart, it is called lone atrial flutter. Atrial flutter also can occur in people who have other atrial arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation (a more irregular form of atrial rhythm abnormality).
When to see a heart specialist for atrial flutter?
But if you don’t have other heart disease, your outlook is generally quite good. If it happens once without serious heart or lung disease, you may never have it again. If you do have other heart disease, your atrial flutter may come back. If that happens, you should see a heart specialist (cardiologist).
How long does it take for atrial flutter to go away?
But over time, atrial flutter often returns since cardioversion alone does not correct the underlying causes of an abnormal heart rhythm. Most people with atrial flutter experience an improvement in symptoms after treatment. However, some symptoms may continue, even after treatment.
How is atrial flutter related to atrial fibrillation?
Atrial flutter is closely related to another arrhythmia called atrial fibrillation. The two sometimes alternate back and forth. What Are the Risks of Atrial Flutter? The main danger is that your heart doesn’t pump blood very well when it beats too fast.
Where does the flutter in the heart come from?
Atrial flutter typically originates from the right atrium and most often involves a large circuit that travels around the area of the tricuspid valve that is between the right atrium and the right ventricle. This type of atrial flutter is referred to as typical atrial flutter.
Why is it important to know about atrial flutter?
Atrial flutter is a type of abnormal heart rhythm, or arrhythmia. It occurs when a short circuit in the heart causes the upper chambers (atria) to pump very rapidly. Atrial flutter is important not only because of its symptoms but because it can cause a stroke that may result in permanent disability or death. What happens during atrial flutter?
How long does it take for atrial flutter to recur?
Restore and maintain a normal rhythm: Some people with newly diagnosed atrial flutter convert to a normal rhythm spontaneously in 24-48 hours; however, the atrial flutter may recur. The goal of treatment is to keep the heart rate normal and to prevent the heart from beating too fast.
When does paroxysmal atrial flutter come and go?
When blood is not pumped well, vital organs, such as the heart and brain, may not get enough oxygen from the blood. Atrial flutter can come and go; it is then known as paroxysmal atrial flutter. More often, atrial flutter lasts for days to weeks and is known as persistent atrial flutter.
What causes flutter in the heart after heart surgery?
In atrial flutter, an abnormal electrical circuit forms in the atria. This often happens after some types of heart surgery, heart muscle damage, or other heart changes. This new circuit takes over the heart rhythm and causes the abnormal fluttering. Who is at risk for atrial flutter?