In this post we are going to cover everything you need to know about atrial fibrillation and how IDOVEN services can help you. IDOVEN services can help you:
What is atrial fibrillation?
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a heart rhythm disturbance. It is the most common arrhythmia in our country and in the rest of the world. It is more common after the age of 60, but it can also occur in younger people. In atrial fibrillation there are uncoordinated and disorganised beats that originate in a part of the heart, called the atrium, thus producing a rapid and irregular heart rhythm.
How does atrial fibrillation occur?
Under normal conditions, our heart rate should be regular. Whether we are at rest or doing any physical activity (in this case the pulse should rise in a controlled and regular manner).
When atrial fibrillation occurs, heart rhythm is no longer regular and steady. The heart "fibrillates", as if it were trembling. This loss of synchrony in the heart rhythm can lead to the formation of blood clots inside the heart, because when the heart goes into fibrillation, the emptying of blood from the atria into the ventricles does not take place in a "fluid" manner, as is normal.
Why does atrial fibrillation occur?
Some people who lead healthy lives and have no other problems. medical problems can develop atrial fibrillation. However, in most cases, there are a number of factors that can lead to atrial fibrillation.
Among them,the most common are high blood pressure, heart failure, heart valve problems, some pulmonary and endocrine diseases such as diabetes or thyroid disorders, alcohol and stimulant abuse, physical or emotional stress, obesity or a sedentary lifestyle.
How is atrial fibrillation detected?
It is not known why some patients with atrial fibrillation have symptoms and others do not. What is certain is that some patients may have symptoms that affect their daily life.
The most common are:
- Rapid or alternating pulse ("arrhythmic")
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Chest pain or pressure
- Fatigue on physical exertion, which may be minimal.
Are there different types of atrial fibrillation?
YES.
Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: refers to AF that comes and goes on its own. Cycles of normal heart rhythm alternate with cycles of irregular rhythm (fast and slow).
Persistent atrial fibrillation: when atrial fibrillation occurs and does not go away on its own, but requires medication or a special type of controlled electrical shock called "cardioversion" to return the heart to its normal rhythm.
Permanent atrial fibrillation: when the arrhythmia is constant, long lasting and does not stop with either medication or controlled electrical shock.
Is there a solution to atrial fibrillation?
Yes, there are medications that can return the heart to a normal rhythm, and patients need to be on drugs that help prevent blood clots from forming, called anticoagulants.
Occasionally, despite medication, AF may occur sporadically. In this case, the treatment that would be applied to the patient is cardioversion, a type of controlled electrical shock that is applied to the patient to restore their normal heart rhythm. If the above treatments are not effective, an intervention would be necessary. This intervention is catheter ablation, which aims to reduce the frequency and duration of episodes of atrial fibrillation. This treatment consists of removing, using various techniques, the areas of the atria involved in initiating or maintaining the arrhythmia itself.
How can atrial fibrillation be detected?
We can detect atrial fibrillation when we feel the pulse and notice that the heart rhythm is irregular. To confirm the diagnosis, an electrocardiogram is necessary.
In some patients, atrial fibrillation occurs only episodically, with crises alternating with periods of normal heart rhythm or occurring during training. In these cases, the arrhythmia may not be easily detected. In response to this problem, devices that record the heart rhythm for a longer duration, such as 24-hour ECG holter recorders, are classically used, with limitations: one, that of time, since the arrhythmia may not occur in those 24 hours (and therefore not be detected) and another, the discomfort that these devices generally entail, due to their size and presentation.
How do IDOVEN services work to detect atrial fibrillation?
The IDOVEN devices devices allow permanent monitoring of the heart rhythm, in a comfortable and simple way, by constantly and non-invasively measuring the heart rhythm, thus detecting the presence of arrhythmias, especially atrial fibrillation, automatically thanks to the presence of algorithms based on artificial intelligence.
In addition, our devices can be worn for up to 21 days, recording more than 1 million heartbeats. while we go about our normal daily activities (work, rest and physical activity).
This monitoring is carried out remotely: the client receives the IDOVEN pack at home, puts it on following the recommendations of the service, and once finished, all the information is collected and analysed with the IDOVEN algorithm, giving the result of this cardiac monitoring within hours.
If IDOVEN detects the arrhythmia, our medical team specialisedin arrhythmias and sports cardiology will give the necessary recommendation to the client to try to solve it.
At IDOVEN we work to detect cardiac problems early to help prevent diseases such as myocardial infarction, arrhythmias and sudden death, redefining the way heart disease is diagnosed by combining Artificial Intelligence algorithms in the cloud with wearable technology.
Some cases of atrial fibrillation detection:
Example of Diego Laguna: Suffering a myocardial infarction and being born again.
Example of Javier: 3 years with atrial fibrillation.
In short, atrial fibrillation is a serious health problem that should be under medical control. Failure to do so could lead to health risks for the sufferer.
By taking certain basic precautions in relation to our lifestyle habits, following up with a doctor and having check-ups whenever we detect any of the symptoms described above or want to know the state of our heart, we will be reducing the risk of suffering an episode of atrial fibrillation and, if detected, we will be able to act in time. our devicesIf we do, we will be reducing the risk of suffering an episode of atrial fibrillation and, if it is detected, we will be able to act in time.
IDOVEN has helped diagnose heart disease, such as atrial fibrillation, in more than 10,000 patients in more than 190 regions of Europe and South America.
The artificial intelligence-based software improves diagnostic accuracy and thanks to the remote monitoring system we can study the hearts of people all over the world.
If you have any questions, please consult our services:
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