MQ Health Cardiology Clinic
- Suite 406, Level 4
- 2 Technology Place
- Macquarie University NSW 2109
- T: +61 (2) 9812 2900
- E: cardiology@mqhealth.org.au
Specialist service
Atrial Fibrillation specialists service
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Symptoms and treatment of atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is an irregular heart rate that often causes significant limitation to an active lifestyle. It's a type of arrhythmia that lasts more than a few seconds.
Symptoms
Symptoms for atrial fibrillation include:
- palpitations
- dizziness
- breathlessness
- fatigue
- irregular pulse
- a 'fluttering' heartbeat.
When to see a doctor
If you have symptoms of atrial fibrillation, see your doctor. It’s important to have this condition diagnosed and treated because it can cause blood clots that can lead to a stroke.
If you’ve had a stroke without an explanation, see a cardiologist as soon as possible.
Causes
The causes of atrial fibrillation include:
- structural heart disease
- valvular pathology (damage to or a defect in one of the four heart valves)
- congenital heart disease
- hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (the heart muscle has become abnormally thick)
- heart failure
- lifestyle factors including obesity, alcohol, hypertension, diabetes, and sleep apnoea.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of atrial fibrillation may include:
- physical examination
- electrocardiogram
- use of a Holter monitor
- echocardiogram
- blood tests.
Treatment
The aim for treatment and management of symptoms of atrial fibrillation is to reduce the burden on the heart and maintain a normal heart rhythm.
There are a variety of medical interventions that a cardiologist may prescribe or recommend. However, there is a growing body of scientific evidence that has proven that active modification of lifestyle has a similar or perhaps greater impact on symptom reduction.
There are four pillars of therapy:
- Lifestyle intervention: weight loss, alcohol moderation, exercise, smoking cessation, blood pressure control, diabetes control.
- Rhythm control: involves use of medications.
- Rate control: where rhythm control is not feasible, we leave the patient in atrial fibrillation but control the heart rate, by either medications and/or pacemaker implantation.
- Stroke prevention: patients with atrial fibrillation are at a high risk of stroke, therefore an anticoagulant medication is used to prevent strokes.
MQ Health's approach
MQ Health offers a specialised, integrated atrial fibrillation clinic with a focus on lifestyle modification in addition to management of other risk factors to decrease symptom burden.
This evidence-based clinical practice is provided using a specialist multi-disciplinary approach. Allied health professionals (nurse consultant, dietitian and exercise physiologist) work alongside a cardiologist with expertise in arrhythmia management.
As a patient, you will receive a two-hour consultation that includes a clinical assessment with a clinical nurse consultant. You'll also meet with a dietitian, an exercise physiologist and a consultant cardiologist. At the end of the consultation you'll receive an individualised management plan.
