Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation occurs when your heart has an irregular rhythm. It increases your risk of stroke, heart failure, clots forming in your heart, as well as other heart-related diseases.

If you have atrial fibrillation, you may experience symptoms such as:

• Palpitations
• Weakness
• Fatigue
• Lightheadedness
• Dizziness
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath

Some people may not show any symptoms. Your doctor may only pick up the disease during an examination and confirm the symptoms by ordering additional tests, such as an electrocardiogram.

If you show symptoms of atrial fibrillation and suspect you may have the condition, send us an enquiry to have your symptoms confirmed.

The treatment plan for atrial fibrillation largely depends on how long you have had the condition, its cause, and the amount of discomfort you experience. In general, treatment for atrial fibrillation aims to:

• Control your heart rate
• Prevent blood clots from forming
• Decrease your risk of stroke

At Raffles Heart Centre, we offer the following treatments to help manage your condition:

Medications

Your cardiologist may prescribe antiarrhythmic drugs to restore your heart rhythm. Depending on your condition, the medication may be administered orally or intravenously.

Cardioversion

An electric shock is delivered to your heart using paddles, which momentarily stops it. Ideally, your heart should resume its normal rhythm when it begins beating again. Your cardiologist may prescribe  antiarrhythmic drugs before the procedure to restore normal heart rate.

Catheter ablation

If medications or cardioversion do not work, your cardiologist may recommend catheter ablation to remove heart tissues that are causing the irregular heartbeats.

Implanting a pacemaker

To help regulate your heartbeat, your cardiologist may recommend implanting a pacemaker. It works by sending out electrical pulses to keep your heart beating at the right pace.

These treatments may be done by itself, or in combination with each other to manage your condition.