Atrial fibrillation, also referred to as AFib, is best described as an irregular heartbeat that is usually much faster than it should be. It can be a scary experience when symptoms are first noticed, but with a doctor’s close attention, it tends to be a very treatable condition.
Some of the symptoms of AFib include shortness of breath, weakness, chest pain, confusion, and heart palpitations. If you are experiencing these symptoms, it’s important to get medical attention immediately. At first, AFib can seem or feel very much like a heart attack–which requires emergency attention.
AFib, while not as immediately serious as a heart attack, can also have very serious health implications. It can lead to blood clots, stroke, chronic fatigue, heart failure, and other serious complications. AFib should be treated by a physician in order to help provide a higher quality of life for the individual experiencing this condition.
And the good news is that this has been happening over recent years.
Part of this is that there’s more overall awareness about this condition and our health in general. For example, in the UK, researchers found that AFib patients were 50 percent less likely to die today from heart attack or stroke than they were in the year 2000. The research team believes that this is happening because of better, earlier detection and more effective treatment methods. People are finding out that they have AFib earlier in their lives and staying ahead of the symptoms through medical interventions.
The team published their findings in the European Heart Journal. Hopefully, this research helps future people diagnosed with AFib to continue to live an even higher quality of life. There’s always more work to be done when it comes to making the lives of future generations better–this is just a small step in that direction.
AFib is one of the most common heart conditions there is. It’s estimated that between 2.7 and 6 million people in the U.S. suffer from this condition. Some of them know of it and some are as yet untreated. However, it does seem that awareness of AFib and how to effectively manage it are growing. That is good news for the people impacted by it and their loved ones.
As you know, medical conditions–even simple ones–can become more difficult to effectively treat as someone ages. AFib is usually quite treatable and symptoms can be minimized, but only if it is treated and treated early. If left unchecked, it can develop into a serious issue and even cause death. Seniors tend to have a harder time controlling symptoms if left untreated than younger folk do.
A strong care team is part of an effective treatment plan. Not just for AFib, but for almost all health conditions. Having skilled individuals helping out even if they aren’t providing senior care can go a long way toward improving the quality of life that someone experiences.
That’s one of the many reasons why we do what we do here at Paradise In-Home Care. We’d love to talk more with you about how senior care can help you and your family in this respect. Please feel free to reach out today to talk more.
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