Understanding AFib Treatments
Blood Thinners
AFib medications are meant to eliminate blood clots which eventually helps to prevent strokes. Blood thinners are common medications used to control the condition. It is important to follow your doctor’s directions when using blood thinners since they can have severe side effects if overused. One of these side effects is excessive bleeding. With some of the medicines, you will need to visit your doctor every month for a blood test to check how effective the dosage is. The doctor will use the blood test results to determine whether to increase or decrease your dosage.
Heart Rate and Rhythm Controllers
Your doctor may also prescribe medication to control your heart rate, such as beta blockers or calcium channel blockers. Examples of beta blockers include atenolol, bisoprolol, metoprolol, propranolol, carvedilol, timolol and nadolol. Common calcium channel blockers include dilitiazem and verapamil. After correcting your heart rate, the doctor will prescribe medication to fix your heart rhythm. Heart rhythm controllers are classified as either sodium channel blockers or potassium channel blockers. They work by slowing down electrical conductivity in the heart. Heart rhythm controllers usually have side effects. You should notify your doctor if you start experiencing any abnormal symptoms.
Electrical Cardioversion
AFib may also be treated using non-surgical procedures such as electrical cardioversion. Before electrical cardioversion is performed, the doctor may carry out a TEE procedure. In this procedure, you will have to swallow a small device with which the doctor checks the heart for clots. If the TEE procedure shows that you have blood clots, you may have to start taking blood thinners. If you don’t have any, they will proceed to perform the electrical cardioversion. The procedure involves the use of paddles or patches to create electric shocks on the chest. You will be under mild anesthesia when during the procedure.
Catheter Ablation
If electrical cardioversions and medications are not effective, you can choose to get the ablation procedure. Before this procedure is performed, the doctor will map your heart electrically and determine where there are abnormal signals. Once this is finished, they will insert a catheter to your blood vessels and guide it to the problematic tissues in the heart. The catheter will destroy these tissues using a laser, radiofrequency or cryotherapy energy. As the treatment takes effect, you will have to take anti-arrhythmic medications. Being a minimally invasive procedure, you should expect to recover in a very short time.
AV Node Ablation with Pacemaker
Atrioventricular ablation is more extensive compared the catheter ablation. The procedure still involves the use of a catheter. However, the energy released will destroy a larger section of the heart. By the end of the procedure, you will have a pacemaker implanted to your body to regulate your heartbeat. The pacemaker is just a small electrical device which has wires leading to the heart. It will send out electric signals that keep the heart beating in a regular rhythm. Some of these devices are developed to sense when the heart is beating rapidly or very slowly. They then adjust their electrical output to return the heart rate back to normal.