I have paroxysmal a fib. What is the danger of going in and out of a fib?

Hello Anon

Thank you for writing!

For the benefit of our readers, Atrial fibrillation is an abnormal heart rhythm. The heart's electrical system normally sends regularly spaced, predictable signals, telling the heart muscle to contract, or beat.

The heart has two upper chambers, called atria, and two lower chambers, called ventricles. Each signal starts in the atria and travels to the rest of the heart. In atrial fibrillation, the electrical signals from the atria are fast and irregular. The atria quiver, rather than contract. Some signals do not reach the ventricles and the ventricles continue pumping, usually irregularly and sometimes rapidly. This uncoordinated rhythm can reduce the heart’s efficiency at pumping blood out to the body. Blood left in the heart chambers can form clots. These clots may sometimes break away, travel to the brain, and cause a stroke .

Paroxysmal Afib is Afib that can come and go spontaneously and then return without warning. Some (up to 30%) go on to develop regular Afib, others stay with the occasional bout.

Ways to avoid this are keeping a healthy diet and exercise regime, avoiding a lot of alcohol or caffeine or any kind of stimulant.

We cannot say when these episodes will occur for you or how serious they may be as all Afib patients react differently. You need to self-monitor and keep a diary of your instances. You may find a pattern, you may not. As you get older you may progress to actual AFib.

To learn more, click on StopAfib.org (cut and paste) - you'll find a lot of information there.

Best,
Susan