Paroxysmal form of atrial fibrillation

Among the many cardiac pathologies, a disease such as paroxysmal arrhythmia is distinguished. This ailment is nothing more than a violation of the rhythm, that is, the frequency of contractions and excitations of the heart muscle. In the normal scenario, the pulse rate is in the range of 60-80 beats per minute. And in the case of the development of paroxysmal arrhythmia, there are interruptions in the work of the organ and a violation of the functional characteristics of the entire cardiovascular system.

What is pathology

Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation is the most common type of pathological changes in atrial dysfunction.

Failures in this pathology can be characterized as follows:

1. The sinus node stops working.
2. The contraction of myocytes becomes chaotic at a frequency of 400 times per minute.
3. As a result, only the ventricles remain active, which most adversely affects the circulatory system.

The most dangerous type of arrhythmias is the ciliated form. In addition to severe discomfort, accompanied by shortness of breath and the occurrence of pain in the chest, as a result of atrial fibrillation, blood stagnation occurs, which contributes to the formation of blood clots and impaired blood flow. But this is not the worst.

State classification

The paroxysmal form of atrial fibrillation is paroxysmal manifestations that indicate heart rhythm disturbances.

The duration of the attack is about a week.

When this period is exceeded, the form of the disease is stated as permanent.

There are two types of deviations in this pathology:

• flickering - at a frequency exceeding 300 contractions in 60 seconds;
• flutter - at a frequency of not more than 200 contractions in 60 seconds.

Heart rhythm disorders according to the frequency of contractions of the ventricles are classified as follows:

• tachysystolic;
• bradysystolic;
• intermediate.

If the attacks of atrial fibrillation are repeated, then the disease acquires a recurrent form.

With atrial fibrillation, atrial fibrillation is also diagnosed.

Reasons for the development of the disease

Like any serious disease, paroxysmal arrhythmias have their own causes.

Among them are those that are related to the functional features of the cardiovascular system:

• ischemia;
• hypertension;
• cardiomyopathy;
• changes in the cardiovascular system that are inflammatory in nature - pericarditis, myocarditis;

• malformations of a congenital and acquired character, leading to expansion of the chambers;
• heart failure.

In addition, other factors can lead to paroxysmal arrhythmia.

These include:

• bad habits;
• electrolyte imbalance, leading to a lack of magnesium and potassium in the body;
• pulmonary pathologies;
• diseases of an infectious nature, accompanied by a severe course;
• postoperative conditions;
• endocrine system disorders;
• drug exposure;
• stressful and depressive states.

Symptoms of arrhythmia

Symptoms of cardiac arrhythmia are most often a consequence of chronic disorders in conjunction with acute diseases and their complications.

It is worth noting that an increase in heart rate is not in every case evidence of this type of arrhythmia. The fact is that such manifestations can act as a reaction to natural conditions inherent in the human body, for example, increased anxiety in stressful situations.

A more pronounced symptom of a disturbed heartbeat is a sudden increase in contractions of the heart muscle and the same rapid recovery, especially if the attack is accompanied by shortness of breath.

Shortness of breath in the paroxysmal form is a condition when there is a sharp lack of air, accompanied by bradyarrhythmia.

Such symptoms indicate a violation of the functional characteristics of the heart muscle to pump blood:

1. At the very beginning of the disease, shortness of breath can be observed with increased motor activity.
2. Further, the pathology becomes more serious, as a result of which cardiac output often decreases even with a favorable emotional atmosphere.

In the latter cases, there may also be manifestations such as bouts of nocturnal shortness of breath, as well as dizziness, which are the result of malfunctions in the activity of the heart or a signal of low blood pressure, which is nothing more than a consequence of arrhythmia. Brief loss of consciousness in medical terminology is called "syncope".

Pain in the chest area is due to the presence of tachycardia in paroxysms. Their feature is that they occur during paroxysmal conditions.

Diagnosis and treatment of the disease

Any arrhythmia (including paroxysmal) needs high-quality diagnostics and treatment. In the usual scenario, the definition of the disease does not cause difficulties. Severe arrhythmia is already evidence of this pathology.

A characteristic sign of paroxysmal arrhythmia is a chaotic heartbeat of various frequencies. In addition, in such patients, when probing the pulse, its deficiency is often noted. This state of affairs can be explained by the fact that the atria begin to work out of order and do not have time to fill the heart ventricles with blood in full. The lack of blood does not allow you to create a full-fledged pulse wave, and the heart muscle from time to time functions in vain.

In addition to a visual examination of the patient, modern diagnostics does not exclude such methods as:

• electrocardiography;
• echocardiography;
• radiography;
• thyroid examination.

With the diagnosis of "paroxysmal atrial fibrillation" and treatment (and not just examination), a thorough one is assumed. In this case, we are talking about the elimination of the causative factors of the disease, which often act as ailments with an independent nature of the course.

For example:

1. If the occurrence of arrhythmias is due to endocrine disorders with a decrease in thyroid function, then hormone replacement therapy will be appropriate.
2. But if such an arrhythmia appeared against the background of thyrotoxicosis, then drugs are prescribed that suppress the production of hormones.
3. It also happens that arrhythmia has developed as a result of alcohol abuse. In some cases, to get rid of the main symptoms, it is enough to give up this habit.

If arrhythmia has led to heart disease or to the development of irreversible sclerotic processes, then the only effective method of treatment may be surgery.

It is worth remembering about prevention, including maintaining a healthy lifestyle, regular examinations by specialists.