5 Tips on Living with Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is a condition of the heart which causes irregularity of the heartbeat. It causes quivering inside the heart chambers, especially the atria. Due to this rapid and irregular trembling, patients also have an increased risk of stroke.
People that have atrial fibrillation usually have the following symptoms.
The risk of having atrial fibrillation increases with age. Patients nearing the age of 80 have a very high risk of both atrial fibrillation and stroke resulting from it. There are specific treatment measures for atrial fibrillation. These vary from medications to therapies, all aiming to control the heartbeat rate.
Lifestyle Tips for Atrial Fibrillation Patients
For patients living with this condition, lifestyle changes are very crucial to keep them alive. There are a number of tips that patients can follow to maintain good health and live longer with atrial fibrillation. Here are some of the reasons why you should practice good lifestyle strategies with AFib:
- To help you deal with the side effects of medications
- Reduce the effects caused by therapies
- Relieve symptoms caused by atrial fibrillation
- Prevent the risk of having a stroke
Here are the 5 best tips for atrial fibrillation patients.
1. Avoid Overuse of Medicines
This can also be called an overload. Some atrial fibrillation patients, especially the elderly, are known to use AFib medications for other conditions such as diabetes. Others patients use extremely high doses because their symptoms experienced from the condition are very strong. To live a longer and healthier life with atrial fibrillation, it is essential stick to your doctor’s prescription. This will not only relieve the symptoms, but also reduce the risk of side effects.
2. Lifestyle Adjustments
Maintain a good diet if you are living with atrial fibrillation. Research shows that some foods improve treatment measures administered for atrial fibrillation. Such foods include fish oil, leafy, green vegetables, and antibiotics. These things are mainly known to affect anticoagulation therapy.
It is also recommended that people living with the condition should avoid caffeine and alcohol intake and exercise regularly to prevent obesity.
3. Be Careful of Side Effects
This is especially necessary when you are undergoing anticoagulation therapy. This is a that helps to prevent the risk of a stroke by reducing blood clots. Anticoagulation therapy is usually seen as a last resort, so if there are better treatment measures it is often advised to take them first. Anticoagulation therapy has even been known to cause some bleeding in some cases.
4. Monitor Your Heart Rate
Atrial fibrillation is a condition that is mainly concerned with heart rate. If you are living with this disease, it is important to ensure that you check your heart rate regularly. To learn how to manually check your heart rate, visit a doctor for guidance.
5. Exercise
In many cases, exercising is one of the most important healing mechanisms. This is definitely true for people who have heart conditions such as atrial fibrillation. Some of the exercise that best help atrial fibrillation patients include stretching. Stretching aids the function of medications and therapies that a patient may have. It is important to always remain hydrated when performing strenuous exercise. Exercise also helps to maintain a healthy body weight which is an incredible step towards better living with atrial fibrillation.
The Bottom Line
Atrial fibrillation is a condition that you can live with for a long time, if you follow the steps outlined in this article. You should also visit your doctor regularly to check-up on your heart health and progress with the condition.
