Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial Fibrillation: After Your Visit

Your Care Instructions

Atrial fibrillation is an irregular and often fast heartbeat. Treating this condition is important for several reasons. It can cause blood clots, which can travel from your heart to your brain and cause a stroke. If you have a fast heartbeat, you may feel lightheaded, dizzy, and weak. An irregular heartbeat can also increase your risk for heart failure.

Atrial fibrillation is often the result of another heart condition, such as high blood pressure or coronary artery disease. Making changes to improve your heart condition will help you stay healthy and active.

Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor if you are having problems. It’s also a good idea to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take.

How can you care for yourself at home?

Medicines

Take your medicines exactly as prescribed. Call your doctor if you think you are having a problem with your medicine. You will get more details on the specific medicines your doctor prescribes.
If your doctor has given you a blood thinner, such as warfarin (Coumadin), to prevent a stroke, you should:

Take your medicine at the same time each day.
Tell your dentist, pharmacist, and other health professionals that you take a blood thinner.
Watch for unusual bruising or bleeding, such as blood in your urine, red or black stools, or bleeding from the nose or gums.
If you take Coumadin, get regular blood tests to check how fast your blood clots.
Wear medical alert jewelry that says you take blood thinners. You can buy this at most drugstores.

Do not take any vitamins, over-the-counter drugs, or herbal products without talking to your doctor first.

Lifestyle changes

Do not smoke. Smoking can increase your chance of a stroke and heart attack. If you need help quitting, talk to your doctor about stop-smoking programs and medicines. These can increase your chances of quitting for good.
Eat a balanced diet that is low in fat and cholesterol.
If you take warfarin, make sure you get about the same amount of vitamin K each day. This will help blood thinners work evenly from day to day. An example of food that is high in vitamin K is leafy green vegetables.
Limit alcohol to 2 drinks a day for men and 1 drink a day for women. Too much alcohol can cause health problems.
Avoid caffeine and other stimulants. They can trigger atrial fibrillation.
If you are taking blood thinners, try to avoid injuries. For example, be careful when you are exercising or playing sports. Make your home safe to reduce your risk of falling.
Avoid colds and flu. Get a pneumococcal vaccine shot. If you have had one before, ask your doctor whether you need a second dose. Get a flu shot every fall. If you must be around people with colds or flu, wash your hands often.

Activity

If your doctor recommends it, get more exercise. Walking is a good choice. Bit by bit, increase the amount you walk every day. Try for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week. You also may want to swim, bike, or do other activities. Your doctor may suggest that you join a cardiac rehabilitation program so that you can have help increasing your physical activity safely.
Start light exercise if your doctor says it is okay. Even a small amount will help you get stronger, have more energy, and manage stress. Walking is an easy way to get exercise. Start out by walking a little more than you did in the hospital. Gradually increase the amount you walk.
When you exercise, watch for signs that your heart is working too hard. You are pushing too hard if you cannot talk while you are exercising. If you become short of breath or dizzy or have chest pain, sit down and rest immediately.
Check your pulse regularly. Place two fingers on the artery at the palm side of your wrist, in line with your thumb. If your heartbeat seems uneven or fast, talk to your doctor.

When should you call for help?

Call 911 anytime you think you may need emergency care. For example, call if:

You have symptoms of a heart attack. These may include:

Chest pain or pressure, or a strange feeling in the chest.
Sweating.
Shortness of breath.
Nausea or vomiting.
Pain, pressure, or a strange feeling in the back, neck, jaw, or upper belly or in one or both shoulders or arms.
Lightheadedness or sudden weakness.
A fast or irregular heartbeat.

After you call 911, the operator may tell you to chew 1 adult-strength or 2 to 4 low-dose aspirin. Wait for an ambulance. Do not try to drive yourself.

You have signs of a stroke. These may include:

Sudden numbness, paralysis, or weakness in your face, arm, or leg, especially on only one side of your body.
New problems with walking or balance.
Sudden vision changes.
Drooling or slurred speech.
New problems speaking or understanding simple statements, or feeling confused.
A sudden, severe headache that is different from past headaches.

You cough up blood.
You vomit blood or what looks like coffee grounds.
You pass maroon or very bloody stools.
You passed out (lost consciousness).

Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:

You have new or increased shortness of breath.
You feel dizzy or lightheaded, or you feel like you may faint.
Your heart rate becomes irregular.
You can feel your heart flutter in your chest or skip heartbeats. Tell your doctor if these symptoms are new or worse.
You have new bruises or blood spots under your skin.
You have a nosebleed.
Your gums bleed when you brush your teeth.
You have blood in your urine.
Your stools are black and tarlike or have streaks of blood.
You have vaginal bleeding when you are not having your period, or heavy period bleeding.

Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if you have any problems.

Taking Warfarin Safely (Long-Term): After Your Visit

Your Care Instructions

Warfarin is a pill that you take regularly to prevent blood clots. Coumadin is a common brand name for warfarin. Doctors prescribe warfarin to reduce the risk of blood clots if you have atrial fibrillation, deep vein thrombosis, or another health problem that increases your risk for clots.

Even if you’ve been taking warfarin for a while, it’s important to know how to take it safely. Warfarin can cause bleeding problems, because it slows the amount of time it takes for your blood to clot. These problems can happen when you:

Take other medicines. Taking certain other medicines along with warfarin can cause a bad reaction.
Suddenly change how much vitamin K you eat. Vitamin K in the foods you eat helps your blood to clot. If you're taking warfarin, it's important to keep the amount of vitamin K in your diet steady.
Fall or are injured. An injury could cause bleeding that is hard to control. Take extra care to prevent injuries and falls.

Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor if you are having problems. It's also a good idea to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take.

How can you care for yourself at home?

Medicine

Take your warfarin at the same time each day. Most people take it in the evening.
Don't take any medicines, vitamins, or natural remedies unless you first talk to your doctor.
If you miss a dose of warfarin, the best thing to do is to call your doctor. He or she can tell you exactly what to do so you don't take too much or too little. That way you'll stay as safe as possible.
Wear a medical alert ID. These are bracelets, pendants, or charms that let others know you take warfarin.

Vitamin K

Don't suddenly change the amount of vitamin K in your diet. Try to keep the amount you eat about the same from day to day.
Learn which foods contain vitamin K. These foods are medium to high in vitamin K:

Leafy greens, such as kale, cabbage, spinach, Swiss chard, and lettuce
Canola and soybean oils
Brussels sprouts
Cauliflower
Broccoli

Preventing falls

Make these changes in your life to prevent falls:

Wear slippers or shoes with nonskid soles.
Use a cane or a walker if you need one.
Put things within easy reach so that you don't have to reach over your head for them.

Make these changes in your home to prevent falls:

Remove raised doorway thresholds, throw rugs, and clutter.
Rearrange furniture and electrical cords to keep them out of walking paths.
Keep stairways, porches, and outside walkways well lit. Use night-lights in hallways and bathrooms.

When should you call for help?

Call 911 anytime you think you may need emergency care. For example, call if:

You cough up blood.
You vomit blood or what looks like coffee grounds.
You pass maroon or very bloody stools.

Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:

You have new bruises or blood spots under your skin.

You have a nosebleed.
Your gums bleed when you brush your teeth.
You have blood in your urine.
Your stools are black and tarlike or have streaks of blood.
You have vaginal bleeding when you are not having your period, or heavy period bleeding.

Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if you have any problems.

Learning About Catheter Ablation for Heart Problems

What is catheter ablation?

Catheter ablation is a procedure that treats heart rhythm problems. These problems include atrial fibrillation, supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), atrial flutter, and ventricular tachycardia.

Normally, your heart has a strong, steady beat. That beat is controlled by the heart's electrical system. Sometimes that system misfires, causing a heartbeat that is too fast and isn't steady.

Catheter ablation is a way to get into your heart and fix the problem. Ablation is not surgery.

How is catheter ablation done?

Your doctor inserts thin tubes called catheters into a blood vessel in your thigh, groin, neck, or elbow and feeds them into the heart. Wires in the catheters help the doctor find the problem areas. Then the doctor uses the wires to send energy to destroy the tiny areas of heart tissue that are causing the problems.

It may seem like a bad idea to destroy parts of your heart on purpose. But the areas that are destroyed are very tiny and don't affect your heart's ability to do its job.

You will probably be awake during the procedure. The doctor will give you medicines to help you feel relaxed and to numb the areas where the catheters go in. You may feel a little uncomfortable, but you should not feel pain.

Catheter ablation usually takes 2 to 6 hours. In rare cases, it can take longer. You may stay overnight in the hospital. How long you stay in the hospital depends on the type of ablation you have. Most people can go back to work and their normal routine in 1 or 2 days.

What can you expect after catheter ablation?

You may have swelling, bruising, or a small lump around the site where the catheters went into your body. These should go away in 3 to 4 weeks.

You may have to take some medicines for a period of time.