Getting atrial fibrillation treatment Washington DC
The first thing that you should do once you have been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (also called A-fib or AF) is to seek out treatment. The treatment options for this condition will differ depending on the severity of your condition, and the best course of action for your individual situation will be outlined and recommended by your treating physician. There are many simple treatments like medication and lifestyle changes that can improve your health over time, but some cases of A-fib will require more intensive care options including surgery or electric “shock” type solutions.
Medications for AF often include blood thinners, anti-arrhythmic medications and heart rate control medications. These are meant to help keep your heart in a more normal rhythm without resorting to surgery immediately, as well as to continue the effects of the surgery and keep things from changing in a negative manner again in the future.
Nonsurgical options for AF treatment include electrical cardioversion which is a “reset” shock that is administered to the outside of the chest, and will in theory return the heart to a more “typical” rhythm. A catheter ablation is used when medications are deemed to be ineffective, and involves the insertion of a catheter in order to destroy the malfunctioning tissues using small scars in the trouble spots.
Surgical options include the insertion of a pacemaker and open heart maze procedures where large surface areas of the heart are scarred to interrupt the transmissions of electrical impulses that cause the irregular heartbeat. These options require more of a healing process for patients, but will immediately cause changes in the heart’s rhythms.
Recovering from atrial fibrillation treatment Washington DC
Each treatment option will result in a different type of recovery process for patients, so it is important to weigh options carefully before proceeding with treatment. Trying the nonsurgical and medication related treatment options is often enough to correct the Atrial fibrillation Washington DC condition and provide relief for long periods of time, and surgery will never be necessary. However, for some patients, the chance for these methods to work effectively will have passed, leading to the need for surgery in order to improve health and give people peace of mind.
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