Atrial Flutter

Atrial Flutter General Information

The abnormal rhythm of the heart that occurs in the atria of the heart is called Atrial Flutter. You may know this disease as arrhythmia, SA node (sinoatrial node), AV node (atrioventricular node), palpitations, heart pain, abnormalities of the heart valves, heart rhythm disorder, heart rhythm abnormality, tachycardia, sinus rhythmsupraventricular tachycardia, a fib, atrial fibrillation, or chest pain.  Atrial Flutter is the result of the electrical impulses that take an unusual path through the atria. Normally should be that the electrical impulse to circulate in the right atrium, around the tricuspid valve. If a normal heart rate equals with 60-90 beats per minute, this disease takes it up to 230-330 beats per minute. When it appears for the first time, Atrial Flutter can be associated with tachycardia or a fast rate of the heart, falling into a supra-ventricular tachycardia. This disease usually affects the persons who already have a cardiovascular disease, for example cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease or hypertension, but it may occur in persons who apparently have a healthy heart, taking them for surprise. What best characterizes it is the unstable (irregular) heart rhythm that can transform into atrial fibrillation. Usually, these abnormalities are called arrhythmias. The disorder does not last for years, not even months; there were rare cases that outrun these periods. What is dangerous about this disease is that the blood is not well plumped anymore when the heart beats too fast. A major consequence is that the brain and heart, the vital organs of the organism may not receive the needed quantity of oxygen from the blood.

Atrial Flutter Symptoms

There are patients who do not present any kind of symptom. Sometimes, Atrial Flutter remains undetected, but its onset has a main characteristic, namely, the sensations of palpitations (a pounding sensation in the chest) that stay until the heart in under control or until the episodes resolves. Because for most people the fast beat of the heart is a normal react to physic exercises, we say that Atrial Flutter is well tolerated. But there are people with a poor intolerance to physical exercises or have underlying heart diseases, and they are more predisposed to a rapid developing of the signs and symptoms. Some patients may feel dizzy, with chest pains, shortness of breath, may complain of nausea, feelings of impending doom and nervousness. The weakness and anxiety could appear. If the fast flutter is prolonged, this may cause decompositions with heart failure (the loss of normal functionality of the heart). The symptoms of this problem may be exertional breathlessness (intolerance to effort), swelling of the abdomen and legs or nocturnal breathlessness. This heart disease may affect the persons who suffer of lung problems and along these symptoms; they may manifest heart or chest pains (angina pectoris), syncope (fainting) or feeling of fainting and light head. When the situation of the patient becomes more complicated, the disorder is related with atrial fibrillation, although the mortality rate of these two conditions is the same. But, sudden death, although is not usually associated with this disease, it can occur in patients with a pre-existing accessory conduction pathway when the flutter may degenerate and transform into ventricular fibrillation. This leads to death by hemodynamic collapse.

Atrial Flutter Treatment

If you suffer of any symptom listed above that may suggest you suffer of Atrial Flutter, you should make an appointment with your health care provider. In the case that the symptoms manifest in a more severe way and are alarming, the urgent medical care attention should be the solution. Also, you must see as soon as possible your personal doctor if you follow a treatment against Atrial Flutter and your health status gets worse and your symptoms change into something more serious. After you have told your health care provider about your symptoms, he may first suspect you of arrhythmia because many symptoms are similar to other conditions. The specialist, whether he is a primary doctor or an emergency one, will focus in the first place on ruling out the most severe symptoms. ECG (electrocardiogram) is a simple test that can show almost everything that is happening to your heart, any abnormalities or irregularities, because it helps measuring electrical impulses that control the heartbeats and it records the results. Also, with an ECG the doctor can find out the type of arrhythmia and from what place of the heart comes.

On this kind of test, signs of hypertrophy (abnormal heart enlargement), electrolyte and chemical abnormalities found in the tissues of the heart, heart ischemia, conduction abnormalities or heart attacks can be easily observed. Very important is the self-care practiced at home. If you know you suffer of Atrial Flutter, you must take regularly your medications prescribed by the health care provider. The factors that caused before Atrial Flutter must be carefully avoided. If you intend to change the treatment with other dugs, supplements or herbs you should first talk to your doctor. Usually, any treatment for Atrial Flutter tries to maintain the normal rhythm of your heart or to reduce it if necessary. The therapy is needed to avoid future episodes and to prevent stroke. There are some anti-arrhythmia drugs that are given in order to reduce the duration and the frequency of the episodes, and to prevent them. Some examples of drugs used in this way are: propafenone (Rythmol), amiodarone (Cordarone, Pacerone), flecainide (Tambocor), or sotalol (Betapace).

The slowing conduction through the AV node is satisfied by using beta-blockers that also stabilize the blood pressure and decrease the demand for oxygen of the heart. There are used some calcium channel blockers that have almost the same effects as the beta-blockers and as examples we can precise: diltiazem (Cardizem) or Verapamil. Another category of medicines used are the anticoagulants that help the blood not to clot normal reducing the risk that blood clots form into the blood vessels and in the heart because this disorder has an increased risk to form of blood clots. A common drug used as anticoagulant is warfarin (Coumadin). The serious symptoms (congestive heart failure or chest pain) need to be rapidly decreased, so that the health care provider will decrease the heart rate with defibrillation (electrical shock done only under anesthesia) or with IV medicines.