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This page is unedited from the Mayo Clinic website.

Overview

Atrial fibrillation is an irregular and often rapid heart rate that can increase your risk of stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications.

During atrial fibrillation, the heart’s two upper chambers (the atria) beat chaotically and irregularly — out of coordination with the two lower chambers (the ventricles) of the heart. Atrial fibrillation symptoms often include heart palpitations, shortness of breath and weakness.

Episodes of atrial fibrillation can come and go, or you may develop atrial fibrillation that doesn’t go away and may require treatment. Although atrial fibrillation itself usually isn’t life-threatening, it is a serious medical condition that sometimes requires emergency treatment.

It may lead to complications. Atrial fibrillation can lead to blood clots forming in the heart that may circulate to other organs and lead to blocked blood flow (ischemia).

Treatments for atrial fibrillation may include medications and other interventions to try to alter the heart’s electrical system.

Symptoms

Some people with atrial fibrillation have no symptoms and are unaware of their condition until it’s discovered during a physical examination. Those who do have atrial fibrillation symptoms may experience signs and symptoms such as:

Palpitations, which are sensations of a racing, uncomfortable, irregular heartbeat or a flip-flopping in your chest
Weakness
Reduced ability to exercise
Fatigue
Lightheadedness
Dizziness
Confusion
Shortness of breath
Chest pain

Atrial fibrillation may be:

Occasional. In this case it’s called paroxysmal (par-ok-SIZ-mul) atrial fibrillation. You may have symptoms that come and go, lasting for a few minutes to hours and then stopping on their own.
Persistent. With this type of atrial fibrillation, your heart rhythm doesn’t go back to normal on its own. If you have persistent atrial fibrillation, you’ll need treatment such as an electrical shock or medications in order to restore your heart rhythm.
Long-standing persistent. This type of atrial fibrillation is continuous and lasts longer than 12 months.
Permanent. In this type of atrial fibrillation, the abnormal heart rhythm can’t be restored. You’ll have atrial fibrillation permanently, and you’ll often require medications to control your heart rate.

When to see a doctor

If you have any symptoms of atrial fibrillation, make an appointment with your doctor. Your doctor may order an electrocardiogram to determine if your symptoms are related to atrial fibrillation or another heart rhythm disorder (arrhythmia).

If you have chest pain, seek emergency medical assistance immediately. Chest pain could signal that you’re having a heart attack.

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Comedian Tom Green, at 28 years of age, was diagnosed with testicular cancer. He candidly talks here about the state of utter panic he felt when he learned he had testicular cancer. He wants you to get past any embarrassment you have especially if you think there is something wrong down there (his words) and go to the doctor for a chec-up. Testicular cancer is a curable disease if detected early.

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From The Mayo Clinic. Thomas J. Salinas, D.D.S.

Many studies have shown a connection between gum disease (periodontitis) and other serious conditions, including heart disease. Research suggests that periodontitis is associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease and that people with chronic gum disease have increased thickness of their neck blood vessels. There is also a strong correlation between diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and evidence that people with diabetes benefit from professional teeth cleanings. Read more…

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Image: StrokeAssociation.org

By American Heart Association News

A third of U.S. adults have had symptoms consistent with a mini-stroke, but nearly no one – only 3 percent – called 911 for help, a survey released Monday shows. The responses from 2,040 adults in a representative sample showed 35 percent had experienced at … Continue reading

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According to the Mayo Clinic prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in men. The prostate is a small walnut-shaped gland that produces the seminal fluid that transports sperm. Usually prostate cancer is slow growing and may not need any treatment, while other types are aggressive and can spread quickly.

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It’s not hard to learn the steps to do CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). Our kids are being taught it in school. Now it’s your turn. The Beegees Stayin’ Alive helps this family learn, maybe it will help you.

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In 1991 the television program 60 Minutes speculated that French people’s consumption of red wine may be responsible for their low incidence of cardiac disease. Americans jumped on the bandwagon; red wine consumption in the United States rapidly increased 44%.

The following is condensed from Harvard Heart Letter by Julie Corliss

The evidence that drinking red wine in particular (or alcohol in general, for that matter) can help you avoid heart disease is pretty weak, says Dr. Kenneth Mukamal, an internist at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. All of the research showing that people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol have lower rates of heart disease is observational. Such studies can’t prove cause and effect, only associations.

Moderate drinking — defined as one drink per day for healthy women and two drinks per day for healthy men — is widely considered safe. But to date, the health effects of alcohol have never been tested in a long-term, randomized trial.

The French Paradox
The French Paradox refers to the notion that drinking wine may explain the relatively low rates of heart disease among the French, despite their fondness for cheese and other rich, fatty foods. Another argument stems from the fact that the Mediterranean diet, an eating pattern shown to ward off heart attacks and strokes, features red wine.

The French Paradox may not be so paradoxical after all. Many experts now believe that factors other than wine may account for the observation, such as lifestyle and dietary differences, as well as earlier underreporting of heart disease deaths by French doctors. What’s more, Dr. Mukamal notes, heart disease rates in Japan are lower than in France, yet the Japanese drink a lot of beer and clear spirits, but hardly any red wine. Read more

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Below Harvard gives you the answers to three questions about your heart that you may have been curious about:

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Condensed from an article by By Claudia Fisher/Travel+Leisure

Despite being inside, sitting on an airplane leaves you more exposed to the sun’s harmful rays than you may realize.

“Although plane windows can block UVB rays, UVA rays can still pass through and given the elevated level, the UV rays don’t have to travel as far to cause damage and can be much more intense at higher altitudes,” says Dr. Marisa Garshick, NYC-based dermatologist and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College.

While flying, Dr. Garshick says, “It is important to protect from UVA rays in addition to UVB as UVA rays can lead to skin aging as well as skin cancer.”

She recommends “finding a sunscreen that is broad spectrum, which provides coverage for both UVA and UVB, and at least SPF 30. The sunscreen should be applied approximately 30 minutes before flight and you should remember to reapply every two hours, especially if you are traveling on a long flight.” Read more

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If you’ve ever asked yourself “am I drinking too much.” This slideshow will help with the answer.

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