Atrial fibrillation can be described as a fluttery or quivering heartbeat. Atrial fibrillation results from deranged electrical signals in your heart’s upper chamber, causing the rhythms to become more rapid and irregular. This causes blood circulation to become erratic. When blood circulation is irregular, you can start experiencing dizziness, sweating, chest pain, fatigue, and weakness. Atrial fibrillation can lead to conditions such as heart failure and stroke. There are various ways to make an atrial fibrillation Frisco (AFib) attack less likely. Below are some atrial fibrillation prevention tips.
Maintain a healthy lifestyle and diet
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and diet is essential in keeping your overall cardiovascular wellness in better shape. Stick to a balanced diet mainly consists of:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Whole grains
- Healthy sources of protein such as nuts, poultry, fish, and lean meats
- Foods prepared with little to no salt
- Non-tropical liquid vegetable oils
Healthy weight
Excess weight increases AFib risk while making you vulnerable to other risk factors like high blood pressure. Maintaining a healthy weight can help avoid developing or worsening AFib.
Exercising
Engaging in physical activities is an excellent way to prevent AFib and other heart-related concerns. This is more so since exercise improves your blood circulation and cardiovascular health.
Get adequate sleep
Getting good quality sleep is essential for your mental and physical health. Chronic sleep deficiency increases the risk of various health conditions, such as depression, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, which increases AFib risks. Habits like creating a sleeping schedule, exercising regularly, and avoiding heavy meals, alcohol, and caffeine hours before bed can be effective.
Avoid/limit alcohol
If you are tied to either one-on or binge drinking, you are at high risk of AFib. Even having a beer or two can result in a rapid heartbeat and some AFib symptoms. Limiting or quitting the drinking habit can help you maintain a better heart rhythm and prevent AFib.
Quit smoking
The best thing that you can do for your health is to avoid any form of tobacco use. Tobacco use can be a hard-to-break habit that can wear you down, make you sick, and even shorten your life expectancy. It is also a significant contributor to various heart conditions. One of the best ways to reduce AFib and heart disease risk is by stopping tobacco use.
Manage the underlying conditions
Underlying medical conditions can lead to or trigger an atrial fibrillation episode. Examples include:
· Asthma
· Thyroid disorders
· Pulmonary embolism
· Sleep apnea
· Heart disease
· High blood pressure
· Diabetes
Managing the chronic condition can lower AFib risks and other complications that affect the quality of your life. The management includes taking prescription medication, sticking to a healthy diet, exercising, and routine medical checks for monitoring purposes.
The heart is a vital organ and taking care of it is essential. As you strive to keep it in top shape, adopting a preventative strategy is more practical that treating or managing the symptoms. Contact Prime Heart and Vascular today to learn more about atrial fibrillation and its prevention methods.
