My friend who always had been rocking with high spirits and an exercise freak, faced a sudden stroke which landed her up for a paralytic treatment. One wonders how can a person who kept so busy, always chirps around jovially and so determined for fitness and health concerns, hook up to such a mess signs of health disorders! I remember, she often use to complain of dizzy feelings sometimes and she had the high rapid beats of the heart. She suffered from asthma sometimes during winter but otherwise, she had a very busy schedule from morning to evening.
Later on, I realized this could be a case of AF – the Atrial Fibrillation, an ailment that troubled her since quite long. 2.2 Million Americans are facing this problem disease. With the fast tech age life, executives too, have a routine of several meetings, innumerable cups of coffee, late hours preparing power packed presentations and very little time for exercise and self indulgence. Stressed or call it over-stressed, they feel relaxed in their own state of mind. So much that people often ignore the fact that their heart beats unusually rapidly at short intervals leaving them dizzy and sweaty. Often this is brushed off as hectic work schedules, pre-occupied work hours and they tend to get agitated over trivial issues.
The heart contracts at a very irregular and sometimes very rapid rate. Blood isn’t pumped completely out of them, hence it pools and clots. If a piece of a blood clot in the atria leaves the heart and becomes lodged in an artery in the brain, the blockage of blood flow results in a brain stroke. Even, it can occur when blood flow is reduced because of a blockage in one or more of the arteries that supply blood to the brain.
AF symptoms are usually racing, uncomfortable, irregular heart beat or a ‘flopping’ in the chest. Dizziness, sweating and chest pain also can occur. In cases, difficulty in breathing, feeling of weakness and being unable to cope up after exercise occurs. The people with such symptoms always feel ‘Oh, I keep so busy and its work stress’ but since they are not aware of invisible symptoms like high BP and diabetes, they tend to ignore. A problem with lung, asthma can result to AF and ultimately the stroke that shatters finally, either bed ridden for days or fatal – one never knows.
So oft, we tend to ignore getting ourselves checked up by a Doc but this is a risk coz, a physician can usually detect AF by listening to the heart with a stethoscope or taking a pulse at the wrist. I read somewhere that there is also a cardio mapping which target areas and address the problem with some kind of waves (I am not sure!)
I guess, a stitch in time saves nine. Dizziness signals and all is not right. The dizziness disappear but it’s time to spare some moments for own health. Especially, when we are all worked up with day to day life and at the end of the day, think that its stress, less sleep hours out of living lifestyle and eating whatever comes the way – its trouble-shooting health safety.
Sources on AF:
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4451
http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/23068682/
(All Posts by ilaxi patel: This Health & Fitness Blog is based on personal thoughts and research work. Readers may please Consult your Doctor for your Health Problems)
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