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Can Afibrillation Cause Chest Pain and Shortness of Breath?

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DoctorQuestion
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Can Afibrillation Cause Chest Pain and Shortness of Breath?
Posted: 03-06-06 04:14am

I'VE HAD A FIB SINCE JUNE OF 1999, AND WHEN I WAS PREGNANT WITH MY DAUGHTER LAST YEAR I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL 9 TIMES FOR MY HEART AND DIABETES. I HAD MY AUGHTER IN AUGUST OF 05 AND I'M STILL HAVING PROBLEMS. I SEE MY HEART DR AND SHE HAS ME ON COUMADIN. WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IS CAN A FIB CAUSE CHEST PAIN AND SHORTNESS OF BREATH? EVERYTIME I LAY DOWN OR GO TO PICK UP MY LITTLE GIRL I CAN'T BREATH. I DON'T KNOW THAT MUCH ABOUT A FIB. MY DOCTOR TOLD ME THAT THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY HEART IS NOT PUMPING ENOUGH BLOOD. I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT OTHER SYMPTOMS A FIB HAS. THANKS..


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DoctorAnswer
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Heart Disease & Heart Attack Answer A784
Posted: 04-18-06 08:06am

The heart contracts when stimulated by electrical impulses that it produces on its own. Any part of the heart muscle can produce electrical impulses that will cause heart contractions. Normally, the sinus node acts as the heart rhythm guide. The sinus node is found in the right heart's pre-chamber. The sinus node self-creates electrical impulses (auto-excitation); the pulse rate, however, is controlled by the neuron-vegetative system (simpaticus and parasimpaticus). Electrical impulses from the sinus node are then conducted to another node (atrial-ventricular) and from there are transmitted through Hiss’s fascicle into the heart chamber’s muscles. This means that one electrical impulse produced in the sinus node causes one contraction of the heart muscle. In atrial fibrillation, many electrical impulses are produced from various places in the heart’s atria. Not all those impulses will reach the chambers and cause contractions because some will be stopped in the atrio-ventricular node. But if there are many impulses produced in the atria(over 200 per minute), many of them will pass through the atrio-ventricular node and will reach the chambers causing the heart to contract too quickly (over 160 per minute). This may occur suddenly. it is called "supra-ventricular paroxysmal tachycardia". Such a heart rate is not effective and manifests with chest pain and breath shortness. While the chambers contract quickly, the atria are only trembling. This atrial trembling creates a condition for the development of blood clots. Blood clots created in the heart’s atria can cause thrombo-embolism in distant organs (lungs, brain, extremities, intestines etc.). Your doctor prescribed you Coumadin in order to prevent blood clotting in the atria. Atrial fibrillation is treated with digoxin, verapamil or another anti-arrhythmic drug.


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DoctorAnswer
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Heart Disease & Heart Attack Answer A785
Posted: 04-18-06 08:06am

The heart contracts because of the electrical impulses produced by its own. Any part of the heart muscle can produce electrical impulses that will cause heart contractions but in normally only so called sinus node should be the heart rhythm guide. The sinus node is placed in the right heart pre-chamber. The sinus node creates electrical impulses by its own (auto-excitation). Only the rate of the created electrical impulses in the sinus node is controlled by the neuron-vegetative system (simpaticus and parasimpaticus). Electrical impulses from the sinus node are then conducted to another node (atrial-ventricular) and from there trough the Hiss’s fascicle in to the heart chamber’s muscle. This means that normally one electrical impulse produced in the sinus node causes one contraction of the heart muscle. In atrial fibrillation many electrical impulses are produced from various places in the heart’s atria. Not all those impulses will reach the chambers and cause contractions because some will be stopped in the atrio-ventricular node. But if there are many impulses produced in the atria(over 200 per minute), many of them will pass through the atrio-ventricular node and will reach the chambers causing heart contractions with too big rate(over 160 per minute). This may occur suddenly and is called supra-ventricular paroxysmal tachycardia. Such big heart rate is not effective and is manifested with chest pain and breath shortness. While chambers are contracting with high rate the atria are only trembling. This atrial trembling makes condition for developing blood clots. Blood cloths created in the heart’s atria can cause thrombo-embolism in distant organs (lungs, brain, extremities, intestines etc.). Your doctor prescribed you Coumadin for preventing blood clotting in the atria. Atrial fibrillation is treated with digoxin, verapamil or some other anti-arrhythmic drug.


DISCLAIMER: "Ask a Doctor" Questions are answered by Dr. Nikola Gjuzelov, General Practitioner. Dr. Gjuzelov practices medicine for the general public and is affiliated with the Republic of Macedonia Public Health Institution. For more information about Dr. Gjuzelov or other eHealthForum.com medical experts, please visit our About Us page. You may also visit our Heart Disease and Heart Attack Forum, for moderated patient to patient support and information.

The material presented in the eHealth Forum Discussion Forums and Ask A Doctor is in no way intended to replace professional medical care or attention by a qualified licensed medical professional. eHealth Forum and eHealth Forum's Ask A Doctor advises all users with health problems and concerns to consult their personal doctors. Furthermore, if you have any questions or concerns about your condition, you must consult your qualified licenseced medical professional before starting any treatment.

The materials in the eHealth Forum Discussion Forums and Ask A Doctor cannot and should not be used as a basis for diagnosis or choice of treatment. To the fullest extent possible, eHealth Forum and eHealth Forum's Ask A Doctor expressly excludes all liability in respect of the information and opinions contained in the Discussion Forums and Ask A Doctor, this Web site, or any sites linked to this Web site.
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