Atrial Fibrillation: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention
Cardiovascular DiseasesAtrial Fibrillation

What Is Atrial Fibrillation (Afib)?

What Is Atrial Fibrillation (Afib)?
Everyday Health
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Updated on March 27, 2026
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Atrial fibrillation (also called afib) is a type of heart rhythm disorder, or arrhythmia. It causes your heart to beat irregularly, which results in your heart’s upper and lower chambers not working together properly.

Afib can also significantly increase your heart rate. While a normal resting heart rate is 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm), atrial fibrillation can lead to a heart rate of 100 to 175 bpm.

Your heart may feel like it’s flip-flopping or pounding in your chest, symptoms that are referred to as heart palpitations.

The condition can also put you at a higher risk of complications, including stroke.

 As a result, it’s important to get a proper diagnosis and treatment.

Signs and Symptoms of Atrial Fibrillation

Most people don’t notice any symptoms of atrial fibrillation, which may include the following:

  • Heart palpitations (racing, pounding, fluttering, or feeling like your heart is skipping beats)
  • Chest pain
  • Weakness
  • Fatigue
  • Reduced ability to exercise
  • Difficulty breathing, especially while lying down or during activity
  • Dizziness or fainting
  • Lightheadedness
Your symptoms may range from subtle to very noticeable, and they may change over time.

It’s important to keep track of symptoms — noting when they occur, how long they last, how severe they are, and what you were doing when they started. This can help your doctor diagnose and treat afib.

Causes and Risk Factors of Atrial Fibrillation

In atrial fibrillation, many electrical impulses happen all at once in your atria, which are the heart’s upper chambers. This causes very fast and disorganized electrical activity, and means your atria can’t pump blood effectively into your ventricles, the heart’s lower chambers.

Your ventricles might respond by contracting very quickly and irregularly. As a result, they don’t pump blood as effectively to your body.

Many people with afib have one of these underlying heart conditions or have experienced an event that altered the heart’s electrical or mechanical function:

Other health conditions may also increase your risk:

You can't control some factors that may increase the risk of developing atrial fibrillation:

  • Older age (especially 65 or older)
  • Family history of atrial fibrillation
  • Genetic mutations
  • European ancestry
Certain lifestyle aspects may also contribute:

  • Drinking alcohol
  • Smoking
  • Using recreational stimulant drugs (such as cocaine)
  • Engaging in extreme exercise
  • Not exercising
  • Experiencing stress
  • Getting poor sleep

How Is Atrial Fibrillation Diagnosed?

Your doctor will diagnose or rule out afib based on a few factors:

  • Your symptoms
  • Your medical and family history
  • Your diet, exercise habits, and other risk factors
  • A physical exam, in which the doctor will listen to your heartbeat, check your pulse, measure your blood pressure, check for swelling, and more
  • Diagnostic tests
Most diagnostic tests analyze your heart rhythm or heart rate in a specific way.

Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)

An ECG is the main test for diagnosing afib.

It can be done in your doctor’s office in a matter of minutes and involves wearing sensors on your chest and arms to record the electrical activity of your heart.

Your doctor will usually be able to analyze your results right away.

Devices

One wearable device is a type of portable ECG called a Holter monitor. It records your heart’s activity, most commonly for 24 to 48 hours, giving your doctor a more complete picture of your heart rhythm.

An event recorder is similar to a Holter monitor, but it records only at certain times. You wear it for up to 30 days or until an irregular heartbeat happens. You may also need to press a button when you feel symptoms.

A loop recorder may be implanted to record your heartbeat during daily activities for up to three years.

Echocardiogram

This is an ultrasound of your heart, which uses sound waves to create a video image for your doctor to analyze. An echocardiogram may show heart disease, injury to the heart muscle, and blood clots in the heart’s chambers.

Blood Tests

Your doctor may order blood tests to check for thyroid problems or other conditions.

Imaging Scans

Your doctor may order an X-ray, CT scan, or MRI scan of your heart and lungs to check for other conditions that might be causing or contributing to your symptoms.

Treatment and Medication Options for Atrial Fibrillation

Potential treatments for afib include lifestyle changes, medication, nonsurgical procedures, and heart surgery.

Your doctor may prescribe medication to help control your heart rate or rhythm, or to reduce your risk of developing complications.

Various surgical and nonsurgical procedures may also be used to reset your heart rhythm — sometimes by destroying tissue that’s sending abnormal signals or by rerouting signals that spread abnormally in your heart.

Medication Options

Medications may include the following:

  • Drugs to Control the Heart Rate These drugs may slow down the rate at which the heart pumps blood through the body. They may include beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, and digoxin (Lanoxin).
  • Drugs to Control the Heart Rhythm Anti-arrhythmic medications may stabilize how the heart beats. However, they are typically used sparingly, only if other approaches have not helped.
  • Anticoagulant Medications These are blood thinners that can help lower your risk of blood clots and stroke, including warfarin (Jantoven), apixaban (Eliquis), dabigatran (Pradaxa), and rivaroxaban (Xarelto).

Surgical and Other Procedures

Procedures may include the following:

  • Electrical Cardioversion Low-energy electrical shocks may reset your heart’s rhythm.
  • Catheter Ablation Energy, heat, or extreme cold is used to destroy heart tissue that’s causing your arrhythmia.
  • Maze Procedure Different variations of this procedure use a scalpel, radio waves, or extreme cold to create a pattern of scar tissue in the heart that helps control stray electrical signals.
  • Atrioventricular Node Ablation Heat energy destroys the pathway that connects the upper and lower heart chambers. After this, however, you will need a pacemaker for the rest of your life.
  • Left Atrial Appendage Closure This procedure closes off a small sac in the left atrium by implanting a small device to lower your risk of stroke. However, this can contribute to blood clots forming in the area.

Lifestyle Changes and Prevention of Atrial Fibrillation

Many lifestyle changes may help prevent or treat atrial fibrillation:

  • Following a heart-healthy diet
  • Not smoking
  • Getting enough exercise
  • Maintaining a healthy weight
  • Managing blood pressure
  • Managing cholesterol levels
  • Limiting alcohol
  • Limiting caffeine
  • Reducing or coping with stress
  • Practicing healthy sleep habits and managing sleep apnea
  • Using cough and cold medications with caution (they may contain stimulants)
Make sure you’re also treating or managing existing health conditions that may lead to afib, such as diabetes or obesity.

Diet and Atrial Fibrillation

Following the right diet may help you decrease the frequency of afib episodes and manage the condition.

Choose foods that are low in saturated fat, trans fat, salt, and cholesterol. And consider keeping your meals plant-based, which may support heart health and help you manage both blood pressure and cholesterol.

Avoid foods and drinks that can trigger episodes or raise your heart rate:

  • Caffeine
  • Alcohol
  • Red meat
  • Processed foods
  • Sugary foods and beverages

It’s best to talk with a doctor or nutritionist about which foods may work well for you.

Mental Health and Atrial Fibrillation

People with atrial fibrillation are at a higher risk of depression and anxiety, possibly due at least in part to the stress and uncertainty of living with the condition.

Research is mixed on whether depression can lead to or worsen atrial fibrillation. Some research shows that it can worsen symptoms or make them more likely, but another large study suggests it does not raise risk. More studies are needed to determine the effect of depression on afib.

If you think you might be depressed, a mental health professional can help make sure you get the evaluation and treatment you need.

How Long Does Atrial Fibrillation Last?

While atrial fibrillation is always considered a serious condition, it sometimes resolves on its own and doesn’t lead to any complications. Other times it can last for years, and it may get worse over time.

Afib can be intermittent (known as paroxysmal), coming and going in a way that seems random or only when you do certain activities. An episode usually lasts less than 24 hours but may be as long as a week.

Persistent atrial fibrillation, on the other hand, lasts longer than a week. Long-term persistent atrial fibrillation is when the abnormal heart rhythm lasts over a year without interruption.

One study found that people with atrial fibrillation had a shorter life expectancy than those without the condition, but the number of years depended on age, type of afib, and individual factors.

Complications of Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is considered a dangerous health condition even if it doesn’t cause immediate chest pain, heart palpitations, or other troubling symptoms.

It can put you at risk for future complications in a few ways, such as reducing your heart’s ability to pump blood, which can make it easier for blood clots to form.

Another common complication of atrial fibrillation includes heart failure. If afib reduces your heart’s ability to pump blood, your body may not get all the blood it needs.

Other possible complications from afib include the following:

  • Stroke (when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel that supplies the brain)
  • Heart attack
  • Sudden cardiac arrest
  • Poor blood flow to the rest of the body
  • Cognitive impairment and dementia

The Takeaway

  • Atrial fibrillation is a type of heart rhythm disorder (called an arrhythmia) that can lead to a variety of symptoms, including heart palpitations, chest pain, fatigue, reduced ability to exercise, difficulty breathing, and lightheadedness.
  • A doctor can diagnose afib based on your medical and family history, a physical examination, and an electrocardiogram. In some cases, other tests may be needed as well.
  • After making a diagnosis, your healthcare professional may recommend lifestyle changes, medication, and surgical and nonsurgical procedures to help treat and manage the condition.
  • It is essential to follow your doctor’s directions to help prevent serious complications such as a blood clot or heart failure.

FAQ

What are the signs and symptoms of atrial fibrillation?
While not everyone experiences symptoms of afib, signs can include heart palpitations, chest pain, weakness, fatigue, reduced ability to exercise, difficulty breathing, dizziness or fainting, lightheadedness, and confusion.
Atrial fibrillation is a dangerous health condition, even if it doesn’t cause symptoms. If you have afib, it’s important to work with your doctor on a treatment plan to prevent complications.
Afib can put you at risk for future problems, including reducing the heart’s ability to pump blood, which can lead to blood clots. Over time it can weaken the heart and lead to stroke or heart failure.
Typically, doctors first recommend lifestyle changes, including following a heart-healthy diet, exercise, weight loss, reducing stress, and limiting alcohol. If lifestyle changes aren’t enough, you may need to take medications or undergo surgical procedures.
Researchers estimate that about 10.5 million people in the United States may have atrial fibrillation.

The risk for atrial fibrillation is higher in Americans of European descent than in Black people.

 Despite this, research suggests that Black people with afib may experience worse outcomes, including higher rates of stroke, heart failure, coronary artery disease, and overall mortality.

Other arrhythmias include atrial flutter, which can develop into afib and vice versa; supraventricular tachycardia, which may cause episodes of heart palpitations that start and end suddenly; ventricular fibrillation, which affects the heart’s lower chambers; and long QT syndrome, a potentially life-threatening disorder that can cause fast, chaotic heartbeats.

Resources We Trust

EDITORIAL SOURCES
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