Difference between atrial and ventricular fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation occurs in the heart's upper two chambers, also known as the atria. Ventricular fibrillation occurs in the heart's lower two chambers, known as the ventricles.

1. What are the three types of AFib?
2. What is another name for ventricular fibrillation?
3. What's the difference between atrial fibrillation and arrhythmia?
4. What is worse AFib or VFIB?
5. Why do I have AFib at night?
6. Can you survive ventricular fibrillation?
7. Can you live with ventricular fibrillation?
8. What is the best treatment for ventricular fibrillation?
9. What are the main causes of atrial fibrillation?
10. What are the warning signs of AFib?
11. Can you feel heart arrhythmia?

What are the three types of AFib?

Doctors need to determine which type of atrial fibrillation a person has to choose the best treatment option for them. The three main types of atrial fibrillation (A-fib) are paroxysmal, persistent, and long-term persistent. Doctors also categorize A-fib as either valvular or nonvalvular.

What is another name for ventricular fibrillation?

Ventricular fibrillation (V-fib or VF) is an abnormal heart rhythm in which the ventricles of the heart quiver instead of pumping normally.

What's the difference between atrial fibrillation and arrhythmia?

Atrial fibrillation is another type of atrial tachycardia that is closely related to atrial flutter. However, the arrhythmia that occurs in AFib is much more chaotic and results in a fast and usually very irregular heart rhythm or a atypical and irregular ventricular rate that can effect heart health.

What is worse AFib or VFIB?

Ventricular fibrillation is more serious than atrial fibrillation. Ventricular fibrillation frequently results in loss of consciousness and death, because ventricular arrhythmias are more likely to interrupt the pumping of blood, or undermine the heart's ability to supply the body with oxygen-rich blood.

Why do I have AFib at night?

A: It's not uncommon for atrial fibrillation (AFib) to occur at night. The nerves that control your heart rate typically are in sleep mode, and that's when your resting heart rate drops. Under these conditions, pacemaker activity from areas other than the normal pacemaker in the heart can trigger the onset of AFib.

Can you survive ventricular fibrillation?

Death can occur within minutes. The condition must be treated immediately with defibrillation, which delivers an electrical shock to the heart and restores normal heart rhythm. The rate of long-term complications and death is directly related to the speed with which you receive defibrillation.

Can you live with ventricular fibrillation?

Ventricular fibrillation is life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention. CPR and defibrillation can restore your heart to its normal rhythm and may be life saving. Medications and cardiac procedures after an episode of ventricular fibrillation can prevent or reduce the chances of another episode.

What is the best treatment for ventricular fibrillation?

External electrical defibrillation remains the most successful treatment for ventricular fibrillation (VF). A shock is delivered to the heart to uniformly and simultaneously depolarize a critical mass of the excitable myocardium.

What are the main causes of atrial fibrillation?

Possible causes of atrial fibrillation

• High blood pressure.
• Heart attack.
• Coronary artery disease.
• Abnormal heart valves.
• Heart defects you're born with (congenital)
• An overactive thyroid gland or other metabolic imbalance.
• Exposure to stimulants, such as medications, caffeine, tobacco or alcohol.

What are the warning signs of AFib?

The most common symptom: a quivering or fluttering heartbeat

• General fatigue.
• Rapid and irregular heartbeat.
• Fluttering or “thumping” in the chest.
• Dizziness.
• Shortness of breath and anxiety.
• Weakness.
• Faintness or confusion.
• Fatigue when exercising.

Can you feel heart arrhythmia?

It may feel like your heart skipped a beat, added a beat, or is "fluttering." It might feel like it's beating too fast (which doctors call tachycardia) or too slow (called bradycardia). Or you might not notice anything. Arrhythmias can be an emergency, or they could be harmless.