Episodes of this arrhythmia occur intermittently and may last less than seven days.
It may increase your risk of having other episodes of irregular heartbeat.
AFib is categorized by how long the arrhythmia lasts.
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Some people with AFib will never experience symptoms.
Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation symptoms last seven days or less.
If AFib lasts longer than a week, it is persistent atrial fibrillation.
If AFib lasts more than a year, it’s called long-standing persistent AFib.
About one-quarter of people will experience AFib during their lives.
The condition becomes more common with age.
The most frequentsymptoms of AFibare:
More rarely, some people can lose consciousness.
In other cases, people with AFib have no symptoms at all.
These changes affect how the muscle receives the electrical signals that control your heartbeat.
To help with your diagnosis, track when you experience symptoms and what they are.
You should wear the machine until it has recorded an episode of the symptoms you have been experiencing.
Treatment
There are a few different treatment options for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.
Its important to work with your healthcare team to weigh the benefits and risks of each.
In some people, this could mean that cardiac ablation is the first treatment used.
Prognosis
Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation is often progressive.Each episode of AFib increases the risk for subsequent episodes.
Telling yourself that paroxysmal atrial fibrillation is no big deal may comfort you.
With treatment, you may experience no lingering symptoms.
There are plenty of resources for coping, including a helpline from theAtrial Fibrillation Association.
However, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation can increase your risk of developing persistent AFib.
Because of that, its important to work closely with your healthcare provider to treat paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What is atrial fibrillation?
2024 Jan 2;149(1):e167].Circulation.
2024;149(1):e1-e156.
