Everything You Need To Know About Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial Flutter

Atrial flutter is a term used to describe when an individual has a short circuit in their heart that causes the atria to contract very rapidly in a regular pattern. A small area in the right atrium of an individual's heart called the sinus node is what initiates a heartbeat. A circular electrical pathway in the right atrium is what causes the upper chambers to contract between 240 and 340 times per minute. The chambers of an affected individual's heart cannot fill completely between heartbeats when the atria are rapidly contracting in this manner. Atrial fibrillation is another type of heart arrhythmia that occurs when an individual's atria beat irregularly. These two forms of atrial tachycardia can be identified individually because they are caused by different patterns of electrical impulses being produced in an affected individual's atria. Both of these arrhythmias are detrimental to the health of an individual's heart and can cause further complications in multiple systems within the body.