What It Is

The, atria, the two upper chambers of the heart, do not beat in a normal pattern in people with atrial fibrillation, and they beat out of synch with the lower ventricles of the heart. People who have atrial fibrillation report shortness of breath, weakness and heart palpitations. Atrial fibrillation can also result in chest pain, fainting or congestive heart failure. It also leads to a higher risk of stroke in some atrial fibrillation patients as blood may clot in the upper atria of the heart.

Episodes

Atrial fibrillation can result in episodes that come and go. These episodes can last minutes to weeks. People with chronic atrial fibrillation experience symptoms more often and regularly. Complications can result from atrial fibrillation, but it typically is not fatal. However, it is a serious medical condition, and people with atrial fibrillation sometimes need emergency assistance. Chronic atrial fibrillation is often the natural result of having atrial fibrillation for a long period of time.

Treatments

Medications and other interventions are used to treat atrial fibrillation with the goal of changing the heart’s electrical system. Drugs are used to slow the heart rate or return the heart rhythm to a normal pattern. Medications are also used to protect against strokes. Synchronized electrical cardioversion is another treatment. Some people can get permanent relief from atrial fibrillation from surgical or catheter-based interventions.

Associations with Other Conditions

Atrial fibrillation may happen in otherwise healthy hearts. The absence of P waves and an irregular ventricular rate on an electrocardiogram indicate atrial fibrillation. Some associations to other conditions include high blood pressure, lung diseases, primary heart diseases, too much alcohol intake, carbon monoxide poisoning, and hyperthyroidism.

Atrial fibrillation can be treated most of the time, and treatment can result in a better quality of life. Different therapies, surgeries and medications can help patients get back their normal heart rates and to perform activities they previously enjoyed.

When the blood loss is caused by a blood clot blocking a blood vessel, it is an ischemic stroke. Ischemic strokes are separated into two different categories – the thrombotic stroke from a clot forming in a artery that is already narrow and a the embolic stroke from a clot traveling from a different part of the body and traveling to the brain before blocking the flow of blood. Clogged arteries can also cause an ischemic stroke. When a blood vessel becomes week and bursts causing blood to leak into the brain it is called a hemorrhagic stroke.

The risks for having stroke can be caused by a variety of situations. The highest risk factor for a stroke is having high blood pressure. Some other important risk factors are family history, diabetes, high cholesterol, arterial fibrillation and race. Unhealthy lifestyle choices can also contribute to a higher chance of having a stroke. Some of these choices are being obese, heavy drinking, and increased consumption of salt or fat, smoking and illegal drug use.

Symptoms of a stroke can vary and usually develop suddenly. Some of the symptoms are headaches, changes in alertness, hearing issues, confusion and difficulty with fine motor skills. Other signs of a stroke are swallowing difficulties, loss of control over bowel and bladder movements, muscle weakness and numbness or tingling on one side of the body.

Someone showing a doctor will diagnose a combination of these symptoms after a variety of tests is performed. These tests will usually include an angiogram of the head, ultrasounds of the blood vessels in the neck, CT scan of the brain, and a MRA. A few other tests such as an electrocardiogram and complete blood count may also be applied.

Once diagnosed the treatment for strokes vary depending on the severity and cause of the stroke. Many treatments will include thrombolytic therapy, blood thinners and even surgery to help reduce the blood clot. Other medication will be used to control symptoms and causes of the stroke such as medication for high blood pressure. A person may recover completely from a stroke and others may suffer from a permanent loss of function.

Angiography that uses magnetic resonance may be used for a variety of diagnostic purposes. It is employed to detect artherosclerosis disease, which occurs in the carotid artery and causes diminished oxygen flow to the brain, increasing the risk of strokes. Disease in the arteries to the kidneys or damage to arteries in the extremities, neck, chest, pelvis or abdomen due to trauma can also be mapped using MRA. Obstructions to the blood vessels can be evaluated to assess their size and severity. The imaging is also frequently used before highly invasive surgery to guide interventional radiologists and surgical teams who will repair blood vessels, e.g. by implanting a stent.

Patients are prepared for MRA in different ways, depending on the intensity and type of imaging planned. The procedure is usually performed as an outpatient examination. The patient is positioned on an examination table which is movable, and straps may be used to inhibit movement. This is because clear imaging requires that movement be kept to a minimum. Devices holding coils which can send and receive radio waves may be coiled around or laid next to the site being studied.

As you may know, blood is a liquid. This special liquid is contained in blood vessels and is pumped by the heart. Blood contains four ingredients, red and white blood cells, plasma and platelets. Your body is designed to make blood clots to heal you, but not all clots are a good thing. The ‘bad’ blood clots may form because of one of a few factors. High blood pressure and cholesterol, smoking and diabetes, and even family history can make you more prone to blood clots. Venous clots, (what we refer to as the bad blood clots) are caused by one of two things, being immobile for a period of time, or genetic errors.

Untreated venous clots can lead to such things as heart attack, stroke, and even death. Initial symptoms of blood clots can be warmth in the area of the clot, swelling, redness and pain. Of course internal blood clots are less easy to read. Symptoms of clots in areas such as the lungs are pain, lack of oxygen, and possibly heart attack or stroke.

Clots that do not cause such major incidents as a stroke or a heart attack can be diagnosed one of two ways. Your doctor can preform a ultrasound, or inject a special dye into your bloodstream. This dye will collect around a blood clot and can be seen in an xray.

Thrombus can be treated in several ways. Clots in arms and legs can be eased by putting a warm compress and acetaminophen. Venous and Arterial clots are treated more seriously. Venous clots are usually treated by a blood thinning medicine. Some patients may be kept in the hospital and given this medicine through an IV. Arterial clots occasionally need to be removed through surgery.

You can reduce your risk of blood clots, by maintaining your health (cholesterol, and diabetes risks), and refraining from smoking. Also inform your doctor of any family history of clots.

What Are The Signs and Symptoms?

When a physician examines the patient they will find someone who has the main symptoms and signs of a pulmonary embolism such as pain in the chest, pale colour, sweating, shortness of breath and difficulty exercising.
This is a serious situation that occurs when the vessels that enter and leave the lungs become clogged by a blood clot. When this happens oxygen-rich blood cannot leave the lungs and oxygen-poor blood is unable to enter to release its carbon dioxide. Therefore, without enough oxygen, the tissues and organs of the body begin to suffer. Unfortunately, this will occur in all organs such as the liver, brain and heart. Thus without oxygen a pulmonary embolism can lead to a stroke or heart attack. These conditions can be fatal if not treated in adequate time.

What Causes Pulmonary Embolism?

The causes of pulmonary embolism can also occur quickly or over time. Some women can develop blood clots while they are pregnant. The pregnant woman’s blood will go through changes that affect its flow and viscosity. Her blood becomes more thick and is prone to clotting.
Some people might not be aware that health conditions such as recovery from surgery, cancer or anything that involves prolonged bed rest can put people at risk for developing a pulmonary embolism. These conditions create ideal situations for clots to form.
In rare instances taking birth control pills may also cause a pulmonary embolism if a clot forms from high estrogen levels.

What Treatment Is Available?

The main treatment for a pulmonary embolism is to destroy the blood clot and resume blood flow. The blood flow can be restored by using a blood thinner called Heparin that thins the clot and causes it to breakdown. Afterwards, the person will be given another medication called Warfarin that prevents the blood from clotting.

Symptoms of a Heart Attack

There are several symptoms that can indicate that someone is having a heart attack. One of the most common symptoms of a heart attack is a bad case of indigestion and an tightness in the chest. Other symptoms that may indicate a heart attack are fainting, a cough, anxiety, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, chest pains, sweating, and palpitations. There could also be a pain in the arm or back that gets worse during the course of the day. Some people have been known to have heart attacks without any symptoms. A symptomless heart attack is one of the most deadly types because the person does not get a chance to go to the doctor to get help.

What to do in Case of a Heart Attack

Anyone who feels as though he or she may be having a heart attack should not attempt to drive to the hospital. He or she should not get involved in any physical activity. The best thing to do in the case of a heart attack is to contact the ambulance. Sometimes aspirin can slow the progression of a heart enough long enough for a person to make it to the nearest hospital.

Joseph Lister made one of the most important achievements in pharmacy by his asepsis technique, which involved spraying diluted phenol in the air, surgical instruments and washing hands. This lead to a drastic reduction in infections and increased knowledge about the nature of infection causing microorganisms. Sterilization since this point has become common practice, saving the lives of many throughout history who would have otherwise died to infections.

Another prominent milestones in the history of pharmacy is antibiotic treatment. This has led to drastically lengthened life due to the antibiotic activity of penicillin, which drastically reduces chances of death and increases speed of recovery from common bacterial infections. Since this time, other antibiotics have been discovered and isolated enabling us to further increase quality and length of life.

Development of vaccines may be the biggest advancements in all of pharmacy. The smallpox vaccine was first created in the early 1700\’s, yet, vaccines for other illnesses and diseases didn\’t arrive until the 1950\’s. Currently, vaccines are available for a huge variety of illnesses ranging from polio to the flu. These creations have been a very effective method to boost the immune system towards certain viruses and bacteria, making them extremely effective preventative measures against a variety of ailments.

Pharmacy is one of the fastest growing sciences and is growing exponentially, paving the way for a variety of new discoveries that can drastically improve life on earth.