TachycardiaAbsolute ArrhythmiaHeart Stumbling
Atrial fibrillation can lead to symptoms such as the heart stutter described above. However, it is more common for patients to notice palpitations if the atrial fibrillation is accompanied by a heartbeat that is too fast. If the heart beats too fast during atrial fibrillation, this is called tachycardic atrial fibrillation or tachyarrhythmia absoluta.
The term absolute arrhythmia, on the other hand, only describes the irregular heartbeat without making a statement about whether the heart rate is too fast, too slow or normal. In tachycardic atrial fibrillation, depending on how much too fast the heart beats, unpleasant palpitations occur. It can be accompanied by other symptoms such as excessive sweating, a feeling of breathlessness even during light physical exertion, a feeling of pressure or pain in the chest area, anxiety and dizziness.
Respiratory distress in atrial fibrillation
Breathlessness is a symptom that occurs mainly in atrial fibrillation, which is associated with a too fast heartbeat, the tachycardic atrial fibrillation (Tachyarrhythmia absoluta). In atrial fibrillation, the heart does not pump as effectively as a healthy heart. As a result, less fresh oxygen-enriched blood is made available to the rest of the body every minute.
The faster the heart beats in atrial fibrillation, the more the pumping capacity is impaired and the less oxygen-saturated blood reaches the rest of the body. Tachyarrhythmia absoluta can therefore be accompanied by shortness of breath and shortness of breath (dyspnoea). In most cases, this does not occur at rest, but rather under stress.
Even atrial fibrillation with a normal heart rate can lead to premature shortness of breath under high physical stress. The faster the heart beats during atrial fibrillation, the earlier shortness of breath can occur. If the heart is beating very fast, air can be short even at rest.
Power loss in atrial fibrillation
As described above, a heart with atrial fibrillation does not pump blood as effectively as a healthy heart. Less oxygen-saturated blood reaches the periphery of the body. When the body is at rest, this often causes no discomfort.
However, it is precisely during periods of increased physical exertion that it leads to shortness of breath and a drop in performance. The physical performance that could otherwise be achieved without any problems can suddenly become difficult.This is by no means the case for all patients with atrial fibrillation, but is of course all the more noticeable in patients who are frequently involved in sports. The faster the heart beats during atrial fibrillation, the lower the physical performance in most cases. This is due to the fact that the heart pumps blood less and less effectively when the heartbeat is too fast.
