Although we treat all forms of cardiac arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation is the commonest and most confusing for patients, so here is some more information.
The most important thing is to confirm whether you do have AF or not. This is done by recording the electrical activity of the heart during your symptoms (or when your heart is fast and irregular if you do not have symptoms).
The truth however is that it is rarely the fault of the patient – so do not blame yourself. AF is strongly associated with underlying cardiovascular problems such as high blood pressure, heart failure, coronary heart disease and valvular heart disease.
There are a number of different techniques used at the moment which are evolving rapidly. The latest technique involve electroporation (also known as pulsefield ablation) or cryo-ablation for atrial fibrillation and Radio-frequency (RF) ablation for AF and other arrhythmias.
Approximately 1 out of every 15 persons suffers from obstructive sleep apnoea; unfortunately, more than half of these patients will remain undiagnosed. It is important to note that recent reports suggest sleep apnoea may reduce one’s lifespan by almost 20 yrs.
