How does afib sound

Heart murmurs can occur during different parts of your heartbeat. For instance, they can occur when the blood comes into the heart or when it leaves the heart. Atrial fibrillation also referred to as AFib or AF is a type of arrhythmia. An arrhythmia is a heartbeat that is irregular, too fast, or too slow. AFib is the most common type of arrhythmia. It may, however, increase your risk for heart failure or stroke. Heart murmurs are not necessarily a sign of AFib. Murmurs are related to how blood is flowing through your heart, particularly the valves that connect the chambers of your heart.

AFib, on the other hand, is related to electrical impulses that have become chaotic or disordered and result in an irregular heartbeat rate. Heart murmurs are produced when you have a defect in one or more of the valves in your heart. Valves connect the chambers of your heart.

They open to let blood into a chamber and then close to make sure blood does not flow backwards. Many murmurs require no treatment. Some murmurs are more serious and may need treatment.

These murmurs are caused by a valve that could be:. These impulses keep a healthy heart pumping by contracting and relaxing the atria and the ventricles. The primary pacemaker in your heart is the sinoatrial node of the right atrium. Both atria may beat out of sequence, or fibrillate, when this node produces disordered impulses. The fibrillation causes irregular impulses to be transmitted through the ventricles.

The result is that the atria and ventricles become uncoordinated and the heartbeats become irregular. Sometimes the cause of AFib is unknown.

The disordered electrical impulses can be caused by an underlying condition. Other causes include:. Diagnosis of heart murmurs begins with your doctor listening to your heart with a stethoscope. A study of adults published in the journal Stroke found that of those who had atrial fibrillation, only about 60 percent were aware of it.

If you've had some of the symptoms of atrial fibrillation, don't try to hear an afib heartbeat on your own. Atrial fibrillation warrants a listen by your doctor.

By subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Health Topics. Health Tools. Heart Health. By Madeline R. Reviewed: May 10, Medically Reviewed. The Heart's Electricity Although you probably don't think of your heart as a machine, it does in fact run on electricity.

The signals begin in an area called the sinoatrial node also called the sinus node or SA node. In atrial fibrillation, the electrical impulse of the heart is not regular. This is because the sinoatrial node no longer controls the heart rhythm. In atrial flutter, the ventricles lower heart chambers may beat very rapidly, but in a regular pattern.

Symptoms may start or stop suddenly. This is because atrial fibrillation may stop or start on its own. The health care provider may hear a fast heartbeat while listening to your heart with a stethoscope. Your pulse may feel fast, uneven, or both. The normal heart rate is 60 to beats per minute. In atrial fibrillation or flutter, the heart rate may be to beats per minute. Blood pressure may be normal or low. An ECG a test that records the electrical activity of the heart may show atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter.

If your abnormal heart rhythm comes and goes, you may need to wear a special monitor to diagnose the problem. The monitor records the heart's rhythms over a period of time. Cardioversion treatment is used to get the heart back into a normal rhythm right away.

There are two options for treatment:. A procedure called radiofrequency ablation can be used to scar areas in your heart where the heart rhythm problems are triggered.

This can prevent the abnormal electrical signals that cause atrial fibrillation or flutter from moving through your heart. You may need a heart pacemaker after this procedure. All people with atrial fibrillation will need to learn how to manage this condition at home. People with atrial fibrillation will most often need to take blood thinner medicines. These drugs tare used to reduce the risk of developing a blood clot that travels in the body and that can cause a stroke, for example.

The irregular heart rhythm that occurs with atrial fibrillation makes blood clots more likely to form. Blood thinner medicines include heparin , warfarin Coumadin , apixaban Eliquis , rivaroxaban Xarelto , edoxaban Savaysa and dabigatran Pradaxa. Antiplatelet drugs such as aspirin or clopidogrel may also be prescribed. However, blood thinners increase the chance of bleeding, so not everyone can use them.

Another stroke prevention option for people who cannot safely take these medicines is the Watchman Device, which has recently been approved by the FDA. This is a small basket-shaped implant that is placed inside the heart to block off the area of the heart where most of the clots form.

This limits clots form forming. Your provider will consider your age and other medical problems when deciding which stroke prevention methods are best for you.