Patient's question:
Recently, I don't know why I've been feeling uncomfortable in my heart. Although I often take medication to control it, the effect is not obvious. When I went to the hospital for a check-up, they also prescribed medication. Could you please tell me what are the characteristics of atrial fibrillation?Doctor's answer:
Atrial fibrillation is the most common type of arrhythmia. Its characteristic on an electrocardiogram (ECG) is the absence of normal P waves, replaced by irregularly sized and shaped f waves, known as fibrillatory waves, with unequal intervals between QRS complexes. This is a characteristic ECG finding. Clinical diagnosis involves palpation, which reveals an irregular pulse and unequal intensity of the second heart sound. Under normal circumstances, the atria beat several times before transmitting the signal to the ventricles. If the atria beat irregularly, it is atrial fibrillation.