Atrial fibrillation is an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) leading to a host of heart problems, such as blood clots, stroke, heart failure, and other heart-related issues. A regular check-up can diagnose the same, but this may be difficult in certain cases since the symptoms of the condition aren’t always obvious. The primary treatment for atrial fibrillation helps reset the heart rhythm or controls the heart rate and prevents blood clots, reducing the risk of strokes.

The first mode of treatment methods for atrial fibrillation is the introduction of medicines such as anticoagulants or “blood thinners” to help control the heart rate. The other medicinal approaches help in attaining a normal heart rhythm via an electrical cardioversion system or using anti-arrhythmic medications. Choosing the right treatment for atrial fibrillation requires a great deal of permutation and combination. Doctors treat atrial fibrillation by reviewing the signs and symptoms with a physical examination.

Treatment methods for atrial fibrillation can include the following:

1. Medications for blood clot prevention
Strokes are one of the major causes of premature death in people with atrial fibrillation. To reduce the risk, doctors usually prescribe blood-thinning medications. A few of the medications include non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants such as dabigatran, apixaban, etc.

2. Medications for maintaining normal heart rate
The doctor may prescribe one medication to slow down the heart rate. A few medications that can achieve this are beta-blockers such as atenolol and calcium channel blockers such as diltiazem, verapamil, etc.

3 . Medications for maintaining normal heart rhythm
Two types of medication help restore normal heart rhythm and they work by slowing down the electrical signals in the heart. These are sodium channel blockers such as flecainide and potassium channel blockers such as amiodarone.

4. Electrical cardioversion
Sometimes medications may not provide the desired results and in such cases treatment PPP protocols such as electrical cardioversion can be used. This procedure shocks the heart into settling into a normal beat. It is a painless procedure but the effect isn’t permanent, and in these cases, one needs to resort to medicines to maintain a regular heartbeat.

5. Catheter ablation
This is another type of treatment for atrial fibrillation that helps restore sinus rhythm; in this case, a narrow catheter is passed via a blood vessel embedded into the heart. It utilizes radiofrequency energy to reset the abnormal heart rhythm.

6. Pacemaker
A pacemaker is the treatment option used in treating atrial fibrillation when the medicines fail to balance the heart rhythm. Pacemakers are electronic devices that are inserted through a surgical procedure. It regulates and resets the heartbeat to sinus rhythm.

7. The Maze procedure
The Maze procedure involves open-heart surgery and is the last resort in the treatment options. Doctors employ this procedure when they treat atrial fibrillation along with other heart issues. This procedure ensures that one is not required to take additional medications in the treatment for atrial fibrillation.

8. Lifestyle changes
Lifestyle changes reduce the risk of complications from atrial fibrillation. One must stop smoking and drinking alcohol, avoid caffeine, cough syrups, and other stimulants. Losing weight is another important step in the treatment of atrial fibrillation. It is important to identify activities that make the condition worse and avoid them.