How is occasional atrial fibrillation diagnosed?
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There are a number of ways doctors diagnose occasional atrial fibrillation. If someone is experiencing symptoms, their physician will take a complete family medical history, conduct a thorough physical examination, and do a set of tests. An electrocardiogram, or EKG, is a painless test which measures your heart's electrical impulses. It can be administered in a doctor's office or taken home to record heart rate during regular activity. For occasional atrial fibrillation, a doctor might ask a person to wear either a Holter monitor or an event recorder, both of which would keep track of heart rate over a period of time. Another test that is both noninvasive and important is the echocardiogram. This test uses sound waves to make videos of the heart while it is beating. Some doctors will also use an X-ray of the chest to diagnose atrial fibrillation. Blood tests and an X-ray can give your doctor more information.
There are a number of ways doctors diagnose occasional atrial fibrillation. If someone is experiencing symptoms, their physician will take a complete family medical history, conduct a thorough physical examination, and do a set of tests. An... More -
Dr. Douglas Severance answered:If you have occasional atrial fibrillation, you may notice symptoms at home, but by the time you get to the doctor's office, the symptoms may be gone. Your doctor may listen to your heart, check your pulse, and even do an electrocardiogram (ECG, EKG), but problems still may not be detected.
Your doctor may ask you to wear a Holter monitor, also referred to as a continuous EKG. You clip it onto your belt or carry it in a shirt pocket. Wires from electrodes are stuck to your chest and connected to the Holter monitor, which records your heart rhythm continually for 24 to 48 hours. You keep a journal and write down the times you notice any heart flutters or palpitations. When your doctor reviews the tape from the Holter monitor, the periods of arrhythmia or atrial fibrillation may be found to occur at the same time as the symptoms you noted in your journal.
If you have occasional atrial fibrillation, you may notice symptoms at home, but by the time you get to the doctor's office, the symptoms may be gone. Your doctor may listen to your heart, check your pulse, and even do an electrocardiogram (ECG,... More
