Atrial Flutter - Know the symptoms, causes and treatment

Atrial flutter refers to a condition where the atrial chambers or upper chambers of the heart start beating rapidly. It is a kind of arrhythmia resulting from the problems in the heart’s electrical system.

Atrial flutter is a condition similar to atrial fibrillation, which is more common. However, contrary to atrial fibrillation, which is characterized by abnormal patterns, in the case of atrial flutter, the rhythm felt in the atria is less chaotic and more organized.

What are the causes?

Normally, the sinus node (a natural pacemaker) located in the right atrium, controls your heart rate. It ejects electrical signals to both the left and right atria. These signals tell the top chambers of your heart when and how to contract.

In the case of atrial flutter, the signals travel in a continual loop along a pathway around the right atrium. This causes the atria to contract rapidly and beat faster than the ventricles.

The causes of atrial flutter are as follows –

• Coronary artery disease – CAD is a major cause of atrial flutter. It occurs when your arteries are blocked due to the build-up of plaque. Fats and cholesterol that stick to the walls of the artery may lead to plaque, which prevents or slows the circulation of blood and damages the heart chambers, muscles, and blood vessels. 
• Open-heart surgery – An open-heart surgery can scar the walls of your heart, which in turn, obstructs the electrical signals and leads to atrial flutter.

Symptoms to watch out for

A person having atrial flutter may not feel the heart fluttering. Often, the symptoms manifest in other ways, such as –

• Shortness of breath
• Rapid heart rate
• Lightheadedness or dizziness
• Tightness or pressure in the chest
• Heart palpitations
• Difficulty performing routine tasks due to fatigue

The symptoms of atrial flutter can last for days or weeks at a time. Since these are common with many other conditions, it is best to get yourself checked and your heart monitored by a specialist to find out if you are indeed experiencing atrial flutter.

What is the treatment?

The goal of treatment for atrial flutter is to restore the heart rhythm to normal. Depending on the severity of the condition, your doctor may prescribe the use of medications, including blood thinners, anticoagulants, and Novel Oral Anticoagulants (NOACs) to regulate heart rate.

If the condition cannot be managed through medications, ablation therapy may be recommended. This damages the heart tissues responsible for causing abnormal heart rhythms. You may be advised a pacemaker following the surgery.

Medications alone can treat atrial flutter successfully. However, the condition may recur post-treatment depending on the causes. You can prevent or minimize the chances of recurrence by reducing your stress levels and following the prescribed medications.