Probably stupid question

[P0rtnahapp1e]

Can anyone differentiate for me the difference between symptoms and their names?

I have PAF, which I know because I was told, but people on here discuss the differing forms of AF and ectopic beats for instance. How do you know?

[BobD Volunteer]

Ectopic (which means out of place) is when you have what feels like a missed beat. AF is chaotic non rhythm which is usually but not always fast.

[P0rtnahapp1e in reply to BobD]

Thanks BobD , I was shown a printout by my heart failure nurse recently and she pointed out long flat gaps with no beats and some huge spikes at very irregular intervals, but I'm not very conscious of it without the printout, (or watching the monitor which I wear on my finger).

I just get curious when I read that you all seem able to differentiate without external help.

[Finvola]

Definitely not a stupid question but one I wish I had known about 3 years ago! To the best of my knowledge, there is vagally-mediated AF and adrenogenic AF. Vagal AF mainly strikes during resting hours - ie sleep and adrenoline driven AF usually during waking hours - but even that broad statement can be wrong for some people. All types of AF cause the same horrible irregularly irregular heartbeat and can be felt quite clearly in the pulse as chaos.

Ectopics are caused by an electrical signal which is out of place (ie ectopic) coming either from the atrium - a PAC or the ventricle - a PVC. They can come singly or in groups but the overall heart rhythm is sinus rhythm with the ectopics scattered through the beats. In the pulse, ectopics feel like a pause followed by a thump, then normal beat(s) then another pause etc.

Tachycardia is a rapid, regular heartbeat which exceeds 100 bpm. The pulse hammers like a drum.

Telling them apart in my case took time and the use of my Kardia to identify which was which. I can also tell PAC's apart from PVC's - the atrial ectopic feels more flippant and the ventricular one feels 'heavier'. It was like studying for an exam!

[P0rtnahapp1e in reply to Finvola]

Thanks Finvola , maybe I'm just lucky in that I rarely have any sensation at all. One of my biggest surprises was when my then cardiologist asked me to go to Antrim Hospital to have a treadmill test, so I happily drove up, with no symptoms whatsoever, chatted to the young girls as they prepared me, and lay on the couch to have my resting ecg taken, totally realaxed.They both started frantically making phone calls and pressing buzzers which really alarmed me, so I asked what the problem was. Heart rate 190 at rest, which was above the danger point where they would have turned off the treadmill if I had been on it.

For years I went to the gym daily and couldn't understand how all the machines seemed to be faulty since the heart rate alarm went off so regularly that I had to turn that feature off. Now it makes sense, but it's a shame in a way as I might have been given medical help a lot earlier.

[Mercurius in reply to Finvola]

In my case the PAC may induce aFib. I don't feel nothing, but if I see the PACs I can walk up and doewn and this may prevent the onset of the aFib. That is why I need long ECG records.

[Mercurius]

ECG record needed during the event.

[bushy2016]

I have paroxysmal afib and when im afib I usually feel like a galloping horse fast then slow as it jumps a fence!!!

[Hidden in reply to bushy2016]

bushy2016 now that sounds like a very good description of AF and one I haven't heard before ! I've always likened mine to Morse code but your description is pretty apt !

Sandra

[P0rtnahapp1e in reply to Hidden]

Weird! I wonder why I never feel anything? Just the symptoms like exhaustion and breathlessness

[Hidden in reply to P0rtnahapp1e]

Maybe your rate is not very fast ?

[Buffafly in reply to P0rtnahapp1e]

We all differ, I usually realise I am in AF when I feel a couple of very heavy ectopics so I feel my pulse. I have probably had far more episodes than I noticed and probably long before I was diagnosed too.

[Lizty in reply to Hidden]

Mine is/was the 1812 overture!