Best way to track Afib

[Slattery]

I just found out that I can be in Afib even if my pulse is normal. What is the best way to track my Afib in order to know if I am having an episode and how long it is lasting. Thanks for your support!

[Mercurius]

Do you mean, that your pulse is at normal BPM, virtually without arrhythmia but you have the clinical complains ?

[Hidden]

I always thought that the pulse was irregular when in AF?? ....must have been misinformed..

[higgy52 in reply to Hidden]

Same here if pulse is irregular that's A F, If it's regular pulse thats not A F, think we need Bob on this one

[Rusty8 in reply to Hidden]

I thought that was the case will read on and see what it says

[Slattery]

My pluse is at normal BPM, but the EKG shows that I am in Afib.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Slattery]

Few if any devices can record accurate BPM if you are in AF and checking your pulse manually will easily show if you are. AF CAN be slow but it is not that common. Regular pulse=NSR .Irregular pulse= most likely AF.

If you really want to know then buy a Kardia .

Since any treatment is purely about improving quality of life then how you feel is the most important criterium . If you can't tell the difference between NSR and AF then frankly you are one of the lucky ones as most people know in a second when they go into AF and vice versa.

[Drounding]

You could consider an Alivecor or Kardia device that you can use to check if you are in AFIB. You can carry this with you and use it whenever you wished as a check. They're available on Amazon for around £125 and connect to a free app on your smartphone. There's lots of posts on the forums here about Alivecor.

[higgy52]

Thats news to me,

[jeanjeannie50]

Yes, I've had that situation whereby my pulse felt a normal 60bpm, but was in fact nearer 200bpm. My pulse just wasn't measuring correctly on my wrist and I had to fight to keep conscious. The paramedics who took me to hospital were quite amazed as it wasn't something they'd seen before, yet when I spoke to the hospital duty cardiologist he knew all about it and didn't think it unusual. From then on and on the advice of a respected nurse on this forum I've always used a stethoscope, so I can listen and see just what my heart is doing. I'd love a Kardia/Alivecor but would the fast beats reach my fingers, if they didn't make it to my wrist?

Jean

[Buffafly in reply to jeanjeannie50]

You can use a Kardia over your heart (but it is not easy). My trace looks quite different used that way.

[Stinky1953 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Jean if i'm not mistaken the Kardia measures electrical impulses whereas the fingers on the wrist are measuring physical impulses so the Kardia will detect your fast heart rhythm.

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to Stinky1953]

Interesting, thank you.

[Hidden]

Jean..was it AF or a tachycardia? I thought it was the irregularity of the pulse which defined AF

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to Hidden]

I really don't know, but at the time I felt sick, dizzy and struggled to keep conscious. I thought I was having a heart attack (no heart pain that I recall though)! Can honestly say in my 12 years of AF it was the worst episode I've ever had. As well as AF I do get flutter and tachycardia.

[pablojack]

After being diagnosed with atrial flutter, and waiting for cardioversion, my pulse varied from 140 to 70 to 40. I had no symptoms. Obviously with 70 and 40 I tended to think everything was relatively normal ( I had bradycardia after exercise). However when the atrium is pulsing at c350 bpm during flutter the sinus node suppresses this by a factor 2, 3,4 etc. Therefore the pulse from the ventricles (on the wrist etc) will not indicate whether you are in flutter/ fibrillation or not. Especially if you have no symptoms. For this reason I could have been in persistent flutter for up to a year. In my case a resting pulse of 140 was an obvious clue but this was not permanent and I could lower this by deep breathing. As mentioned elsewhere an alivecor will indicate abnormal rhythms even if your pulse appears normal. But only if your pulse is between 50 a and 100 bpm. Outside this range you will see a trace bu th message will indicate outside range ( or something similar). After cv I now use the alivecor and the trace plus the absence of a resting 140bpm tells me that I am in nsr.( apart from the bradycardia).

From time to time the device will still give me the appropriate messages ( ie no abnormal rhythms detected) below 50bpm but this is inconsistent and 50bpm is the published lower reference range.

[Hidden in reply to pablojack]

Not quite true about the Kardia indicating abnormal rhythms only if your rate is between 50 - 100.

I went into a very fast AF on Monday..caught on my Kardia showing rates whizzing around touching 246 bpm and I was able to record this eventually when it slowed a bit at 232. It was shown as AF. I was asked to record again several times as my rate was going so fast presumably.

Sandra

[dedeottie in reply to Hidden]

If I am in fast A.F. my kardia records it as A.F. but if it is fast but regular ie tachycardia it records it as unclassified. X

[rosyG]

It isn't the rate that tells you whether you are in AF- if you take your pulse wit your first two forefingers pressed at the base of your thumb on your wrist- and practise when all is normal!- you will be able to tell whether it is regular or not. It won't be regular if you are in AF

[BobD Volunteer]

Since my angiogram I don't have a pulse in my right wrist. Don't know what they did with it but nobody can find it . Hand still works ! ha ha

[rosyG in reply to BobD]

Mmmmmm could be a little tricky Bob! Don't faint in a public place as people might jump to conclusions!!

[Tazzydee]

I have the same. My BPM can be around 120 and yet my pulse is around 60-70 though irregular. Discovered it last time I was in hospital and it stumped a few nurses.

[PaulYeatman]

I bought the Kardia AliveCor which is correlated to detect AF. It's about £80 and easy to use. You can even E mail your 30 min ECG traces to your cardiologist! It's good at picking up very short runs of AF etc

[Barb1]

Whenever I am with a medic and I mention AF they always feel my pulse. An ECG is of course more accurate but a medic knows by feeling your pulse. As for using a stethoscope, my husband puts his ear to my heart .......

[RoyM]

I had my EP appointment this afternoon. Prior to meeting with the EP I had a twelve lead ECG which I assume must be quite accurate. Anyway, the graph showed a Bmp of 63 and recored that I was in AF and have been for 12 months in persistant AF so yes you can have a low rate and still be in AF. ROY

[expences]

Maybe you are talking about A Flutter. My Afib changed to A Flutter overnight the one time I had it and I thought my pulse was normal rate but there was a strange feeling about it. When I got to hospital it showed a flutter .