Causes of AF

[G1703]

I have been thinking about how my AF might have started in the first place. Does anyone know if there is there any evidence of a link between AF and carrying a mobile phone in a shirt breast pocket?

[CDreamer]

We have one poster who certainly believes that carrying his mobile in shirt pocket contributed to triggering AF episodes - hope he sees this and replies.

[Hidden]

G'day G1703,

Yes, I believe it !

The link is electromagnetic sensitivity. Suggest you 'Google' it.

Of course I cannot prove it, except to say anecdotally, that I carried my mobile phone in my left shirt breast pocket during work ( I am a bus driver). I did this for 2 and half years. Then came the start of palpitations, mild at first, rapidly increasing in intensity, these lasted about 2 years ..... then came AF.

I have to say though that there is a genetic issue here too as I have now researched enough to know that on the paternal side of my family there is a history or strokes and AF!

There is some evidence, yes, it is in the public domain. It doesn't seem to attract much publicity and if it did I'm sure the telecomunications industry would swing into play and suppress it ( cell phone manufacturers and cell phone network providers).

John

[BobD Volunteer]

I spent many years working in an office above an electrical sub station which produced such strong and irregular magnetic fields that our old style computer screens would not work. In fact we were one of the first offices to trial the new at that time IBM LCD monitors. Risk assessments were regularly done and despite all our worries nothing tangible was ever shown. In fact readings showed that the actual magnetic field in the street was higher and it was just the chaotic nature of the cable runs which were causing the problem. I fathered two sons during that period so it didn't do what I was worried about. The point is that we can never avoid EMF unless we go and live in a desert and as baraba above suggests we seldom even notice these electro magnetic fields. Sonic vibration has far more affect on the human body as we see from a recent post about rock concerts

Of course if you have a pacemaker then electo magnetic fields from things like electric welders, induction hobs and in one case a key less car should be avoided.

[CDreamer]

May I suggest you look at us look at the research of HeartMath and the affect of electro-magnet field of the heart. Everything has an electro-magnetic field, including our bodies and specifically our hearts, whether or not you are aware of it. Some people are just much more susceptible than others, we are talking of triggers, not causes and no-one really knows what causes AF.

Carrying a mobile just so near to the heart ie in a shirt pocket is just not advisable, period.

[G1703]

I basically don't understand your comment.

[Hidden]

I rather think you are in the dreamtime ........ workers in those places are protected by volumes and volumes of Occupational Health and Safety Legislation which contributes immeasurably to their good health and welfare in the workplace and such protection is commonplace in most developed, industrialised, 'Western' countries.

Extensive studies have been carried out to examine the link between electro magnetic fields and cancer and the results border the realms of no link to an inconclusive result.

Evidence in respective of the heart is more anecdotal than a scientific study but what has been noted is that there is a link, particularly where heart arrythmias are concerned.

The other aspect is that if we are predisposed to AF ( say through genetics as I have found out about my family), then putting a cell phone in a shirt pocket isn't best practice. But at the time I didn't know this and I only stopped the practice after listening to a discussion on a daytime radio programme. By that time I was in the early stage of palpitations, and although I didn't know it, the worst was yet to come.

By the way, now I have my AF controlled and it no longer troubles me or stuffs up my life, I have little or no palpitations. I still drive buses and keep my cell phone active all day but well away from my body.

[UScore]

Beware the Internet!

If you come up with any theory you can probably "research" it on the web and find "evidence" supporting it.

I work with RF devices, smart meters and thermostats, and face constant questions from people who've read on the internet that smart meters are slowly killing us with electromagnetic radiation.

Funny how all the evidence comes from the murky corners of the internet, and never from official channels.

IT'S ALL A CONSPIRACY! Or it's all nonsense. You decide.

[Howardl]

Hi

I have af which stems from heart failure which in turn is caused by a narrowed or closed vein in the heart. The doctors said for some reason your vein narrowed.

I could go to the Internet and bring up a 100 different reasons why the vein narrowed but i think the many years smoking, drinking and eating junk food may have something to do with it.

Like someone else has said if you look hard enough for the answer you want you will eventually find it.

[secondtry]

Your individual heart may be more susceptible to a mobile and some people's hearts may be so sensitive to that issue that I dare say it could trigger AF on its own.

I however believe the vast majority of AF is caused by a cocktail of issues, hence so difficult to control. The analogy I find most helpful is that we all have the potential to AF starting with a glass half full, we then, mainly ourselves, fill it up with AF contributory factors until it overflows and we get AF i.e. reducing any one of the factors or a bunch of them sufficiently will greatly reduce the AF episodes unless you have heart remodelling or other co morbidities already in place. Just a personal theory.