Reviving an old idea

There are the two things, all of us, AF sufferers, often think about - the root cause of AF and the triggers of AF. It is strange that the patients themselves have to try to decipher the puzzle of the disease, and that medical science has no clue what it is all about. With all the modern means of research and investigation, why and how it would be possible, that the MDs openly admit, that they do not understand how AF, but also other arrhythmia, come to exist...?

I know that you will say that the medicine "knows" the cause and that the arrhythmia are caused by the "rogue electric signals" etc. According to these electric signals and the ECG results, even the type of the arrhythmia can be precisely detected. Unfortunately, these electric signals and the foci where they originate from, seem to be only the consequence of the real cause, which remains hidden. Is it possible, that the cause is so well hidden, that it can not be detected at all?! Can it be that it is of electric nature and practically invisible and not detectable with modern means of investigating the patients!? It obviously is...

Some 8 years ago, under a different name, in this forum, I have offered the idea that the cause of arrhythmia may be the disturbance of "energy meridians" of the body. I will say again that, in the first 60 years of my life, I have considered the very idea of invisible energy meridians funny and not worth bothering with. The result was, people have laughed at the idea. Since "My mule doesn't like people laughing!" (Clint Eastwood, in one in his Western movies), I kept silent about it, for years.

The ancient Chinese have developed this theory and have known a lot about it. In one occasion, I have even borrowed three books from a friend, where there was a lot written about it, but, to be honest, I had no power to study it at this time. Now, the situation has changed, so I can not even have these books again, to try to study them.

I would like to urge the younger ones, who are eager to research, to try to go this direction. Maybe they find the gold nugget...

Wish you all, to have a nice Sunday!

[CDreamer]

I don’t think there is one cause and that there is a fair amount known as to what can cause AF and other arrythmias, many of them individual. What I would agree with is that often it is only the symptoms especially in western medicine which are treated and often with powerful, toxic medicines or invasive procedures.

There are known underlying conditions but it is noted that arrythmias run in families and there is often an genetic predisposition.

I agree that anyone newly diagnosed would benefit from researching and understanding their own condition and triggers and work at Lifestyle to help manage and when I say Lifestyle I include Energy Medicine which has helped me in many ways, including controlling arrythmias - temporarily.

By far the biggest trigger IMHO is STRESS - both physical in over exercising and creating inflammation in the body, obesity and no exercise, Dysautomnia and Psychological - sometimes unavoidable in life but worry loads the system until it gives.

Hence a regular daily practice such as Mindfulness, Yoga or Breathing exercises based on the Butokyo system are worth exploring. Most of the breathing techniques are thousands of years old and originate in Meridian Based practices and work directly on the Autonomc System.

I only wish that I had explored some of the above BEFORE I went down the MD route but with no-one to guide what is helpful and what not it’s a very difficult path to tread on your own! I was so glad I was able to find dual trained doctors who were open to looking at alternative and complementary therapies but in the end it was a re-Synchronisation Pacemaker therapy which worked long term for me and that was only possible with very high tech and a expert, experienced EP team.

[Hidden in reply to CDreamer]

Thanks for the reply, CD! I like very much: "I only wish that I had explored some of the above BEFORE I went down the MD route." In the field of Fibromyalgia, there was a lady from USA, who reported to have had great help from Osteopath (we do not have osteopaths in Serbia...). ENGMAC member, from our forum, was very pleased with the help of Chiropractor, so the truth may be somewhere out there...

[secondtry]

Rogue electric signals or disturbance of the energy meridians are both the result rather than the cause. I agree with CD the majority of AF cases are caused by poor lifestyle choices on many fronts; this leaves are heart seriously close to triggering from any event. As trials will very likely never be done (no $$$$) it is up to this Forum and others to keep reporting.

[Tryfan]

Triggers? The more I read and consider the many propositions proffered the more I come down to the fact, we are all different. I doubt there could be distilled just one causation. What I do believe as CD mentioned there are some clear triggers, over exercising and stress being the biggest. Many times I have commented on the number of cyclists, runners and sports men and women (competitive and possibly obsessed with fitness) -rather than recreational, who write on this forum. Coupled to over exercise I would also add stress. Has any research ever been carried out into personality types and AFib? Probably no money in it.What I know has helped me is Qigong, Tai Chi and accupressure. I have practised for over 30 years. It is during times when I have lapsed (too busy, too much going on) that I have had issues.

My routine of deep breathing, stretching and exercises specific to reduce my hypertension. Even when running marathons and cycle time trials my blood pressure was 140/85 and has been 145/90. To such an extent that I stopped taking it.

Having carried out my exercise regime consistently during the Covid pandemic I did take my pressure last night 135/80. Something must be working.

[Hidden in reply to Tryfan]

Thanks for replying! Utterly agree about exercising and the stress.

As for the "All of us are different", I hardly dare to write about it... This sentence was repeated so often in the forum, that whoever says something different, will be disagreed with. But, still, I will say something, carefully... If we look at the people's faces, "we are all different". But, if we compare the significant features, all of us have all the crucial elements, so, essentially, we are very much alike, almost the same... I never considered myself to be "something special" - am like others, maybe a little more ugly, lol!

So, the root cause for all of us should be the same, despite the triggers may be specific and different. But again, if we compare the triggers, they are almost the same - unfortunately vine, coffee, artificial sweeteners, some kind of exertion, stress, etc.

[Tryfan]

SteelHeart. Thanks for your reply. Interesting what you say. My take is, if you look superficially we are biped, have two arms, eyes and ears etc all similar. Then there are 4 main blood groups which can either be RhD +ve or RhD -ve making 8. Just for starters. Then take DNA there is a correlation between same sex siblings at about 1 in 246. But my reading the genome has 6,400,000,000 Nucleotides. I have read the likelihood of a complete match could be as high as 1 in 70 trillion. I cannot confirm any accuracy in this, I do not possess the education in biology or forensics. But generally speaking still feel I can say, we are all different, at least to some small or large degree. Without adding nurture and environment into the equation. Just a thought.

[Hidden in reply to Tryfan]

Thanks for taking time to chat with me, Tryfan! I fully understand your reflection about the similarity over DNA and believe that every word you have written is correct.

Neglecting unnecessary details, if we are essentially similar, we will have same problems during our lives. If we take baby-boomer disease (getting farsighted with the age), almost 100% of the population start having problems somewhere at 45-50 years of age. There are differences in eye color, in the eye magnitude, in many other things, but we are similar in such a large extent, that we all suffer on the same problem (small percentage preserves good sight much longer, still smaller percentage regains good sight in very late age).

Why would arrhythmia be any different?! Whoever I know, around me, has some kind of arrhythmia (so just, to say the least, lol). My parents had it, most of my friends have it, even my son, with 39, has it from time to time... For some time, I have studied the way the blood vessels of the peoples hands are designed (because easy to see, especially the veins). No two the same, all different, but all perform the task of supplying the hands with the blood excellently. Apparently different, but essentially the same.