hi guys and girls. Just had a phone appointment over the phone with cardiologist. I think it went well.? But it seemed to be a rushed appointment and I didn’t have time to ask him all the questions i wanted to unfortunately.!
but the main thing im worried about is that he mentioned my ECHO in December 2023 shows a slight enlargement of the atrium which is normal considering my AFIB. My pumping chambers are sound and Iv no leaky valves etc. I asked him if things are ok and said yes it’s all ok. He said I could be discharged but I asked him to keep me on his list for another 6 months where he will call me again to see how I’m doing.
Iv done the silly DR GOOGLE search that Iv promised myself I wouldn’t do and I’m feeling abit worried and fed up now. How worried should I be.? Should I be updating my funeral plans again or am I being over dramatic with my health anxiety again.?
All the best guys and girls.
Ron👍
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Hi jalia, I just received my copy of the cardiologist appointment I had recently. It says ejection fraction is 51 to 54%. Didn’t mention anything about enlargement of atrium.! I think my EF is just within limits.
Your fine. Severe valve regurgitation is another matter, and slight left atrial enlargement is very common in AF and in the general population as people get older. The sort of thing on your scan is more of an “incidental finding”. Your consultant may advise repeat echocardiograms every few years to keep an eye on it, as it may progress, but it might not progress very much at all. Dr Google should be struck off!
hi, I’ve got the enlargement too, it’s to be expected with the AF and the heart working harder to catch the beat. No worry, my mother had an enormous heart with her AF as told in hospital in her last days, but I think at 98 it had done really well.
Thankyou Dinamite that reassuring. Wow 98 is brilliant bless her. I don’t expect to get near 98 with my family history 😂 but I feel better now. Thanks very much 👍
Don’t relate your lifespan to family history. Remember the new technology and medical techniques of today have improved substantially. Enjoy your here and now, you are a young man. Don’t worry, that is the only thing that will hold you back.
I have no wish to reach 98 anyway…… it’s quality not quantity i want.
My99 year old sister has had Afib for about 20 years. She leads an active life in her retirement community and recently did an hour long presentation on her life's story. If you search Marilyn Kluge on youtube you can see it. She takes a baby aspirin for an anticoagulant after suffering a fall a few years ago resulting in a large hematoma on her thigh. She is planning her 100th birthday celebration that I am expected to attend.
Ron your post was like hearing myself. I think you have enough reassurance on here to stop worrying now. If the Cardiologist wanted to discharge you then you are ok. I go panic mode with all my health problems and Dr. Google never gives a correct diagnosis, just the worst possible scenario. Keep smiling, l don’t think you will be going anywhere just yet.
Because this is what I have been thinking about constantly from last Thusday after being told I had the left ventricle enlargement but was told everything else is ok... I was face to face with cardiologist felt a bit rushed, and still didn't manage to ask the right questions.
I've been in state of anxiety on off from then and mad with myself I didn't ask the right questions, can't even remember what I did ask.just wanted to get out of that room as quick as possible.Anxiety was high and I didn't feel great probably because of the anxiety!
One min I feel like “whatever”, next OMG 😱 am I going to drop some day, what If this gets worse etc
Anxiety is a terrible thing as you say. I suffer with high anxiety and it is so debilitating. I think it makes all our problems worse and for me, personally, it is half of my problems. You are not alone. If only we could be calm…………. Take care.
Hello I’m suffering with realy bad anixety at the moment , I’m off work with it 😟spoke to my doctor but says nothing suitable to help me dictation wise , due to af and flec bisop ? Do you take anything to help , I’m also suffering with Hypnic jerks where I’m just dozing of and I jolt awake everytime, and feel faint , doctor says very common ?
Thank you for posting this. I'm a relative newbie to AF and my recent echocardiogram showed 'bilateral atrial dilation'. I was terrified Everything else was OK. and my GP tried to reassure me. I appreciate the fact you posted the question as the replies have helped to put my mind at ease .When I was first told I might have heart failure last year , I was so scared, and the months waiting for an echo , then the results were awful.
yeah.. Know the feeling MadBunny like falling down a very deep dark hole. And trying to scramble your way back out of it again. But this place is a great place to come to it has lightened the load for me, it's made me feel safer and understand AF is not a death sentence, you just have to find a way of managing it to the best of your ability Everyone is so informative and kind and you can ask any questions and some one will pick it up and explain and settle your mind for you.
Thank you Tommyann. I didn't realise until I got the results and discussed them , how stressed I'd become. It was the waiting..... the fear of the unknown, the what ifs that got to me. The relief when I found out was enormous.
It has been so reassing to read the posts here.
My meds have been tweaked, my GP is monitoring me , so deep breath and live life as best as I can.
Think positive my friend, it certainly helps, along with a low salt diet and some consistent exercise, the right meds, the enlarged atrium could be reversed (reverse remodeling) it's called, it did for me, feel great and carry on like nothing happened, keep on top of it with your cardiologist every 6 months....
My left atrium was severely enlarged, due mostly to two leaky valves. Had both repaired during open heart surgery and the atrium returned to normal size!
Hi! I get serial echo's at least annually for enlarged Aorta. It has remained stable across 7 years. Though, the findings across time are always interesting and usually serve to peak my health anxiety a bit. An enlarged Atrium is a common finding in my scans. But, it varies depending on how much exercise I am getting. It has recently returned to 'Normal' size/volume with some significant detraining. Previously I had been a serious cyclist, logging up to 3000 miles each year with lots of elevation gain at max heart rate. Other incidental findings pop up but usually 'disappear' on their own by the next scan. I believe the heart remodels and adapts according to the stressors you are under. It's a wonderful machine and as some one else mentioned....learning to trust my body and my cardiologist/electrophysiologist has done wonders for my stress and worry. Having said that there are studies that correlate extreme exercise with stretching of the Atrial substrate and Atrial Fibrillation in some individuals. All we can really do is moderate our behaviors. The rest is determined by genetics I suppose. Wishing you the best!
I am 56 and have had paroxsymol AF since April 2020. Successful ablation a year ago has seen restoration of NSR. I had left atrial enlargement whilst in AF and it was mentioned by the cardioogist after an echocardiogram.
My most recent echo showed the return of a normal heart structure, ie nil stretching in left atrium.
This shows that restoration of NSR in a timely manner can reverse this phemonina. Stay as stress free as possible, maintain a good lifestyle and positive mental attitude. Googling non peer reviewed material is also a recipe for misery. Trust me, I have been there.
I am worst than you with a slight leaking in my Mitral Valve. Soft Systollic Heart Murmur but working well.
I also have a come back of Papillary Thyroid cancer in my 4th Neck scan.
I am up for a Radio Iodine Scan where 21 days of Diet of Low Iodine, and stop my thyroxine for the scan. TSH could get over 30. Yuck.
Start tomorrow.
Making plans for my demise NO. Have kids, grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.
You must have someone or thing to live for. My JAZ 10 is my companion. We go off in the 5m Camper to explore new areas and sleep over nights. Before the winter closes in.
My last night of egg, fish,milky cocoa.
You are far from "the knocking at the door". 2 persons I know passing in the ast week.
Chin up and enjoy your life. I have controlled but persistent AF. Symptoms of stopping when exerting for oxygen getting around the body. Cannot walk too far.
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