Atrial fibrillation (also known as Afib) is a health condition that causes a chronically elevated heart rate, and it’s a more common condition than you might have thought. It affects thousands of people every single year, and most of the people who might be walking around with Afib might not even know that they have it – and they are at an automatically higher risk of heart attacks or strokes because of Atrial fibrillation.
If you suspect that you might be suffering from a chronically increased heart rate, make an appointment with your doctor so that they can refer you to a cardiologist who can make the best recommendations for what treatment options to follow from that point on. The condition can be easily managed with simple treatment and some lifestyle changes.
Here are 8 of the most probable causes of Atrial fibrillation that can help you to spot the condition.
1. Stimulant Intoxication
One of the first causes that a doctor will look for when someone comes into the emergency room with Atrial fibrillation that they can’t find another obvious first cause for is the potential of stimulant intoxication that might have caused the condition to begin with. There are many different types of stimulants that can lead to the condition, and this is anything that can increase the heart rate.
It can be something as simple as caffeine in the form of one too many energy drinks, or it can be a sign of alcohol poisoning if combined with other symptoms such as pain in the liver and a high fever. Stimulant intoxication can also include certain drugs including methamphetamines and cocaine.
For stimulant intoxication, detox is recommended first to make sure that all traces of the stimulants can be removed out of the body – and beta-blockers to control the heart rate.