Atrial Fibrillation (A Fib) Symptoms

      Symptoms of atrial fibrillation vary from person to person.

• A number of people have no symptoms.

•  The most common symptom in people with intermittent atrial fibrillation is palpitations, a sensation of rapid or irregular heartbeat.This may make some people very anxious. Many people also describe an irregular fluttering sensation in their chests. This irregular fluttering sensation is due to the irregular rapid ventricular response (rvr) of the ventricles to the rapid irregular atrial electrical activity.

•  Some people become light-headed or faint. 

     Other symptoms include weakness, lack of energy or shortness of breath with effort, and chest pain or angina.
There are a few patients that have potentially life-threating A fib symptoms that need immediate attention and intervention with electric cardioversion. The symptoms and signs are as follows:

• Decompensated congestive heart failure (CHF); shortness of breath 

• Hypotension (low blood pressure) 

• Uncontrolled chest pain (angina/ischemia)