How Is Atrial Fibrillation Diagnosed?
Some people who have atrial fibrillation (AF) don’t have symptoms. For these people, AF often is found during a physical exam or EKG (electrocardiogram) test done for another purpose. Other times, AF is diagnosed after a person goes to the doctor because of symptoms. To understand why a person has AF and the best way to treat it, the doctor will want to find any immediate or underlying causes of the condition. Doctors use several methods to diagnose AF, including taking medical and family histories, doing a physical exam, and doing several tests and procedures.
