What Can Atrial Fibrillation Cause?
In the section Causes of Atrial Fibrillation, we described how afib causes the top part of the heart to quiver as opposed to making full squeezes. As a quick review: in a normal heart the upper part of the heart (atria) squeezes, helping to empty blood from the atria into the lower part of the heart (ventricles). The lower part of the heart then squeezes to push blood either in to the lungs (from the right ventricle) or the rest of the body (from the left ventricle). With atrial fibrillation, the heart’s quivering action in the upper chambers limits its ability to maximize the amount of blood pushed into the ventricles. The result is that not only does your heart not work at its highest level in terms of pumping, but blood can pool in the atria. The decreased level of pumping action due to the quivering of the atria can cause you to be more tired. Your heart basically isn’t responsive to the needs of your body.
