How to Treat Atrial Fibrillation
Reduce your stress levels., Practice breathing exercises., Stop drinking alcohol., Watch the amount of caffeine you consume., Limit the amount of fat you eat., Up your intake of potassium., Avoid foods that contain a lot of salt., Stop eating...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Reduce your stress levels.
While you might think of stress more as a mental issue rather than a physical one, being stressed can actually have a huge impact on your heart.
When you get stressed, extra pressure can be put on your heart, leading to atrial fibrillation.
There are many ways you can reduce the amount of stress you feel.
Some of them include:
Getting enough sleep.
When you are tired, things can seem a lot more stressful.
Try to aim for six to eight hours of sleep each night.
Coming up with a plan so you feel in control.
If work or other activities are stressing you out, take a moment to really think about the problem that is causing you stress.
Come up with a plan to handle the problem, and then move forward in a calmer fashion.
Making time to do things that you love.
It is really important that you spend some time each day doing things that make you happy.
Happiness can be the best cure for stress.
Read a chapter of your book, watch a movie, go out with friends, or go on a hike. -
Step 2: Practice breathing exercises.
One of the best ways to help combat atrial fibrillation is to do breathing exercises.
The most common and easiest breathing exercise to relieve stress is simply to breathe in for 10 seconds, and then out for 10 seconds.
Repeat this process until you feel calm and collected.
A slightly more involved breathing exercise that you can try is called an abdominal breathing technique.
To do this, place one hand on your belly and the other hand on your chest.
Breathe in through your nose, making sure that your diaphragm (right above your belly) expands, rather than your chest; an expanding diaphragm means that you are breathing deeply, rather than breathing shallowly in your chest.
Exhale slowly and repeat., Alcohol is one of the main triggers for atrial fibrillation, especially if you have had this condition before.
Some studies show that alcohol can create changes in your heart muscle, which could lead to atrial fibrillation.Because of this, its best to cut alcohol out of your diet.
While one glass of champagne is generally considered okay, binge drinking must be avoided at all costs because such an increase in alcohol concentration in your body can lead to an episode. , While researchers are still looking for evidence explaining why caffeine affects atrial fibrillation, many people with the condition comment that caffeine increases their symptoms.Its generally best to avoid really caffeinated drinks, like espresso or Red Bull.
However, one cup of coffee or tea a day will likely not have much of an impact on you. , A high-fat diet, which generally go hand-in-hand with obesity, is one of the major causes of atrial fibrillation.
Because of this, its important that you reduce the amount of fatty foods that you eat; you don’t necessarily need to completely cut fatty foods out of your diet, but you should try to eat less of them.
You should avoid:
Saturated fat (found in butter, cheese, and animal fat).
Trans fats (found in margarine).
Cholesterol (found in fatty meats like sausages, and in most dairy products). , Potassium is one of the four most powerful electrolytes that we can consume.
It is important to get enough potassium because it helps to control the movement (or contraction) of your heart muscles.
Because of this, if you have low potassium levels, it can lead to atrial fibrillation.
Some of the best sources of potassium that you can include in your diet are :
Fruits like bananas, apricots, and oranges.
Root veggies like sweet potatoes and beets.
Other foods like tomatoes, squash, avocados, and prunes. , When you eat things that are super salty, you increase your chances of getting high blood pressure.
When you have high blood pressure, you put a lot of extra stress on your heart that can lead to atrial fibrillation.
To keep your blood pressure at a healthy level, try to eat things that have less salt in them., While this may sound strange, particularly because grapefruit is delicious and generally healthy, you will have to stop eating grapefruit if you start taking medication for your condition.
Grapefruit interferes with the medications doctors prescribe to control atrial fibrillation because it contains a compound called naringenin. -
Step 3: Stop drinking alcohol.
-
Step 4: Watch the amount of caffeine you consume.
-
Step 5: Limit the amount of fat you eat.
-
Step 6: Up your intake of potassium.
-
Step 7: Avoid foods that contain a lot of salt.
-
Step 8: Stop eating grapefruit.
Detailed Guide
While you might think of stress more as a mental issue rather than a physical one, being stressed can actually have a huge impact on your heart.
When you get stressed, extra pressure can be put on your heart, leading to atrial fibrillation.
There are many ways you can reduce the amount of stress you feel.
Some of them include:
Getting enough sleep.
When you are tired, things can seem a lot more stressful.
Try to aim for six to eight hours of sleep each night.
Coming up with a plan so you feel in control.
If work or other activities are stressing you out, take a moment to really think about the problem that is causing you stress.
Come up with a plan to handle the problem, and then move forward in a calmer fashion.
Making time to do things that you love.
It is really important that you spend some time each day doing things that make you happy.
Happiness can be the best cure for stress.
Read a chapter of your book, watch a movie, go out with friends, or go on a hike.
One of the best ways to help combat atrial fibrillation is to do breathing exercises.
The most common and easiest breathing exercise to relieve stress is simply to breathe in for 10 seconds, and then out for 10 seconds.
Repeat this process until you feel calm and collected.
A slightly more involved breathing exercise that you can try is called an abdominal breathing technique.
To do this, place one hand on your belly and the other hand on your chest.
Breathe in through your nose, making sure that your diaphragm (right above your belly) expands, rather than your chest; an expanding diaphragm means that you are breathing deeply, rather than breathing shallowly in your chest.
Exhale slowly and repeat., Alcohol is one of the main triggers for atrial fibrillation, especially if you have had this condition before.
Some studies show that alcohol can create changes in your heart muscle, which could lead to atrial fibrillation.Because of this, its best to cut alcohol out of your diet.
While one glass of champagne is generally considered okay, binge drinking must be avoided at all costs because such an increase in alcohol concentration in your body can lead to an episode. , While researchers are still looking for evidence explaining why caffeine affects atrial fibrillation, many people with the condition comment that caffeine increases their symptoms.Its generally best to avoid really caffeinated drinks, like espresso or Red Bull.
However, one cup of coffee or tea a day will likely not have much of an impact on you. , A high-fat diet, which generally go hand-in-hand with obesity, is one of the major causes of atrial fibrillation.
Because of this, its important that you reduce the amount of fatty foods that you eat; you don’t necessarily need to completely cut fatty foods out of your diet, but you should try to eat less of them.
You should avoid:
Saturated fat (found in butter, cheese, and animal fat).
Trans fats (found in margarine).
Cholesterol (found in fatty meats like sausages, and in most dairy products). , Potassium is one of the four most powerful electrolytes that we can consume.
It is important to get enough potassium because it helps to control the movement (or contraction) of your heart muscles.
Because of this, if you have low potassium levels, it can lead to atrial fibrillation.
Some of the best sources of potassium that you can include in your diet are :
Fruits like bananas, apricots, and oranges.
Root veggies like sweet potatoes and beets.
Other foods like tomatoes, squash, avocados, and prunes. , When you eat things that are super salty, you increase your chances of getting high blood pressure.
When you have high blood pressure, you put a lot of extra stress on your heart that can lead to atrial fibrillation.
To keep your blood pressure at a healthy level, try to eat things that have less salt in them., While this may sound strange, particularly because grapefruit is delicious and generally healthy, you will have to stop eating grapefruit if you start taking medication for your condition.
Grapefruit interferes with the medications doctors prescribe to control atrial fibrillation because it contains a compound called naringenin.
About the Author
Amber Ross
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow pet care tutorials.
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