Your doctor’s main goal is to restore your heart rhythm to normal. Electrodes are then inserted to monitor heart rhythm in different areas. A catheter is threaded from the veins of your groin into your heart. Electrophysiology (EP) studies are a more invasive way to record heart rhythm.Holter monitors allows a doctor to monitor the heart’s rhythm for at least a 24-hour period.Electrocardiograms record the electrical patterns of your heart.They can also measure the flow of blood through your heart and blood vessels and see if the heart has shown any signs of getting weak due to beating fast (tachycardia induced cardiomyopathy) or dilation of the atria (chambers of the heart where AFL originates). Echocardiograms use ultrasound to show images of the heart.Several tests are used to diagnose and confirm AFL: You may also be referred to a cardiologist for further testing. Your primary care doctor can make a preliminary diagnosis of AFL with an ECG. A history of heart disease, anxiety, and high blood pressure can all affect your risk. Your family history may be important when your doctor is trying to diagnose AFL. ingesting certain drugs, such as diet pills or cold medicationsĭoctors start to consider AFL if your heartbeat at rest goes above 120 bpm and if your ECG shows signs of atrial flutter.substance misuse, especially stimulants.This often involves ingesting substances that might affect the electrical systems of the heart. Lifestyle factors are also thought to play a part in developing AFL. chronic lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or emphysema.

enlarged heart chamber ( hypertrophy or dilation)Ĭonditions in other parts of the body that affect the heart can also contribute to the development of AFL.disease of the heart muscle ( cardiomyopathy).decreased blood flow to the heart (ischemia), usually resulting from hardening of the arteries ( atherosclerosis) or blood clot.scarring from previous heart surgery or cardiac ablation, a nonsurgical procedure for treating both AFL and AFib.Underlying heart disease or abnormalities are a major cause of AFL. Read on to learn about the various causes that contribute to AFL. This is a test that shows your heart’s rhythm. However, AFL itself is easily recognizable by its classic sawtooth pattern on an electrocardiogram (ECG). It is sometimes difficult to pinpoint the precise root cause. Researchers have linked many factors to the disruption in the heart’s electrical circuitry that causes AFL. It is the rate that you commonly measure when you touch the neck or wrist, or use a medical instrument or smart device. This is the rate at which the lower part of the heart pushes out blood to the rest of the body. In contrast, a normal resting heart rate is between 60 to 100 bpm, where the upper and lower chambers are beating at the same rate. This makes the upper chamber of the heart beat too quickly at between 250 to 320 beats per minute (bpm), and the lower chambers usually at about 150 bpm (the upper beats conduct in a 2:1 ratio to the bottom chamber). When you have AFL, part of the signal from the sinus node travels abnormally fast in a continuous loop around the right atrium. Those signals tell the top of the heart how and when to contract. It sends out electrical signals to both the right and left atria. It is thought to result from damage to the heart, its electrical system, or to parts of the body that affect the heart.Ī natural pacemaker (the sinus node) controls your heart rate.

Researchers do not know for certain what causes atrial flutter.

Random heart flutters