Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a heart problem that affects lots of people around the world. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that by 2030, about 12.1 million people in the United States will have AFib. It’s a serious issue because it’s mentioned 183,321 times on death certificates in 2019.
AFib makes the heart beat in an irregular and sometimes fast way. This can cause symptoms like heart fluttering, feeling tired, shortness of breath, and feeling weak. Because of the irregular heartbeat, there’s a higher chance of having a stroke, heart failure, or other heart problems.
AFib can change how people live their lives. It can make it hard to do physical activities, lower energy levels, and affect overall happiness. If it’s not taken care of properly, it can lead to even more serious health issues. Usually, doctors treat AFib with medicines to control the heartbeat, drugs to prevent strokes, and sometimes surgery for tougher cases.
But now, more people are also looking at natural ways to help manage and maybe even reverse AFib. Studies show that making changes in how you live, like what you eat and how much you exercise, can help alongside the usual medical treatments for AFib.
The Truth About Natural Treatments for AFib
Research has shown that natural methods can help with AFib. For example, one study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology showed that making changes in your life, like losing weight and treating sleep problems, can make AFib less of a problem. This shows us that using natural remedies along with other treatments is a good plan for dealing with AFib.
Using natural methods and changing your lifestyle can work well with regular treatments to handle AFib. They can make AFib happen less often and be less severe, make your heart healthier, and might even mean you don’t need as much medicine or surgery.
Simple and Natural Ways to Support Heart Health with AFib
Taking these steps can help you manage your AFib naturally, along with the treatment plan your doctor recommends.
Eat Heart-Healthy Foods
Try to eat lots of fruits, veggies, grains, and lean meats like chicken or fish. These foods are good for your heart. It’s also a good idea to eat less caffeine (like in coffee), alcohol, and salty or sugary snacks.
Exercise the Right Way
Moving more is great for your heart, but you have to be careful not to overdo it if you have AFib. Walking, biking, or swimming are usually good choices. Talk to your doctor about the best exercise for you and how much you should do.
Lower Your Stress
Being stressed can mess with your heart rhythm. Doing things like yoga, meditating, or just taking deep breaths can help you feel calmer and might help keep your heartbeat regular.
Stay at a Healthy Weight
If you’re overweight, it can make AFib worse. Eating better and exercising can help you lose weight, which might make your heart healthier and reduce AFib episodes.
Take Care of Other Health Problems
If you have high blood pressure, diabetes, or sleep problems, it’s important to manage them well because they can affect your AFib. Going to your doctor regularly and following their advice can help keep these problems under control.
Be Careful with Supplements
Some vitamins and minerals might help your heart, but they can sometimes interfere with your AFib medications. Always talk to your doctor before starting any new supplement to make sure it’s safe.
Can You Fully Treat AFib Naturally?
Trying natural things like eating better, moving more, and keeping calm can help a lot with atrial fibrillation (AFib). Drinking plenty of water or coconut water, which is good for you because it has magnesium and potassium, along with these healthy habits, can make you feel better and might even make AFib happen less often.
But it’s important to know that these natural steps might not completely fix AFib, especially if it’s pretty bad. Sometimes, you need more than just lifestyle changes to control your heart’s rhythm the right way.
Here are some medical treatments doctors might suggest for AFib:
- Medicines: These can help control how fast your heart beats and lower the chance of blood clots.
- Cardioversion: This is when doctors use electric shocks to get your heart beating normally again.
- Catheter Ablation: Doctors use special tools to fix parts of your heart that are causing the problem through small cuts.
- Surgery: In some cases, you might need an operation to fix the issue causing AFib.
Even though changing how you live can really help with AFib, how much it helps can be different for everyone. It depends on why you have AFib and how severe it is.
Combining Natural and Medical Treatments for AFib
To wrap it up, when dealing with atrial fibrillation (AFib), finding the right mix of treatments is key. For people with AFib that isn’t too severe, natural ways like changing what you eat, exercising more, and finding ways to relax can help. In fact, a study found that certain natural substances could help prevent AFib in dogs by affecting heart currents, showing that natural methods might have a lot of potential. This shows us that natural and medical treatments together could make a big difference in managing AFib.
Depending on how serious your AFib is, you might need different treatments. In tougher cases, you might need medicine, procedures to get your heart rhythm back to normal, or even surgery. However, using natural methods along with these treatments can make your heart healthier, which might mean you don’t need as many intense treatments.
The main thing is to work with your doctor to find out what’s best for you. By using both natural and medical treatments based on how severe your AFib is, you can take care of your heart in the best way possible.