Today's the big day. Maybe you've got a job interview lined up. Or you're having dinner with your future in-laws for the first time. Suddenly your heart races too fast or feels like it skipped a beat.
It's just the jitters, right? Could be. Sometimes, though, that thumping is a problem called atrial fibrillation, or AFib for short.
So how can you know? Your doctor has the final word, but there's a lot you can learn on your own if you pay attention to your ticker and what it's trying to tell y...
The quivering upsets the normal rhythm between the atria and the lower parts of the heart, the ventricles. And the ventricles may beat fast and without a regular rhythm.
This is dangerous because if the heartbeat isn't strong and steady, blood can collect, or pool, in the atria. And pooled blood is more likely to form clots. Clots can travel to the brain, block blood flow, and cause a stroke.