The tall, slender peak after the P wave, called the QRS wave, represents a contraction of the ventricles.ĪFib and AFL appear very different when viewed on an electrocardiogram (ECG). On an electrocardiogram (ECG), the small hump-shaped spike, called the P wave, represents a contraction of the atria. Individuals with AFL have a fast but regular pulse, while people with AFib have both a rapid and irregular pulse. Furthermore, the atria fire so fast (240 – 360 beats per minute) that only every 2 nd to 4 th impulse reaches the ventricles, producing contractions at a rate of roughly 150 beats per minute. In AFL, the sources generating electrical signals are fewer, allowing the atria to contract instead of vibrating. The reduced volume of blood transported to the ventricles further decreases the amount the heart pumps to the rest of the body by around 10 percent, posing a significant problem during physical exertion. The random signals received from the atria then cause the ventricles to contract in an irregular pattern that ranges from 100 to 275 beats per minute. Instead of contracting after accepting the incoming signal, the atria vibrate (fibrillate), which produces insufficient blood flow into the ventricles. In AFib, the electrical signals originate from many regions near the atria, with only a few of these random impulses transmitted to the atria. Heart rates in AFib are unlike those seen in AFL because of a difference in the heart’s electrical activity. AFib usually starts in the left atrium whereas AFL begins in the right atrium.īoth conditions share similar symptoms, although atrial flutter symptoms tend to be milder. The primary difference between atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation relate to variations in heart rate seen when looking at an electrocardiogram reading. AFL happens less often, and 33 percent of people who suffer from it will also experience AFib.īoth arrhythmias have the potential to cause severe problems, and a physician should address each one as soon as you notice either occurring. Also, both AFib and AFL can occur when there is no evidence of a heart problem.ĪFib is the more common of the two conditions, occurring in less than one percent of adults. These conditions are often the result of issues that cause the enlargement of the atria. Atrial tachycardias are conditions that trigger the two upper chambers of the heart called the atria to contract at speeds higher than 100 beats per minute. Atrial Fibrillation: Understanding the Similarities and DifferencesĪtrial fibrillation (AFib) and atrial flutter (AFL) are the two most frequent types of heart arrhythmias known as atrial tachycardias.
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