Do you experience atrial fibrillation symptoms at night?
When AFib and sleep apnea symptoms occur during sleep, it usually results in a lethargic feeling throughout the day. Most of the time. Chest fluttering and faster heart rate are the most common AFib symptoms that are felt at night. Atrial fibrillation takes place when the atria, the heart’s upper chambers, beat out of sync with the ventricle or the lower chambers of the heart.
While many individuals with AFib do not notice any indications, others might experience palpitations, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, and more. In this blog, we will talk about atrial fibrillation at night. Carry on reading to learn!
What Atrial Fibrillation Symptoms Occur at Night
You can feel AFib symptoms anytime during the day or night. However, we are more relaxed at night, which might lead to distinguished atrial fibrillation symptoms than in the daytime.
Atrial fibrillation symptoms at night include the following:
Chest Pain
When the blood supply to your heart decreases, you may experience a form of chest pain known as angina. In case of angina occurs you will also notice squeezing or pressure. Moreover, the resulting discomfort might extend to your upper back, arms, neck, or ears. Thus, night symptoms of AFib include temporary or persistent angina.
Dizziness
An inadequate flow of blood to the heart will affect the other organs in your body, including your brain. Hence, you might encounter mild or severe dizziness as a result of insufficient blood supply. If your dizziness is severe, chances are you will experience nausea and vomiting as well. In addition, many individuals tend to faint or temporarily lose consciousness due to angina if the condition is serious.
Fatigue
Your body will not receive the necessary amount of blood when the heart is not working as it should. Therefore, you may experience fatigue whether you are resting or working. Fatigue, too, is an atrial fibrillation symptom that occurs at night.
Palpitations
A primary symptom of AFib at night is chest palpitations, which result from erratic heartbeats. Since atrial fibrillation increases your heart rate, chest flutters and palpitations are a usual occurrence.
Shortness of Breath
Are you experiencing shortness of breath at night? In simple terms, atrial fibrillation can cause fluid build-up in the lungs, which leads to difficulty in breathing. So, even if you are at rest or performing light activities, AFib can make it hard to breathe.
Apart from these, you may also experience other atrial fibrillation symptoms at night, which include night sweats, waking up with a weird feeling in the chest, or a feeling of anxiety in the morning.
Why Does Afib Happen at Night
So, what triggers AFib at night?
During the nighttime, the neurons in the body responsible for regulating heart rate are in sleep mode. This means that your heart rate is usually lower when you are at rest. Hence, atrial fibrillation can occur if some other location than the heart stimulates the heart’s pacemaker.
Sleep apnea is also responsible for atrial fibrillation symptoms at night since it causes abnormalities in the autonomic nervous system. Consequently, the right side of your heart is affected, and the consequences might last for a while once the sleep apnea episode is over.
Final Word
In conclusion, the atrial fibrillation symptoms that occur at night might be slightly different than the ones that occur at night. These include chest pain, fatigue, palpitations, dizziness, and shortness of breath. Whatever your symptoms are, Atrial Fibrillation Centers of America can help! Give us a ring at (832) 478-5067 or make your way to 13325 Hargrave Rd. Suite 280, Houston, TX 77070 for a healthy heart!