Symptom 3: Shortness of Breath – The Silent Struggle
Shortness of breath, medically termed dyspnea, is a symptom that can signal AFIB’s presence. You might find yourself out of breath after climbing a flight of stairs you’ve taken routinely or gasping for air after a short walk to the local grocery store.
In some cases, this symptom might even interrupt sleep, causing you to wake up feeling suffocated, a condition known as paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea. Imagine the terror of waking up in the middle of the night, gasping for breath, your heart pounding against your rib cage. These episodes can be both startling and confusing, leaving many in a state of distress.
The reason behind this uncomfortable sensation is AFIB’s disruption of your heart’s regular blood-pumping rhythm. When your heart can’t efficiently pump blood to meet your body’s demands, it can cause the blood to back up in your lungs. This backup leads to fluid buildup, making it harder for you to breathe.
While many dismiss shortness of breath as a byproduct of being out of shape or simply aging, it’s crucial not to overlook its potential implication. A change in your breathing pattern is your body’s way of communicating an underlying issue, a cryptic message that shouldn’t be ignored.
By acknowledging the seriousness of these changes, you are empowering yourself with the knowledge that could possibly detect AFIB in its early stages, providing an opportunity to address it before it escalates further. (3)
