You may have heard of A Fib before, or even may know someone who has it, but do not know what it is. This is because most people think A Fib is not a deadly, debilitating, or dangerous condition. And for the most part, those people are right. But as a Portland and Bend medical malpractice lawyer, I know that sometimes A Fib can be dangerous and even lead to deadly conditions which may be deadly or debilitating. It is important to know what A Fib is and how it could possibly result in serious personal injuries or wrongful death if it is not diagnosed or misdiagnosed.
Atrial Fibrillation is the full name of A Fib. This is simply an irregular heartbeat. This means that the heart’s four chambers are not beating in unison or the way they are supposed to be ticking. This causes blood to not move effectively or properly through the heart. Because of the inefficiencies, blood can actually pool in the heart and form clots. A Fib means that the heart will have to work harder and faster to send blood to the rest of the body.
It also means that the heart can sustain damage in having to work harder. It may cause heart palpitations, shortness of breath, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, and other dangerous conditions. It can also shoot clots throughout the body too, which can create other serious complications.
In the immediate future, A Fib is not particularly dangerous unless the level of irregularity in the heartbeat is constantly forming clots. But what makes A Fib dangerous is that in the long-term future, it is going to tire out and exhaust your heart. This is because your body will be operating at an oxygen deprivation due to the inefficient heartbeat. This will cause your heart to have to beat harder and faster than it should to give your body the same amount of oxygen. This means your heart will fatigue and age quicker. This is why a misdiagnosis of A Fib is so dangerous.
It could also result in very serious personal injuries such as an aortic dissection or heart failure. An aortic dissection is when the lining of the aorta tears and allows blood to go in between the three layers there. It also decreases the efficiency of your heart and can result in a complete tear which is quickly fatal. Heart failure is when the heart essential burns itself out. The heart can become fatigued and damaged with scar tissue if it is overworked, and it can led to permanent damage of same.
A Fib is not really a serious condition, unless it is not treated and misdiagnosed. When a healthcare professional fails to diagnose your A Fib, it can lead to much better and more serious, dangerous, debilitating, and fatal conditions. If your A Fib was misdiagnosed and you now have new health complications, call our Portland medical malpractice attorney to learn how we can help you.
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