The Effects Of Atrial Fibrillation On A Sports Performer - Essay Example

? THE EFFECTS OF ATRIAL FIBRILLATION ON A SPORTS PERFORMER Due The aim of this research is to study the circumstances and courses under which atrial fibrillation affects sports performers. Sports performers may either be male or female and they are generally referred to as sportsmen and sportswomen. Sports performers are people who are trained to compete in single or various sport activities that involve endurance, speed and physical strength. Most sports performers have well built physiques that they obtain through strict exercises and extensive physical training by following strict dietary regimens. This therefore means that sports performers need to have excellent health conditions so that their performance can be optimal. There are certain health conditions that are known to have adverse effects on the sports performers. Atrial fibrillation is one such health condition that can affect the performance of sports men and women. Atrial fibrillation not only affects the performance during sports activities but also during exercise and practice of sports. This paper will attempt to find out how atrial fibrillation affects sports performers on different levels. Introduction Atrial fibrillation is considered the most common form of abnormal heart rhythm (cardiac arrhythmia). This condition is a common cause of irregular heartbeats which can be clinically identified by checking the pulse rate. The human heart is known to have four chambers, two upper ones and two lower ones (Thrall, Lane, Carroll & Lip 2006, p. 1). The left atrium and the right atrium (plural-atria), make up the upper chamber of the heart. When these two upper chambers- the atria contract in a way that is irregular and at a rate that is excessively high, a patient is said to suffer from atrial fibrillation (Dobrev & Nattel 2010, p. 1212). The heart is said to function using an electric system which enables it to pump blood to the rest of the human body. Each heart beat takes place when the upper chambers (atria) contract and push blood to the lower chambers which then take it to the rest of the body. When these actions are repeated severally, they allow the heart to function as an effective pump of blood to the entire body. This is considered to be the normal heart rhythm (Stewart, Murphy, Walker, McGuire & McMurray 2004, p. 290). The electrical impulse that is responsible for ensuring the electrical system of the heart is maintained begins at the sinoatrial node which is found in the right atrium. The sinoatrial node is responsible for adjusting the rate of the electrical impulses depending on the activity that someone is doing (Benjamin, Chen, Bild & Mascette et al. 2009, p. 610). For example, the sinoatrial node will increase the rate of impulse when someone is exercising or practicing sports because more blood needs to be pumped to body. The same nodes will decrease the rate of electric impulse when the person is sleeping because little blood is needed to keep the body running. The impulse that has been generated then travels to the atrioventricular node which acts as a bridge that allows the movement of impulses from the atria to the ventricles. When these impulses travel through the walls of the ventricles, they force them to contract and pump blood out of the heart into the rest of the body where it is needed for various functions (Crandall, Bradley, Packer & Asirvatham 2009, p. 645). As seen earlier, atrial fibrillation is a considered the most common form of irregular heartbeat rhythm which is known to start in the atria. Instead of sinoatrial node directing the normal electric rhythm of the heart, there are many different impulses that are rapidly fired at once. These rapid impulses cause a very chaotic and fast rhythm of the heart in the atria. The atria fail to contract and squeeze blood effectively into the ventricle as it ought to because the electrical impulses being generated are so chaotic and fast (Anter, Jessup & Callans 2009, p. 2518). The impulse is supposed to travel in an orderly manner in the heart so as to help it function effectively, but instead of doing this, many impulses are generated simultaneously and spread through the atria. They appear to be competing for a chance to pass through the atrioventricular node. The atrioventricular node is usually designed to limit and control the number of impulses that are allowed into the ventricles at a given time. With atrial fibrillation, many impulses pass through into the ventricles in a very disorganized and fast manner without being controlled or regulated. This leads to irregular heartbeats as a result of the ventricle contracting irregularly (Benjamin, Chen, Bild & Mascette et al. 2009, p. 608). Having understood the meaning of atrial fibrillation, it is important at this point to ask how it may affect sports performers. What are the effects of atrial fibrillation on a sports performer? It has been seen that sports performers are usually involved in a lot of physical activities that entail strenuous exercises, practice, endurance and speed. All these activities require the heart to work extra hard to ensure that the flow of blood through the heart and to the rest of the body is normal so that the performers body and health condition can remain normal (Thrall, Lane, Carroll & Lip 2006, p. 10). Physical activities usually use up a lot of oxygen that is found in the cells of the human blood. The heart of a sports performer needs to work extra hard to ensure that enough blood is pumped around the body so as to replace the oxygen that is used up during sports (Anter, Jessup & Callans 2009, p. 2517). Literature Review Many scholars have attempted to answer the question of how atrial fibrillation affects sports performers. Previous research shows that many researchers have been involved in efforts to find out the causes of atrial fibrillation, study its symptoms, diagnosis, management and the various effects that it has on sports performers. For example, Crandall, Bradley, Packer and Asirvatham (2009) conducted extensive research on how contemporary sport performers who suffer from atrial fibrillation deal with their condition. The scholar undertook extensive research on more than 927 patients suffering from atrial fibrillation with the sole aim of finding out how the condition affects them and how they deal with it. The patients were studied for a period of 18 months and it was found out that those who were engaged in less physical activities without medication were able to deal with the effects of the disease more than those who were involved in a lot of numerous activities without medication (Anter, Jessup & Callans 2009, p. 2518). This means that the effects of atrial fibrillation were more in people who were involved in strenuous physical activities such as sports performers as compared to those who were did not undertake a lot of physical exercises. However, the effects of atrial fibrillation were found to be deadly in anyone who suffers from the condition and the scholars advised that it should not be assumed that the disease only affects the people who undertake physical exercises such as sports performance (Benjamin, Chen, Bild & Mascette et al. 2009, p. 610). Other researchers have also been involved in the publication of numerous literature that seeks to answer the question of how atrial fibrillation affects sports performers. Benjamin, Chen, Bild and Mascette et al. (2009) reported that atrial fibrillation can interfere with the normal sports performer because of the irregular heartbeats experienced by people who suffer from this condition. The greatest effect that atrial fibrillation was found to have on sports performers is the increased heart rate (Benjamin, Chen, Bild & Mascette et al. 2009, p. 609). The sports performers may consequentially suffer from palpitations. They may find themselves suffering from high intolerance to exercises and other physical activities due to congestive symptoms that lead to edema or shortness of breath. They may get tired very fast and be unable to continue with the exercise because blood is not being pumped in the right way to ensure that the body is able to sustain the pressure of the exercise (Anter, Jessup & Callans 2009, p. 2517). Stewart, Murphy, Walker, McGuire and McMurray (2004) also observed a group of 103 sports performers with mild atrial fibrillation during their training sessions so as to find out how they are affected by the condition. The scholars discovered that the problems of atrial fibrillation are hard to predict. In some instances, the sports performers could carry on with their exercises for a considerable amount of time without having any problems. When atrial fibrillation starts to affect them, it was found out that they got tired very fast and had problems catching their breath. This was because of inadequate blood flow that causes these patients to complain of lightheadedness. This lightheadedness would make the sports performers complain of feelings of fainting and some of them would actually lose their consciousness. This was attributed to the inadequate flow of blood to the head which made them feel dizzy and some would faint (Anter, Jessup & Callans 2009, p. 2519). According to research that I conducted through interviews and observation, it was found out that most of the effects of atrial fibrillation were secondary to other medical complications among sports performers which include angina, chest pains, hyperthyroidism, diarrhea, weight loss and lung diseases among others (Dobrev & Nattel 2010, p. 1215). These were the most common conditions that the sports performers with atrial fibrillation suffered from. The sports performers who suffered from atrial fibrillation usually complained of lack of breath and most of them said that they felt as though they were struggling to get air (Thrall, Lane, Carroll & Lip 2006, p. 14). The rapid heart rate that they experience may cause the heart to be unable to pump adequate blood and provide enough oxygen to the body. Patients also complained of respiratory distress. This is because of the inadequate delivery of oxygen that may cause the patient to periodically appear blue, a situation referred to as cyanosis (Anter, Jessup & Callans 2009, p. 2517). This causes the heart to sometimes beat at over 100 times a minute and the blood pressure will be very variable and not easy to measure. Atrial fibrillation is also associated with conditions such as mitral stenosis, left atrial enlargement and central sleep apnea (Benjamin, Chen, Bild & Mascette et al. 2009, p. 613). The previous researches seem to agree with the research that I conducted on the effects of atrial fibrillation on sports performers. The symptoms of the condition on the different patients were found to be the same (Thrall, Lane, Carroll & Lip 2006, p. 12). The patients complained of the same conditions and the diseases that are associated with atrial fibrillation. Other literature that talk about the effects of atrial fibrillation on sports performers also seem to give the same results that were found through the various researches that have been discussed in this essay (Stewart, Murphy, Walker, McGuire & McMurray 2004, p. 294). Atrial fibrillation is a common arrhythmia that causes the heart rate of those suffering from the disease to be rapid that normal. This is known to cause a variety of problems to the patients, majority of which have been mentioned above (Dobrev & Nattel 2010, p. 1216). Methodology The methods that were used to gather the information contained in this research include searching various databases such as Medline, Embase and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials among many others. These online databases contained useful information about atrial fibrillation that has been used in this research proposal. The databases are very reliable because they contain information that has been compiled by professional health care experts from across the world. The databases also contain useful online journal articles that give very valuable information concerning the disease, atrial fibrillation. This was one search strategy that was used to identify the information contained in this report (Dobrev & Nattel 2010, p. 1214). Another approach was through reviewing various literature that has information about atrial fibrillation. The various literature that has been used mostly comprises of peer reviewed academic journals that have been written by professionals in the field of health (Stewart, Murphy, Walker, McGuire & McMurray 2004, p. 293). A specifically designed questionnaire was administered to 30 well trained athletes in 1993 and 2002. The questionnaires were supposed to investigate and evaluate the symptoms of atrial fibrillation and how it can be clinically presented (Dobrev & Nattel 2010, p. 1220). This research was inspired by the fact that atrial fibrillation was found to be the major cause of certain symptoms with athletes which is known to be a factor that disturbs the performance of sports performers during the course of their practicing, training and exercising for their sports (Stewart, Murphy, Walker, McGuire & McMurray 2004, p. 293). This research also collected data through previous advertising campaigns in medical journals from Netherlands. These data was compiled by renowned cardiologists and medical practitioners who recruited athletes and studied the symptoms and effects of atrial fibrillation to these athletes (Benjamin, Chen, Bild & Mascette et al. 2009, p. 611). The athletes were asked to fill out questionnaires that addressed their medical history, level of sporting activities and the therapeutic interventions that the athletes underwent for atrial fibrillation. Cardiac examination and other medical examinations were done to determine the cause of atrial fibrillation (Stewart, Murphy, Walker, McGuire & McMurray 2004, p. 294). The cardiologist in charge was able to provide information about these athletes and the findings of the surveys that were done on the athletes. The same group of athletes was asked to fill the same questionnaires in 2002 (Anter, Jessup & Callans 2009, p. 2518). Results The research was able to establish that atrial fibrillation is a condition that hardly affects sports performers and athletes in general (Stewart, Murphy, Walker, McGuire & McMurray 2004, p. 295). The condition of atrial fibrillation was reported to be very seldom among the population of sports performance. The surveys conducted in 1993 by Benjamin, Chen, Bild and Mascette et al. revealed that atrial fibrillation was found to be present in male athletes at the age of 48.1. Three of these athletes were found to suffer from paroxysmal atrial flutter. Three of these athletes eventually died before the year 2002. When the research was conducted again in 2002, the paroxysmal atrial was found to continue in 15 of these athletes. 5 of them were found to have permanent atrial fibrillation while seven of them showed no signs of further atrial fibrillation. The research conducted in 1993 revealed that atrial fibrillation started when intensity of training was very low (Anter, Jessup & Callans 2009, p. 2519). Atrial fibrillation in general practice was found to affect about 0.5% of young patients below 40 years and more than 5% in the patients that were older than 65 years of age (Stewart, Murphy, Walker, McGuire & McMurray 2004, p. 294). Atrial fibrillation is one of the most frequently occurring symptoms in athletes and often interferes with their physical activities and their ability to effectively engage in physical exercises and practices (Dobrev & Nattel 2010, p. 1219). Atrial fibrillation has also been said to occur in episodes. It is therefore important that medical treatment is sought to end the episodes. Atrial fibrillation can occur in different identifiable patterns. These may include permanent atrial fibrillation, persistent atrial fibrillation and intermittent atrial fibrillation (Anter, Jessup & Callans 2009, p. 2518). In many athletes, this type of arrhythmia was found to have a prevalence of 0.2% (Stewart, Murphy, Walker, McGuire & McMurray 2004, p. 293). Recent data obtained through research reveals that life-long endurance training may be as a result of arrhythmia. This is particularly true in young male athletes (Thrall, Lane, Carroll & Lip 2006, p. 3). Atria fibrillation was closely related to mental stress amongst the athletes. Most of them report that they normally have the fear of having attacks as a result of atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation was found to be a probable cause of this mental stress because the athletes’ performances were greatly affected when they are mentally distressed (Stewart, Murphy, Walker, McGuire & McMurray 2004, p. 291). The athletes linked their mental stress to atrial fibrillation. They reported that they lost some confidence when they imagine that they may be ineffective in their sports competitions and activities when they get attacks of atrial fibrillation (Thrall, Lane, Carroll & Lip 2006, p. 14). Atrial fibrillation was also closely related to the autonomic nervous system. It therefore interrupted training and led athletes to not be involved in their sporting activities as they ought to (Thrall, Lane, Carroll & Lip 2006, p. 5). Atrial fibrillation was also linked to the intensity of training. When sports performers are involved in long and intense sessions of training, their body fluids can vary greatly, especially in volume regulation. When the athletes take fluids inappropriately, they can get dehydration that may trigger atrial fibrillation (Thrall, Lane, Carroll & Lip 2006, p. 14). Recommendations There are a lot of recommendations that have been proposed by several scholars and researchers that can help athletes and other sports performers to deal with the effects of atrial fibrillation (Stewart, Murphy, Walker, McGuire & McMurray 2004, p. 287). Since there is not a single cause of the disease that has been identified, those who suffer from it may not know exactly how they got the disease. It is therefore advisable to ensure that a person who suffers from the disease seeks medical attention immediately (Anter, Jessup & Callans 2009, p. 2518). If a person or sports performer notices signs of the disease, he or she should seek medical attention that can help him or her to manage the conditions and mitigate the effects (Thrall, Lane, Carroll & Lip 2006, p. 15). Since the real cause of atrial fibrillation has not been established, those that do not suffer from the disease have been advised by medical experts that they can greatly reduce their chances of getting the disease (Benjamin, Chen, Bild & Mascette et al. 2009, p. 610). This is through reducing the risk factors that are associated with atrial fibrillation. People, especially sports performers are advised to keep away from smoking as this increases the chances of getting the disease and brings other complications such as respiratory diseases that are closely associated with atrial fibrillation (Stewart, Murphy, Walker, McGuire & McMurray 2004, p. 290). People are also advised to maintain a low body weight so that they can maintain a healthy body weight. Accumulation of fats in the body can result in heart complications that may lead to a person getting atrial fibrillation (Benjamin, Chen, Bild & Mascette et al. 2009, p. 611). People should therefore avoid eating fatty foods. They are advised to make nutritious and low fat foods that will help them maintain their low body weights. This would reduce the chance of getting atrial fibrillation (Stewart, Murphy, Walker, McGuire & McMurray 2004, p. 288). Taking part in moderately strenuous exercises and physical activities on a daily basis for at least thirty minutes can also lower the chances of getting atrial fibrillation because the heart will be used to a certain rhythm (Benjamin, Chen, Bild & Mascette et al. 2009, p. 611). Controlling the rate of cholesterol intake by consuming foods and drinks that are cholesterol free is also another way of keeping the disease at bay. This will also help to control high blood pressure that is associated with atrial fibrillation (Anter, Jessup & Callans 2009, p. 2518). The consumption of alcohol should be kept at very minimal levels or avoided completely because alcohol has been found to be a major risk factor in causing atrial fibrillation. If it is really necessary to consume alcohol, it should be done in moderation. Caffeine and other stimulants also fall in the same category because they are known to be dangerous to the body. They excite the heart and bring about heart complications (Anter, Jessup & Callans 2009, p. 2517). They should be totally avoided or consumed in moderation if they cannot be avoided for one reason or the other (Stewart, Murphy, Walker, McGuire & McMurray 2004, p. 288). In cases where one is already suffering from the disease, he or she is advised to seek medical attention. This is one sure way of ensuring that they get medication that can help them to manage the situation and symptoms brought about by the disease. Such people should watch their diets to ensure that they do not make the situation worse (Anter, Jessup & Callans 2009, p. 2517). They should also watch their lifestyles and steer away from habits like binge drinking of alcohol, smoking and any other habit that is known to contribute to the disease. Other forms of treatment that have been recommended by experts may include maze surgery, radiofrequency ablation, use of pacemakers, different medications and cardio version among many others (Stewart, Murphy, Walker, McGuire & McMurray 2004, p. 290). Conclusion In conclusion, atrial fibrillation is a health condition that has been found to have numerous effects on the performance of sports men and sports women. This essay has identified atrial fibrillation as the most common form of abnormal heart rhythm (cardiac arrhythmia). This condition is a common cause of irregular heartbeats among patients and it can be clinically identified by checking the pulse rate. The human heart is known to have four chambers, two upper ones and two lower ones (Thrall, Lane, Carroll & Lip 2006, p. 1). The left atrium and the right atrium (plural-atria), make up the upper chamber of the heart. When these two upper chambers- the atria contract in a way that is irregular and at a rate that is excessively high, a patient is said to suffer from atrial fibrillation (Dobrev & Nattel 2010, p. 1212). Sports performers are greatly affected by atrial fibrillation. Even though this condition is not very common among the sports performers, those that are affected by the condition suffer greatly from it. Their performance in sports and other physical activities that they have to do is greatly hampered and they become very ineffective because of the irregular heartbeats that they experience. There is no one single cause of atrial fibrillation that has ever been identified. It is a disease that can affect people in different ways but not a single cause can be attached to the disease. Atrial fibrillation has also been said to occur in episodes. It is therefore important that medical treatment is sought to end the episodes. Atrial fibrillation can occur in different identifiable patterns. These may include permanent atrial fibrillation, persistent atrial fibrillation and intermittent atrial fibrillation. The effects of atrial fibrillation to sports performers have been documented in this research and the various ways of dealing with the condition have always been suggested. The seriousness of the disease cannot be ignored and the effects that it has on sports performers can also not be overlooked. All in all, there are a lot of preventive measures that can be undertaken to ensure that one is free of the disease. For those that already suffer from the disease, a lot can also be done to ensure that these people live normal lives. References Anter, E, Jessup, M & Callans, DJ 2009, ‘Atrial fibrillation and heart failure: treatment considerations for a dual epidemic’, Circulation, vol. 119, pp. 2516-2525. Benjamin, EJ, Chen, PS, Bild, DE, Mascette, AM, Albert, CM & Alonso, A, 2009, ‘Prevention of atrial fibrillation: report from a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute workshop’, Circulation, vol. 119, pp. 606-618. Crandall, MA, Bradley, DJ, Packer, DL & Asirvatham, SJ 2009, ‘Contemporary management of atrial fibrillation: update on anticoagulation and invasive management strategies’, Mayo Clinical Procedures, vol. 84, pp. 643-662. Dobrev, D & Nattel, S 2010, ‘New antiarrhythmic drugs for treatment of atrial fibrillation’, Lancet, vol. 375, pp. 1212-1223. Stewart, S, Murphy, N, Walker, A, McGuire, A & McMurray, JJV 2004, ‘Cost of an emerging epidemic: an economic analysis of atrial fibrillation in the UK’, Heart, vol. 90, pp. 286-292. Thrall, G, Lane, D, Carroll, D & Lip, GYH 2006, ‘Quality of life in patients with atrial fibrillation: a systematic review’, American Journal of Medicine, vol. 119, no. 448, pp. 1-19. Read More