Self-screening for Atrial Fibrillation

Self-screening for Atrial Fibrillation is a technique that was created and validated by the Research Center for Stroke and Heart Disease. This was done because most people with Atrial Fibrillation (AF) are unaware they have the condition. Thus, teaching people to check the rhythm of their pulse can help to prevent many strokes, especially since current treatment reduces the risk of stroke by about 70%. An irregular heartbeat is a telltale sign of AF.

One word of warning: The self-screening technique must be performed properly in order to obtain correct results and should not be considered a substitute for consulting with a physician.

What is AF?
Atrial Fibrillation (also called A-fib or AF) is a relatively common disorder that has to do with the heart. The heart has four chambers. The upper chambers are the atria (left atrium, right atrium), where blood enters the heart. The lower chambers are the ventricles, which pump blood out of the heart to the body. For a person without AF, or in other words, for a normal heartbeat there is coordinated movement of all four chambers. It begins with the atria and proceeds to the ventricles. In AF, instead of this normal synchronized movement, there is a disorganized twitching of the atria, called fibrillation. When that happens, a clot may form inside the heart. A piece of the clot may then break off, be pumped out of the heart, and travel to the brain, causing a stroke.

AF affects more than two million Americans. Most of them don't know they have it. The risk of stroke is five times higher in people who have AF. It also causes about 15-20% of all strokes. The good news is that these strokes can be prevented. If everyone with AF received proper treatment, we could prevent about 80,000 strokes every year. Thus, the point of the self screening test is to help yourself determine if you might have AF before seeing a doctor. This is great for those who can not afford medical care, or do not have insurance.

Basically the self screening means you check your pulse and watch for irregularities. Such irregularities include frequent missed, skipped or extra beats. This is sometimes described as a "fluttering", "pounding", or "racing" sensation in the chest.

Your pulse is caused by the surge of blood flow in your arteries each time your heart beats. A normal heartbeat begins in the atria, followed immediately by the more powerful beat of the ventricles, which produces the pulse you feel. Normally, the beats follow each other at regular intervals - they are evenly spaced and steady. In AF, the coordination between the atria and ventricles is lost, and the pulse becomes uneven, unsteady, and irregular.

So here is how to self screen, simply check your pulse by doing the following:
1. Turn your left hand palm-side up, after doing this, place the first two fingers of your right hand along the outer edge of your left wrist just below where your wrist and thumb meet. Do not use your thumb
2. You then look for your pulse, you do this by sliding your fingers toward the center of your wrist. You should feel the pulse between the wrist bone and the tendon.
3. Once you find your pulse, press down with your fingers until you feel your pulse really well. Do not press too hard, or you will not be able to feel the pulsation. Move your fingers until the pulse is easiest to feel.
4. Then time yourself, you should continue to feel your pulse for a full minute. During this minute, concentrate on whether the beats are evenly spaced, or whether they are erratic, with missed beats, extra beats, or beats that are too close together. If you think you have an irregular pulse, try it a few more times to make sure it was not an error on your part.

If your pulse seems irregular after a few attempts, see your doctor, tell him or her what you did, and ask that they check you for AF.