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Mercy cardiologist Dr. Brian Kahn of The Heart Center at Overlea.

Mercy Cardiologist Dr. Brian Kahn Discusses Women And Atrial Fibrillation On "The Woman's Doctor"

The human heart beats thousands of times a day, but if you have atrial fibrillation, your heart beats rapidly and irregularly, which requires medical attention.

Two years ago, Linda Perry, 54, didn't know what was wrong with her. She said although she looked healthy, she didn't feel that way at all.

"I noticed that my energy was gone. It was just something different. I felt light-headed and pressure on the chest. I just didn't know what was going on with me," Perry said.

She found out she had atrial fibrillation, which is more common in women than men.

Mercy Medical Center cardiologist Dr. Brian Kahn of the Heart Center at Overlea said the problem starts in the top chamber of the heart known as the atrium.

"Atrial fibrillation originates in the top chamber of the heart, then causes the impulses to travel to the bottom chamber of the heart, which then beats very rapidly, and this is what causes the symptoms," he said.

While some people don't have symptoms, others who do said they're hard to ignore.

"Symptoms can include dizziness, light-headedness, chest pain, shortness of breath and palpitations," Dr. Kahn said.

According to Dr. Kahn, the chances of getting atrial fibrillation increase as you get older, and a big reason why women get it is because they ingest too much caffeine. Other causes include drinking alcohol, sleep apnea, obesity, an overactive thyroid and a leaky or blocked mitral valve.

Dr. Kahn added that the big problem with atrial fibrillation is that it puts patients at risk for stroke, especially as they age.

"The biggest problem is that blood clots form in that top chamber of the heart when it beats irregularly, and if one of those blood clots lets loose, it goes to the brain and it causes a stroke. In individuals over 70, one out of four strokes are caused by atrial fibrillation," he said.

For some people, giving up caffeine is enough.

Perry said she needed medication, even though her palpitations didn't stop. She needed two ablation procedures where doctors go inside the heart, find the abnormal pathway and alter it.

She said the palpitations finally went away — something that's made all the difference.

"I really think this did it. I just feel great. The energy level, the pressure's gone — so far, so good, and I'm just happy now," Perry said.

To view Dr. Kahn's interview with WBAL-TV11, click this link: http://www.wbaltv.com/womansdoctor/21563271/detail.html