Atrial fibrillation can lead to stroke
Atrial fibrillation, also known as A-Fib or AF, affects around 526,000 Swedes. About 399,000 have received a diagnosis, while an estimated 127,000 remain undiagnosed.
Undetected atrial fibrillation is one of the most common causes of stroke but there are treatments available. That’s why it’s important to learn more about risk factors, symptoms and how you can check your pulse to detect irregular heartbeats.
How to feel your pulse
A first step to detecting atrial fibrillation is to check your pulse regularly.
Here’s how to do it:
- Turn your hand up, palm up.
- Press lightly with your index and middle fingers on your wrist, just below your thumb. This is where the artery is located.
- Count the beats for 30 seconds, note if you heart is beating out of rhythm.
- Write down the date, time, and number of strokes.
- If you do this twice a day for two weeks, you can find out if you have an irregular pulse.
Download our pdf, it contains a table to help you remember to feel your pulse in the morning and evening. All you have to do is mark whether your pulse is regular or irregular in the table.
If you detect an irregular heartbeat, you may be at risk of atrial fibrillation. If this is the case, contact your health centre and make an appointment with a health care professional for more tests.
