The Afib Link to Hiatal Hernia Syndrome your Cardiologist doesn't know

Afib, short for atrial fibrillation, is a common irregular heart rhythm affecting millions of Americans.

It is typically associated with the following comorbidities: high blood pressure, sleep apnea, diabetes, obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, thyroid disease (hyper thyroid), and heart disease.
A fib puts you at risk for stroke or sudden death.

Why I want to discuss it is that here at Root Cause we see Afib resolving on a Hiatal Hernia Program.

The key datum is that there is more than one type of Afib and it is this latter type that we see responding to a Hiatal Hernia program.

Your heart rate is controlled by your autonomic (automatic) part of your nervous system. There are 2 parts to your autonomic nervous system: the sympathetic side (think fight or flight) and the parasympathetic side (think, rest, digest, relax). 

When you think of the parasympathetic side, think of your vagus nerve which controls it predominantly.

There is such a think as vagal AF, or vagal Afib. What's different about vagal AF is that it acts in a contrary fashion to typical Afib which is driven predominantly by the sympathetic nervous system.

Those with heart disease, high blood pressure & all the symptoms I mentioned above has an AF that is sympathetically driven. 

Now vagal AF happens 4x more often in men, it tends to start in their 40s or 50s when they are generally healthy. It begins very infrequently but gets more persistent with age. It typically occurs between 9 pm and 9 am or when the body is in a parasympathetic mode: meaning you are digesting a meal or are lying down or reclining at rest.

Vagal AF does not tend to spike your heart rate, in fact it's more associated with a slower heart rate. Vagal AF will not occur during exercise or during stress as those are sympathetic activities.

In Hiatal Hernia Syndrome, the vagus nerve gets involved due to the stress being put on the vagus nerve when the stomach pushes up against the lower part of the esophagus plus the digestive upset generally also irritates the vagus.

The triggers for Hiatal Hernia Syndrome are mimicked in the triggers of vagal AF. Bending over, lying down, eating a large meal, eating and lying down, eating late, constipation.

Hopefully you are starting to see why treating a Hiatal Hernia affects this type of AF. And we do frequently see it with our patients.

Important note: the medications typically used to treat "classic" AF would not work for vagal AF. It only makes sense since one is sympathetically-driven and the other parasympathetic in nature. They have opposing actions so a drug for one would not work well for the other.

I have found that cardiologists don't appreciate the vagal AF as a condition. They've only been taught one type of AF and treat it all the same.

I'm not saying that your AF should not be evaluated by a cardiologist. It's a potentially serious condition so be mindful of that. What I am saying is that if you seem to fit the profile of a vagal AF patient, then there's good news in our ability to help you.

In the video I also mention the CHADS2 Vasc Score; a test you can take yourself. You score 1 point for every "yes" answer, but get 2 points if you're age 75 or older.
Here's the "test". Do you have:
Congestive heart failure
Hypertension
Are you age 65 to 75 or older
Diabetes
Stroke
Vascular disease

If you score 2 or more that's considered high risk and you want to get evaluated for need of medication. Even a score of 1 puts you at moderate risk, so speak with your doctor.

AF can be quite debilitating and exhausting and if you have vagal AF, we have seen good results in getting to the root cause.

Consider contacting us for a consult