Heart Atrial Fibrillation - AF

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Heart problems like Atrial Fibrilation, Insomnia, Palpitations etc.

Atrial fibrillation – AF - PAF

Heart Atrial Fibrillation - Chinese Medicine’s natural treatment for heart rhythm disorder when there is no another background etiology.

One day entered the clinic Dan, a stocky man of about 60 and told his plight and tribulations regarding recent events in his life including hospitalization.

During a routine visit to the family doctor Dan complained that recently he felt palpitations  that were at times particularly strong. The doctor checked his pulse and sent Dan to the hospital with request to check his suspicion of Atrial Fibrillation concern. Dan, very surprised at the doctor’s concern, refused going with an ambulance, did as requested and got to the hospital on his own.

There they made him go through EKG check and found that he has indeed Atrial Fibrillation. He was admitted and hospitalized in the Internal Medicine department.

  Meanwhile he found out the following facts: Atrial Fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia in the world. The risk of developing AF increases with age. AF is due to the formation of multiple electrical circuits and signals in the upper parts of the heart (Atrium). These circuits cause irregular pulse of the heart. This in itself is not directly life threatening but some people do not feel well while fibrillation. This may be due to the fact that unusually fast heartbeat or irregular heartbeat causes fear and anxiety. But this is also the cause for palpitations – fear and anxieties...

Some people have this medical problem, but are unaware that they have a fast and irregular heartbeat. We may note in Chinese Medicine’s with an accurate pulse reading cardiac arrhythmias.

Chinese pulse reading is not only checking the rate per minute, but mainly the quality of the pulse. There are 28 different pulse’s qualities and that takes many years to master. However, it has to be known that arrhythmias are not fixed but can alternately appear and can occur at any time, even during the sleep at night, making it difficult to be diagnosed.

AF usually develops, but not limited to, people with heart disease. This includes people with valvular heart disease, people with coronary artery disease and those with disease of the heart muscle.

There are also healthy people without heart disease who are developing AF.

Dan does not keep much of physical activity, but he enjoys riding his bike for long distances especially along the beach, consumes 3 + cups of coffee per day, is not taking any medications and overall is very healthy and with no history of disease, nor in his immediate family. Recently, Dan was subjected to many pressures due to employment problems and family matters that bothered him very much.

Dan was admitted to the internal medicine ward for 5 days. He was treated with different drugs to regulate his racing heart. He also passed echocardiography test, while hospitalization, which showed no pathological findings. Throughout the period of hospitalization Dan tried to find out from the doctors what is the reason or diagnostic for the AF he has experienced but the doctors had no answer. It was very frustrating for Dan. Doctors could not pinpoint if the problem was caused by organic or mechanical malfunction.

Throughout those 5 days his spirit was high and he felt good. On the fourth day the heart rate was regulated. Although the doctors disagreed between themselves about what to send him off with, eventually medical conservatism principle took the upper hand and Dan was suggested by the doctor who summarized the hospitalization of taking blood thinning medications (Warfarin aka Coumadin) and drugs to regulate the heart pace for the rest of his life. Dan felt devastated. The week before he was healthy and active person and now is marked as a heart patient who needs daily medication to survive.

He also has found how important it is to diagnose the problem because AF may result in the formation of blood clots in the heart, which may travel to the carotid vein and cause CVA. People over 60 suffer from this problem, must according to currently accepted medical protocol, to take Warfarin, a drug originally designed to be rat poison and it dilutes the blood and prevents clots forming. People with AF who are cardiac patients are obliged to accept a blood thinning drug at any age. This fibrillation can cause a situation in which the heart is getting too many electrical signals and it does not get sufficient time to shrink due to the increased electrical signals and so the blood remains in the corridors and that very slow movement can cause the formation of a blood clot in the heart. Such a clot can travel with the bloodstream and cause blockage in the carotid artery and the blood flow to the brain, which can in turn cause a stroke.

To the readers - please note that recent studies conducted in the U.S. for Warfarin as a drug of choice and for prevention of clotting and CVA, showed surprising findings. This drug was found to cause strokes instead of acting to prevent them.

Dan also noted that a rapid heartbeat for too long, can cause weakening of the heart muscle. Usually, the problem of AF is solved by medication. However, in some cases it can be resolved through a special pacemaker implantation. Sometimes, one goes through ablation, a simple procedure in which some electrical points are burnt by laser to minimize the signals and to treat this problem.

Now the success rate of treatment of AF by burning ablation stands only at 60 %. Many patients require repeated procedures. Almost all patients will still receive drugs to prevent AF. This procedure to treat AF is currently considered an experimental treatment which is still in its infancy.

Dan was released from the hospital and decided, on his own and despite the pressures exerted on him in the hospital, to go with his feelings that told him to avoid taking blood thinners and drugs to regulate constantly his heart rhythm. His family doctor was of course very angry about Dan and his refusal to toe the line. Dan said in his defense that he was not given a diagnosis for his AF source and thus he is not ready to accept the standard drug solution, a medical protocol that will make him a cardiac patient for the rest of his life.

However, Dan agreed to pass all the tests prescribed to him by the angry doctor. Tests included 24-hour Holter heart rate recorder, radioactive heart test under effort, EKG of the heart at rest and under effort , as well as various ultrasound tests . To summarize test results and conclusions of the findings he was sent to a Heart Specialist doctor. The expert saw the test results and stated that Dan is classified as having Chad Severity 1, the lowest possible, and assured Dan by saying that he had no need to take blood-thinning medications nor heart regulating drugs. He recommended, by the findings and hearing test stethoscope of taking aspirin alone. The expert noted that aspirin is a drug with side effects like any other medication despite the very moderate image it has in the eyes of the public.

The expert admitted to Dan that about half of the cases that come to ER with AF, are not diagnosed. Dan asked if stress and anxiety can cause AF and the very honest expert replied that maybe it is a legitimate etiology but there is no way to measure or quantify or diagnose it in Western medicine.

At this point Dan has arrived at my clinic. Seeking help, understanding and comfort in Chinese Medicine.

Dan was diagnosed according to the signs and symptoms required for diagnosis in Chinese Medicine. The etiology that Dan has "felt" has been approved. He belonged to those 50% undiagnosed by Western Medicine, because he “suffered” from stress and anxiety. He “took to heart” too much...

He was treated with acupuncture and Chinese medical herbs for quieting the mind, some natural blood thinners and strengthening of the heart. The other part of the treatment was dedicated to reducing stress and enhancing the “emotional metabolism”. He was offered a healthier diet, according to the principles of Chinese medicine, and a number of lifestyle changes. The accurate diagnosis and treatment which was stemming from Dan’s story really helped and it has been reported by him of no recurrence of the problem about a year and a half after hospitalization.

Chinese medicine diagnoses and solves problems of stress and anxiety very well and with no side effects. It can make people who are prone to becoming heart patients living on drugs, people who are not diagnosed by the Western way, into healthy people who live drug-free. As mentioned, these are people who suffer from a relatively easy disorder as AF, but without any accepted etiology.

Therefore, Chinese Medicine’s treatment of AF problems can only be beneficial. Chinese medicinal herbs can come parallel to Western medications without interrupting or contradicting their action. The exception is Warfarin in combination with Chinese herbs, because the Chinese Herbs are enhancing the action of Coumadin. The solution could be to use other blood thinners.

 

Effi Kfir L.Ac An International Chinese Medicine Specialist. Clinic’s mobile -  054-4804538 located near Ichilov Hospital and the Weitzman City Mall, 57 King David Blvd, Tel Aviv. Call right away when found AF without a diagnosis in you or loved ones or friends who need help.

Effi Kfir L.Ac is a Chinese medicine specialist for over twenty five years. Studied at Tel Aviv University and got his BA in Economics and Accounting. Then embarked on a two-year tour in South East Asia and Australia. One of those "coincidences" was meeting with Dr. Yoshiharu Ikeda at his home in Shodo Shima – an Island in the Japanese sea near Shikoku. That meeting had dramatic consequences. First he took on a Master Degree Program in Chinese Medicine for four years at the “American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine" of San Francisco, California – “ACTCM”. Upon graduation and after passing the grueling qualification exam government awarded Kfir with the title Physician and allowed him to practice in California under L.Ac. license.  After passing the certification exams of the "National Commission and Certification of Oriental Medicine” – “NCCAOM” he was granted the license Dipl.Ac which let him practice in thirty other states in the U.S. After graduation, Kfir went to China and Japan for a year's internship in Chengdu in southern China, Tianjin in northern China near Beijing and Tsukoba hospital near Tokyo. He practices for a while at the ACTCM clinic in San Francisco and then immediately after arriving to Israel Kfir established the clinic in Tel Aviv, lectured in Medicine College of Chinese Medicine and lectured in a special Doctoral course for physicians on behalf of Bar - Ilan University. At the same time he published his first book "Traditional Chinese Medicinal Herbs - Materia Medica". Kfir also worked as a physician at Ichilov Hospital as part of Malra"m . His Second book "Traditional Chinese Medicinal Herbs - Formulas" is used as an advanced textbook for therapists and students. On January 2010 Kfir went to work aboard three American Cruise Ships. Till today continue to get letters of thanks from guests who have had successful treatment series at sea. Upon returning to Israel after 18 month on board, Kfir practices at his clinic in the heart of Tel Aviv near Ichilov Hospital. To schedule an appointment for diagnosis and treatment, please call and set appointment in advance on 054-4804538 or use other options via Contact Us in this website:

www.kfir.net
effi@kfir.net