Can atrial fibrillation return?

The likelihood of atrial fibrillation returning depends on the associated conditions of each patient.

Sometimes atrial fibrillation appears due to medical conditions that are temporary and can be treated, for instance a thyroid gland disorder, an infection, or imbalance of the body’s electrolytes. In such cases, after the acute medical condition is treated, atrial fibrillation is less likely to come back again in the short term.

If a patient has other long term medical conditions that predispose to atrial fibrillation, e.g. high blood pressure, obesity, obstructive sleep apnea etc., atrial fibrillation is more likely to recur. If these conditions remain untreated atrial fibrillation is likely to occur more often and even progress to permanent.

Related Pages

• Fatigue
• Breathlessness
• Fainting, Dizziness, and Blackouts
• Palpitations
• Chest pain
• Fluttering
• How common is atrial fibrillation?
• Who is at higher risk for atrial fibrillation?
• How does it feel to have atrial fibrillation?