What Atrial Fibrillation (Afib) Looks Like on Your Watch ECG

Got other questions on Afib? See the Qaly guides on Afib:

• Afib vs Ectopic Atrial Rhythm on Your ECG
• Afib vs PACs on Your ECG
• Afib vs Unreadable / Noisy on Your ECG
• Afib vs Sinus Rhythm on Your ECG
• Afib vs Sinus Tachycardia on Your ECG
• Afib vs PAC on Your ECG
• Afib vs Sinus Arrhythmia on Your ECG
• Afib vs SVT on Your ECG
• ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍How to Read an ECG: Stanford Cardiologist Explains
• ‍The Ultimate Cardiologist's Guide to the Smartwatch ECG

‍

Introduction

Hello, heart hero. In your quest to identify that irregular heart rhythm you just felt, you may have come across the term Atrial Fibrillation or Afib. With your trusty watch ECG now in hand, you may be wondering, "What does Atrial Fibrillation look like on my watch ECG?" In this guide, we'll help you see Atrial Fibrillation on your watch ECG. Let's dive in.

‍

What's Atrial Fibrillation?

Before trying to identify Afib on your ECG, it's helpful to remind yourself what Afib actually is. (If you're confident in your Afib knowledge, though, skip on ahead to the next section for some visual examples of an Afib ECG).

To start, remember how your heart beats? It produces an electrical signal, which squeezes and unsqueezes your heart, which in turn pumps your blood to your lungs for oxygen and then out to the rest of your body.

Your heart typically produces that electrical signal from your "sinus node" to generate a normal heartbeat. Then, that electrical signal travels from your heart's upper chambers, or atria, to your heart's lower chambers, or ventricles. In Afib, however, a glitch in your heart’s electrical system makes your atria beat so fast that they quiver or "fibrillate." This causes your ventricles to beat out of sync. Afib, or A-fib, can be dangerous because it raises your risk of stroke and heart failure. Usually, your atria and ventricles work together, so the heart pumps blood in a steady rhythm. But in Afib, they don't. These irregular beats can cause a fast, fluttering heart rate of 100-175 beats-per-minute (bpm), instead of a normal 60-100 bpm.

Afib used to be classified as either chronic or acute. But in 2014, new guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association changed the classification of Afib from two types to four:

• Occasional (paroxysmal atrial fibrillation): Afib symptoms come and go, usually lasting for a few minutes to hours. Sometimes symptoms occur for as long as a week, and episodes can happen repeatedly. Symptoms might go away on their own. Some people with occasional Afib need treatment.
• Persistent: With this type of atrial fibrillation, the heart rhythm doesn't go back to normal on its own. If a person has Afib symptoms, cardioversion or treatment with medications may be used to restore and maintain a normal heart rhythm.
• Long-standing persistent: This type of atrial fibrillation is continuous and lasts longer than 12 months.
• Permanent: The irregular heart rhythm can't be restored in this type of atrial fibrillation. Medications are needed to control the heart rate and prevent blood clots.

Smartwatches like Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy, and Fitbit Sense can pick up these abnormal ECG readings.

‍

So What Does Afib Look Like on My Watch ECG?

To identify Afib on your ECG, look for these tell-tale signs:

• An irregularly irregular rhythm.
• P waves aren't visible, and are replaced with “fibrillatory waves.”
• Narrow QRS complexes.
  

For visual examples, take a look at Atrial Fibrillation seen on Qaly members' ECGs.

‍

‍

‍

Is Afib a Cause for Concern?

Afib is a serious heart condition. It can lead poor quality-of-life and potentially life-threatening complications like stroke and heart failure, both of which can be fatal if not managed quickly and effectively. Learning how to read ECGs for Afib is a great place to start. As always, however, if you show signs of potential Afib, contact your healthcare provider immediately to rule out the presence of harmful underlying conditions.

‍

Conclusion

Well, that just about wraps up our guide on what Afib looks like on your watch ECG. We hope this could be of some help to you.

If you still need help interpreting your ECGs, don't worry, we understand how scary and confusing it can be to experience irregular heartbeats. That's why we created the Qaly app for you and for the hundreds of millions of people around the world who live with heart palpitations and abnormal heart rhythms. On the Qaly app, human experts will interpret your ECGs within minutes for clarity and peace of mind.

To get started with the Qaly app, grab the Qaly app from the App Store or Play Store today. If you have any more questions, or if you need our help in any other way, don't hesitate to reach out to us at support@qaly.co.

As always from the team at Qaly, stay heart healthy ❤️