US Medical Term · conditions
Atrial Fibrillation
Fibrilación auricular
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Atrial Fibrillation |
| Spanish (Español) | Fibrilación auricular |
| Chinese (中文) | 心房顫動 |
| Korean (한국어) | 심방세동 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Rung nhĩ |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Atrial Fibrillation |
| Portuguese (Português) | Fibrilação atrial |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | ภาวะหัวใจห้องบนสั่นพลิ้ว |
| Japanese (日本語) | 心房細動 |
What it means
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is an irregular and often rapid heart rhythm that begins in the upper chambers of the heart. Instead of beating in a coordinated way, the upper chambers quiver chaotically. This can cause blood to pool and form clots, which may travel to the brain and cause a stroke. Symptoms include palpitations, shortness of breath, fatigue, and dizziness, though some people have no symptoms at all. Risk factors include age, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Treatment includes blood thinners to prevent stroke, medications to control heart rate, and procedures such as cardioversion or ablation.
How to say it
Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:
I have atrial fibrillation and sometimes feel my heart racing or fluttering out of control.
Tengo fibrilación auricular y a veces siento que mi corazón late muy rápido o de forma irregular.
I take a blood thinner for my AFib and need to know if my new medication might interact with it.
Tomo un anticoagulante por mi fibrilación auricular y necesito saber si mi nuevo medicamento podría interactuar con él.
My doctor mentioned a heart ablation procedure to treat my atrial fibrillation.
Mi médico mencionó un procedimiento de ablación para tratar mi fibrilación auricular.
Where you'll see it
Related ICD-10-CM category
I48 Atrial fibrillation and flutterRelated terms
Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026