Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

There’s no test to diagnose PTSD. Instead, a healthcare provider makes the diagnosis after asking about your:

Symptoms.
Medical history.
Mental health history.
Exposure to trauma.

It may be difficult to talk about the trauma. You may want to bring a loved one with you to the appointment for support and to help provide details about your symptoms and behavior changes.

Providers use the diagnostic criteria for PTSD in the American Psychological Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). The latest version is the DSM-5-TR (“TR” stands for “text revision”). To get a diagnosis of PTSD, you must have had the following symptoms for at least one month:

At least one intrusion symptom.
At least one avoidance symptom.
At least two thinking and mood symptoms.
At least two arousal and reactivity symptoms.

Your provider may also perform a physical exam and order certain tests (like blood tests) to see if any physical conditions could be causing some of your symptoms.

Symptoms

When to see a doctor

Request an appointment

Complications

Blood clots are a dangerous complication of atrial fibrillation (AFib). Blood clots can lead to stroke.

The risk of stroke from AFib increases as you grow older. Other health conditions also may increase the risk of a stroke due to AFib. These conditions include:

High blood pressure.
Diabetes.
Heart failure.
Some types of heart valve disease.

Blood thinners are commonly prescribed to prevent blood clots and strokes in people with atrial fibrillation.

Prevention

Healthy lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of heart disease and may prevent atrial fibrillation (AFib). Here are some basic heart-healthy tips:

Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
Don't smoke or use tobacco.
Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Reduce and manage stress.

By Freedmans Health Clinic Staff

Living with atrial fibrillation?

Connect with others like you for support and answers to your questions in the Heart Rhythm Conditions support group on Freedmans Health Clinic Connect, a patient community.