Cookstown mum helps raise awareness of atrial fibrillation

“My heart started to beat rapidly and erratically. It felt like there was a fish flapping inside my chest. It was a horrific feeling. I felt extremely dizzy.”

These are the words of Tyrone mum, Ciara Patrick who was speaking out this week to raise awareness of atrial fibrillation (AF), a heart rhythm condition that puts them at increased risk of a stroke.

Ciara, who is 39-years-old, is one of more than 40,000 people across the North who have been diagnosed with the condition.

According to new British Heart Foundation (BHF) figures, following an increase in cases, one in 45 people in Britain and Northern Ireland are known to be living with the condition.

The figures have been released as the BHF launches a new campaign calling on the public to support research into heart and circulatory diseases.

The campaign aims to inspire people’s wonder at the complexity and preciousness of their own hearts, and how life-saving research can help if it goes wrong.

Ciara Patrick first noticed symptoms of atrial fibrillation eight years ago. She recalled how she would feel anxious and noticed her heart rate was fast, but it was initially put down to panic attacks.

After several further episodes, she sought medical advice, and then in August 2021 she experienced an episode of atrial fibrillation while in her garden.

“My atrial fibrillation episode happened two days before my daughter started secondary school,” she said.

“We had decided to take her and some other girls from her primary school for a walk with other mums around their new school grounds.

“I could feel my heart fluttering. It was a sunny day, and I had been rushing about and I’d probably not drank enough water.

“That evening, I started mowing the lawn and when I bent down to start the mower, that’s when the attack happened.

“The world felt it had slowed down. My heart started to beat rapidly and erratically. It felt like there was a fish flapping inside my chest. It was a horrific feeling. I felt extremely dizzy,” she said.

Since being diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, Ciara has been prescribed a beta blocker called bisoprolol, sees a cardiologist and has made changes to her lifestyle to help prevent further attacks.

“One of the things that really bothered me initially was feeling like I had lost control over my body, but I’ve realised there’s a lot you can do that makes a difference,” Ciara continued.

“Luckily, I have been able to manage it and understand what can trigger it so avoid these things.”

The mother of two also said she hopes research will lead to breakthroughs to help those with atrial fibrillation.

“I hope research may develop and be able to provide more help, particularly with identification of atrial fibrillation. Something that gave me a lot of relief in the early stages of diagnosis was hearing people’s stories that were similar to mine.

“They weren’t living in fear and it made me feel much better. While everyone is different, I hope my story can give someone on the younger end of having the condition the reassurance that they’re not alone.”

Someone with atrial fibrillation is five times more likely to have a potentially fatal or life-changing stroke. Atrial fibrillation is the most common form of abnormal heart rhythm and is believed to contribute to one in five strokes.

The BHF says better recognition and diagnosis of the condition is likely to be the key factor behind the rise in the number of people known to have atrial fibrillation. However, it is estimated that there are at least another 270,000 people in the UK who remain undiagnosed and unaware. The charity says that further research is needed to find new ways to identify people who are at risk of atrial fibrillation so they can be diagnosed earlier.

The most common symptoms of AF are palpitations, breathlessness, and dizziness.

However, many people do not experience any symptoms, meaning that they are unaware of the condition and treatments, as well as their increased risk of stroke.

AF can also be intermittent, increasing the challenge of identifying those who have it.

Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, medical director at the BHF, said, “These figures show a quite astonishing rise in the number of people diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. Research has helped us understand the links between atrial fibrillation and stroke and that has spurred the efforts we have seen in recent years to identify people with this potentially dangerous heart rhythm.

“What remains troubling is the sheer number of people who are undiagnosed and unaware that they are living with a heightened risk of stroke. Finding people with this hidden threat must remain a priority.”

People can find out more about the campaign at: bhf.org.uk/this-is-science