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What you need to know about atrial flutter

Vaseline October 14, 2024

Jim Harbaugh experienced a concerning moment on the sideline during the Los Angeles Chargers’ Week 6 23-16 victory over the Denver Broncos.

Harbaugh started the Week 6 game coaching the Chargers on the sideline before heading to the medical tent without explanation. He briefly left the field and returned to the locker room in the first quarter, leaving many wondering if the 60-year-old was okay.

Finally, Harbaugh emerged from the locker room and took the coaching reins from interim coach, defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, with just over seven minutes left in the first quarter. Harbaugh finished the win without any further problems.

What happened to Harbaugh? The veteran coach explained his medical situation during his post-match press conference.

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What is Jim Harbaugh’s heart condition?

Harbaugh explained to reporters that he has a heart condition that occurred during the Chargers’ Week 6 game against the Broncos.

“It’s called atrial flutter,” Harbaugh said after the game. “I ended up on an episode (Sunday).”

That episode prompted the Los Angeles medical staff to examine Harbaugh and ultimately return him to the locker room. There they gave him intravenous (IV) fluids and ran tests to make sure the coach was healthy.

“I did an electrocardiogram and they said it was back in sinus rhythm,” Harbaugh told reporters. “And I said I felt good, so I went back on the field.”

Harbaugh reiterated that he was feeling good during his post-game press conference. He also revealed that he planned to contact a cardiologist on Monday after his episode.

“Trust the doctors,” Harbaugh said. “It’s the heart, so you have to take it seriously, right? Trust the doctors.’

On Monday, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said his younger brother was feeling better and had treated the problem earlier.

What is atrial flutter?

Atrial flutter is a form of heart rhythm disorder in which the upper chambers of the heart beat faster than the lower chambers. This causes the heart to beat in an accelerated but consistent pattern, as the Cleveland Clinic describes.

“A normal heart rate is 60 to 100 beats per minute when you are at rest,” the Cleveland Clinic website reads. “Atrial flutter can cause the upper chambers of your heart to beat 250 to 350 times per minute. This causes your lower chambers to beat rapidly in response, usually as fast as 150 beats per minute or more.”

Atrial flutter is caused by abnormal electrical signals in the heart. There is no cure for the condition, but it can be treated with medications and surgical procedures designed to correct the heart rate.

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Symptoms of atrial flutter

Atrial flutter causes the heart to not work as efficiently as it should and can lead to symptoms including:

Dizziness
Shortness of breath
Lack of energy
Palpitations
Rapid pulse
Dizziness
Chest pain
fainting

It can also weaken the heart muscle, cause blood clots and cause drops in blood pressure that can lead to heart failure, according to the Cleveland Clinic. So it is a serious condition that needs to be monitored.

AFib vs. atrial flutter

Atrial flutter is similar to atrial fibrillation, better known as ‘AFib’, but there is an important difference. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, AFib does not have an organized rhythm because the upper ventricles beat rapidly and chaotically, often more than 400 times per minute.

Atrial flutter causes the heart to beat rapidly but in a consistent pattern.

Contributing: Tyler Dragon, USA TODAY Sports