Fibrillatsioonid

Fibrillatsioonid are chaotic and disorganized electrical activity within a muscle or nerve. Instead of a coordinated contraction or impulse, the individual cells in the affected area beat independently and irregularly, leading to a quivering or trembling sensation. This phenomenon is most commonly observed in the heart, where it is known as atrial fibrillation or ventricular fibrillation, and can lead to serious health consequences.

In the context of the heart, atrial fibrillation involves disorganized electrical signals in the atria, the upper chambers of the heart. This results in a rapid, irregular heartbeat that can impair the heart's ability to pump blood effectively. Ventricular fibrillation is a more life-threatening condition where the ventricles, the lower chambers, experience chaotic electrical activity, causing them to quiver rather than contract properly. This severely reduces or stops blood flow, necessitating immediate medical intervention like defibrillation.

Beyond cardiac tissue, fibrillations can occur in skeletal muscles, often manifesting as fasciculations, which are small, involuntary muscle twitches. These can be benign or indicative of underlying neurological conditions affecting the motor neurons. The precise cause of fibrillations depends on the affected tissue and can range from electrolyte imbalances and ischemia to genetic predispositions and disease processes. Diagnosis typically involves electrophysiological testing, such as electrocardiograms (ECGs) for cardiac fibrillations or electromyography (EMG) for muscle fibrillations. Treatment strategies are tailored to the underlying cause and the specific type of fibrillation.