A heart in atrial fibrillation doesn't beat efficiently. It may not be able to pump adequate blood out to the body with each heartbeat, causing a blood pressure to drop.
Some people with atrial fibrillation have no symptoms and are unaware of their condition until it's discovered by their doctor during a physical examination.
Others may feel symptoms, such as:
Atrial fibrillation may also result in these signs and symptoms:
Atrial fibrillation may occur infrequently, in which case it's called paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Symptoms may come and go, lasting for a few minutes to hours and then stopping on their own. Chronic atrial fibrillation is when symptoms last until they're medically treated.