Article: These drugs are the most commonly prescribed treatment when it comes to atrial fibrillation because the control your heartbeat and get rid of your irregular pulses. This medication changes the amount of electrolytes that are found in your heart in order to control your heart’s beat. There are tons of different kinds of antiarrhythmic medications out there but the two most commonly prescribed kinds include:  Beta-blockers: As the name suggests, this medication blocks the beta receptors (things that control your heart’s activity) in your heart so that your heart rate decreases. Common beta-blockers include metoprolol, atenolol, carvedilol, and propranolol. Calcium channel blockers: These drugs act by blocking the calcium channels in the heart muscles. By doing so, these drugs also decrease the heart rate. Diltiazem and verapamil are examples of this group of antiarrhythmic drugs. Anticoagulants are also referred to as “blood thinners” and they do just that--thin your blood. When your blood becomes less thick, there is a lot less chance that a blood clot will develop. When you develop atrial fibrillation, your blood isn’t properly pumped out of your heart, meaning that some of the blood gets left behind. The blood that remains in your heart increases your chances of developing a blood clot.  Aspirin is the most common form anticoagulant. While you can get it over-the-counter, you should still talk to your doctor before starting to take aspirin when you have atrial fibrillation. Warfarin is another blood thinner, but this one is prescribed rather than over-the-counter. Talk to your doctor about the pros and cons of choosing between warfarin and aspirin. While this may sound scary, this is actually a very standard way to bring the heart back to a normal, rhythmic beat. During this treatment, pads that conduct electricity would be put on your chest. The doctor would then turn the electricity current up to a low level, essentially shocking your heart into its regular beat. Surgery is the very last treatment option and will only be considered if your condition gets worse after all of the other treatments have been tried. The surgical procedure, which is referred to as the Maze procedure, creates insulation for your heart so that the electricity in your heart runs in a straighter, normal route. Some doctors may recommend a catheter, or pacemaker, surgery instead of the Maze procedure. If this is the case, you would get a catheter placed in your heart that would regulate your heart’s beat.

What is a summary?
Take antiarrhythmic medication. Try anticoagulants. Consider electrocardio therapy. Discuss surgery with your doctor.