Lifestyle and home remedies

Following a heart-healthy lifestyle can help prevent or treat conditions such as high blood pressure and heart disease. Lifestyle changes often include:

• Eating heart-healthy foods. Eat a healthy diet that's low in salt and solid fats and rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
• Exercising regularly. Exercise daily and increase physical activity.
• Quitting smoking. If you smoke and can't quit on your own, talk to your doctor about strategies or programs to help you break a smoking habit.
• Maintaining a healthy weight. Being overweight increases your risk of developing heart disease. Healthy weight loss can help to manage symptoms of atrial fibrillation and may improve the results of catheter ablation.
• Keeping blood pressure and cholesterol levels under control. Make lifestyle changes and take medications as prescribed to correct high blood pressure (hypertension) or high cholesterol.
• Limiting alcohol. Binge drinking (having five drinks in two hours for men or four drinks for women) can increase the chances of atrial fibrillation. In some people, even modest amounts of alcohol can trigger atrial fibrillation.
• Getting follow-up care. Take your medications as prescribed and have regular follow-up appointments with your doctor. Tell your doctor if your symptoms worsen.