More than 2.2 million Americans are living with atrial fibrillation.

Sometimes your heart's electrical signals can lose their regular pattern and cause arrhythmia, which is an abnormal, heart rhythm. Cardiologist Steven Longobardi explains, "Atrial fibrillation has many, many different causes, it's not all genetic. Probably the most common cause in the United States is high blood pressure that hasn't been treated properly."

College student Travis Miller says, "I have, actually, hypertension, I think really the thing that I'm worried about is the more long term, lasting effects of having high blood pressure over a long time just shortening your life span."

Dr. Longobardi says that the goals of treatment for atrial fibrillation are to control your heart rate within a relatively normal range, restore a normal heart rhythm, when possible and prevent blood clots from forming. "The main risk is that of stroke. So someone who has atrial fibulation and is not properly treated for that, they have a high risk of stroke."

Dr. Longobardi also says that getting treatment for this condition is an important way to help prevent stroke. Doctors can use medications to treat this condition as well as surgical procedures, if needed. "Would generally be a blood thinner to prevent clots from forming as well as medicines to control the rate from beating too fast."

Symptoms of atrial fibrillation can include sensations of your heart racing, irregular heartbeat.

It's estimated that 15 to 20% of strokes occur in people with atrial fibrillation.