by Jack
Baby boomers are approaching that time when the aging process becomes increasingly profound and the body changes. . . sometimes in unexpected ways. One of the most common events in the over 60 crowd is the waiste line. We metabolize our food slower as we age and if we don’t adjust out eating habits proportionately, we’re going to gain weight. That’s about 90% of us!
Another area of greater concern to us is our heart. Over a third of all deaths every year are due to stroke and heart attack.
As we approach the Christmas season emergency rooms usually get a high number of older patients suffering from what is jokingly called “holiday heart” or atrial fibrillation (A-Fib for short). This is no fib and it’s no joke, this is serious and it could lead to a stroke and sudden death if not treated and this is why a little knowledge here could go a long way to saving your life. So you better read on!
Our heart is divided into four chambers, two up and two down (see the diagram on the right, double click to enlarge). When a heart goes into A-Fib the upper chambers beat fast and erratic (misfiring electrical impulses) and they’re not moving the blood efficiently or not at all. However, the lower chambers are and we feel only a heart flutter and rapid beating. Sometimes there may be weakness in the extremities or a feeling of lightheaded. Sometimes there is a shortness of breath, but rarely.
It’s estimated that 2.5 million Americans will experience A-Fib in our older years, some will only experience it once and it will go away on it’s own. Others a few times and other still may become frequent fliers to the ER or need to take medication.
Why is it called holiday heart? Well, this is the time of year we tend to imbibe and the
stimulation from alcohol can trigger an Atrial Fibrillation event (heart flutter). So can most any stimulant, coffee, tea…anything with caffeine could do it, even cold medicine containing pseudoeffedrine, a very common ingredient. The combination of the above increases your chances for A-Fib. The aforementioned are most commonly taken together around this time of year. There is also a chemical contained in spicey foods that has the same effect as caffeine…but, it’s more likely the combo of coffee, alcohol and cold meds you need to watch out for.
If you experience heart palpitations that don’t immediately subside you should call your doctor for advice or drop by the ER. Generally speaking if it’s (rapid flutter) gone on for more than 24 hours you’re running a high risk of clotting and then blood thinners may be necessary, with a beta blocker medication to follow to keep the heart in rhythm. The longer the event continues, the more likely you are to form a blood clot and that could turn into a stroke leading to a permanent dirt nap. You don’t want to risk that when the fix is so easy and painless.
The good news is because this has been a common pathology, and increasingly so due to the boomers, research in thiks area has been very aggressive. Heck, there’s good money in finding cure or an improved treatment for all these patients!
Currently, there are a number of treatments that have all shown excellent results, some have the potential for a complete cure. But, for the purposes of this article I’m not going to go into them. It’s enough for now to know what A-Fib does, how to spot it when it happens and what to do. You absolutely shouldn’t ignore it just because it’s not a heart attack or it doesn’t feel that bad. It can lead to a stroke and that’s what you need to remember.
If you are not close to medical help when you or a loved one experiences A-Fib, trying thumping on the chest with a fist fairly hard, or grunting (as sitting on the throne) or holding your breath and squeezing. Sometimes this will stop the fibrillation.
No you know and it’s probably a good idea to copy this article and send it to a friend or relative, you never know, could save a life.
For more on holiday heart (A-Fib) here’s a good link to explain everything you might want to know in detail.
