WINE COCKTAIL

ATRIAL FIBRILLATION AWARENESS

By April Clark Honaker, M.A., CCC-SLP

September is atrial fibrillation awareness month. Also known as Afib or AF, atrial fibrillation is an irregular heartbeat caused by electrical malfunction in the heart. It is the most commonly treated type of irregular heartbeat, and according to the American Heart Association, it affects over 2.7 million Americans.

Why is it important to know about Afib? Having afib increases a person’s risk of death, especially due to events related to coronary artery disease or stroke. In fact, the American Heart association reports that untreated Afib increases a person’s risk of stroke by 5 times and doubles the risk of heart-related death. It is a more serious condition than many realize, and getting appropriate treatment reduces many of the risks associated with Afib. According to cardiologist Dr. Kapil Kumar, the likelihood of developing Afib increases with age and affects over 4 percent of the population greater than 60 years old. Although it is more common in older adults, Afib can affect those younger than 60, especially when there is a strong family history. The condition can be intermittent or persistent and is associated most commonly with hypertensive heart disease and coronary heart disease.

However, there are other conditions associated with Afib, including cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), obstructive sleep apnea, heart failure, low blood pressure, thyroid disorders, alcohol abuse, and drug use. According to Shannon Chappell, a physician assistant in a local cardiology clinic, Afib can also occur with acute infections such as pneumonia and COVID-19.

For patients looking to prevent Afib, some research suggests adding fish oil to your diet or consuming a Mediterranean diet with extra virgin olive oil may lower the risk of developing Afib. Patients are also advised to reduce alcohol consumption, seek management for high blood pressure, increase physical activity, and lose weight to improve overall health.

For those with risk factors, recognizing Afib can be crucial. Chappell said the most common symptoms of Afib include heart palpitations, shortness of breath, fatigue, and lightheadedness. She said patients will often feel weak and dizzy with a noticeable change in their heartbeat. However, she said Afib can also be asymptomatic at times.

Chappell said it’s important to have regular checkups. Afib can be diagnosed by a primary care provider, but according to Chappell, they would typically order a test called an electrocardiogram to confirm the diagnosis. A full workup may also include cardiac monitoring, exercise testing, and other laboratory tests.

Scheduled screening for Afib is not common practice. According to Dr. Kumar, there is currently not enough evidence to show that specialized screening of patients without symptoms is better than typical care, such as pulse palpation, for detecting Afib. Chappell said that Afib can also be heard by your doctor with a stethoscope during physical examination.

So, again, regular checkups are important when it comes to detecting Afib. Not every skipped beat or heart flutter is Afib, according to Dr. Smit Vasaiwala, but it’s important to consult your doctor if you think you may be having symptoms.

According to the American Heart Association, patients experiencing Afib have described the symptoms this way:

“My heart flip-flops, skips beats, and feels like it’s banging against my chest wall, especially if I’m carrying stuff up my stairs or bending down.”

“I was nauseated, light-headed, and weak. I had a really fast heartbeat and felt like I was gasping for air.”

“If you’re having symptoms, you should call your doctor,” said Kathleen Moore, a local nurse practitioner. “And if the symptoms are severe, you should go directly to the ER.” According to Moore, it can be a medical emergency if the heart is beating really fast.

Moore works in a clinic that specializes in blood thinner treatment. Blood thinners are often prescribed to those with Afib because they can effectively reduce a patient’s risk of heart attack and stroke.

The good news is that Afib can be effectively medically managed. Dr. Kumar cites the ABC (Afib Better Care) pathway as a practical framework for treating patients with Afib. The “A” is for anticoagulation, “B” is for better symptom management, and “C” is for cardiovascular and comorbid disease management.

According to Chappell, intervention by an electrophysiologist may also be needed at times. Electrophysiologists are doctors who specialize in treating heart problems involving electrical activity and heart rhythm disorders.

Afib is definitely a complex condition with a variety of potential causes and complicating factors, but medical management is crucial when it comes to reducing the associated risks. In addition, Kumar reported, “Many patients have dramatic improvement in their sense of well-being when the ventricular rate is slowed.”

Kumar recommends that Afib patients follow up with their doctor routinely every 12 months if they are stable with their current treatment and more often if they have any change in symptoms or are on high-risk therapies. According to Moore, “There is no reason someone with Afib can’t live a long and healthy life.”

Over the years I have fished in about every weather condition you can imagine. I have fished in tornado warnings, with hurricanes approaching, sleet, freezing rain, high winds, brutally cold and hot temperatures. You name the weather, I can honestly tell you I have fished in it and even better, I have caught fish.

One of the hardest things in bass fishing is to develop a positive mental attitude, and not just develop it but keep one as well. Throughout my years on the water, I have always enjoyed tournaments where the weather was going to play a factor because I felt like these were some of the easiest events to win. I knew going in that half of the anglers did not want to be there, half of the remaining half already had their excuse ready for when they did not catch anything. That always left me feeling like I only had to beat a handful of people. It usually played out just like that.

When fishing weather conditions always remember, no matter how good the weather may be or how bad it might get, the fish are biting somewhere. They may not bite long, you may not catch a lot, you may only get a handful of bites, but someone will catch something. It has been my experience they always do.

I have won tournaments three times weighing in only one fish. The interesting thing about those events is not only did I win but I also won the big bass pot as well. All three events were in January with extremely chilly weather, low water temperatures, off colored water, and cloudy skies. I also caught each fish on a ½ black/blue jig with a large trailer. The first tournament I won like that led me to winning the second as well as the third. Same exact conditions, same body of water.

Okay, now that we have established what I am talking about in this month’s article, let us look at some different scenarios that you may encounter over the next few months. First, weather conditions play an important part of the puzzle, but time of year is a critical element as well. A cold front in the springtime compared to a cold front in the fall or winter are as different as night and day. A cloudy, rainy day in the summer is a bit different than a day like that in the wintertime. Always conditions to fish in is snow and/or sleet. For whatever the reason, a meteorologist told me it is due to these types of lowpressure weather systems, the fish bite very well when it snows, especially in clearer water bodies of water. I have had excellent days twitching a rogue in the early

Fishing With Kenny

FISHING THE WEATHER CONDITIONS article by KENNY COVINGTON

consider the time of year as well as the weather patterns.

A common misconception about rainy summertime weather is it makes bass in shallow water bite a topwater lure. In some instances, such as in a lake with water clarity over three feet like Caney or Claiborne, this is true, but I have found on stained bodies of water such as D’arbonne or the Ouachita River, the bigger fish tend to move tighter to cover, making them harder to catch. In these stained water scenarios, I have had much better luck catching fish on lures such as a big worm or a spinnerbait than I have a moving topwater.

One of my favorite weather springtime with snowflakes the size of silver dollars hitting the water. I have had a lot of success waking a spinnerbait above and around grass beds in the late fall and early winter with the lids of my live wells frozen shut due to the ice buildup. The fish in these weather conditions, if your water temperatures are about 45 degrees, seem to really prefer moving lures such as spinnerbaits and crankbaits.

One of the most dreaded fishing situations is when you have high winds. The old saying “the wind is your friend” is accurate, unless the wind situation makes fishing unmanageable. In a tournament I fished earlier this year and I credit my winning strictly because of the amount of wind and a favorable wind direction in the area I was fishing. Wind creates current and bass will position themselves to take advantage any food the current brings to them. Current due to heavy rains or winter run off can create fish catching situations not normally found in most lakes. Areas where the lake bottle necks down can create a natural current flow moving the fish to areas where current breaks are. Cypress trees, docks, logs, old roadbeds, or anything else that fish can position themselves in and around, are potentially good areas. One interesting thing to remember when fishing current, due to the aggressive nature of the fish, they will usually hit moving lures such as a crankbait or rat l trap regardless of the time of year or water temperature. In a situation where the current is moving around shallow water areas, I have had good success pitching and casting a lighter jig, letting the current move it across my targeted area as I swim the jig off the bottom. It is a terrific way to catch quality fish. On a closing note, when it comes to weather conditions, if a body of water is unsafe due to wind and/ or other weather, unless it is a tournament situation, I will not attempt to fish it. I can only remember twice when a scheduled tournament cancelled due to inclement weather. However, I have taken shelter away from dangerous storms and lightning more times than I care to count while I was already on the water. No fish is worth losing your life over!

Well, it looks like we have run out of space and time for another month. I hope we were able to share some information that will make your next trip on the water more enjoyable, no matter what the weather might be doing! Take care and remember to catch one for me. See you next month!

BLUE JEAN BABY

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