The Milwaukee Post

14 • Milwaukee County Post • June 24, 2016 SENIORS PAGE Chest discomfort, feeling extra tired? When to get help (StatePoint) — Are you experiencing heart palpitations, shortness of breath, fatigue and discomfort around your heart? You could be experiencing atrial fibrilla- tion (AF or AFib), the most common heart rhythm disorder. Recognizing signs and symptoms is essential to early diagnosis and effective treatment. Affecting about 3 million Americans, AF is a rapid heartbeat, which can lead to poor blood flow and increased risk of serious conditions, including stroke and heart fail- ure. AF is the result of abnormal electrical impulses, which travel chaotically through- out the upper chambers of the heart, caus- ing the atria to contract so quickly the heart loses its ability to pump efficiently. This may cause blood to pool in the heart, where it can clot. If a clot travels to the brain, it can cause a stroke. A recent study by researchers from Boston University found that people with AF are nearly five times more likely to have a stroke. "All types of patients of all ages should monitor heart rate and blood pressure reg- ularly, and seek medical help when they don't feel well. Even short bursts of palpi- tations may be the beginning of persistent or chronic AF," says Dr. Leo Polosajian, an electrophysiologist and founder of Cardiac Rhythm Specialists in Reseda, Calif. Unfortunately, many AF patients don't experience symptoms until an event hap- pens. "While biking my normal route, my heart rate rose and I couldn't breathe. I pretty much went into sudden cardiac death," says Todd Smiland, a patient of Polosajian's. "Luckily the ambulance made it to me in seven minutes and they were able to defibrillate me back to life, essen- tially. That pretty much started all of my heart issues." By correcting abnormal conduction fibers in the heart through ablation, its electrical system may be repaired and the heart may return to a normal rhythm. One of the newest innovations uses contact force ablation technology, which gives physicians a real-time, objective measure of force applied to the heart during the proce- dure. "I felt this patient was an ideal candidate for an ablation procedure instead of med- ication, which only treats symptoms. When patients don't respond to medication or it's not an optimal therapy option, I turn to radiofrequency ablation," says Polosajian. "It was like night and day," says Smiland, who after receiving ablation treat- ment, resumed activities he previously enjoyed. According to Polosajian, Smiland's expe- rience may not represent those of all patients, but a recent FDA review found ablation had at least a 47 percent greater success rate than medication. It's important to note there are risks and potential adverse events associated with ablation procedures — including but not limited to cardiovascular related complica- tions, such as hematoma, effusion and infection. Contact force ablation may not be appropriate for patients who have had cer- tain recent heart surgeries, prosthetic valves, active systemic infection or have undergone other major vascular proce- dures. Patients should consult with their physicians about options. (StatePoint) — Few experi- ences are more difficult than having to endure a hospital stay. But unlike in years past, you can now educate yourself on both health care providers and facilities, much like you would for any product or serv- ice. These days, free online resources allow you to com- pare hospitals across a wide range of criteria, as well as read patient reviews. That, along with federally mandated health care quality report cards, have hospital adminis- trators making great strides in the quality of care they pro- vide. This is where a hospital's physical design becomes a cru- cial element of patient health, comfort and well-being. "The biggest risks for patients during a hospital stay are exposure to possible infec- tions, medical errors and falls," says Joan Suchomel, president of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Academy of Architecture for Health. "Good hospital design can reduce these risks. For example, installing a dedicat- ed hand-washing sink near the entrance of patient rooms improves hygiene. Proper lighting and layouts reduce potential distraction during preparation of medications to help prevent drug administra- tion errors. Well-placed handrails, the space to limit clutter, and flooring materials that reduce slipperiness and unevenness, will help prevent patient falls." Others design considera- tions that architects employ are done to specifically address concepts for effective caregiving, reducing patient stress and pain levels, and cre- ating safer and more hygienic rooms and healing spaces. For example, it has been proven through research that views of nature reduce stress — and patients with less stress feel less pain and don't need as much pain medication. Suchomel suggests the fol- lowing questions to consider when comparing hospitals: ■ How does an institution perform on quality measures like success rates and patient outcomes? ■ Has the hospital been cited for lack of compliance in any areas? ■ What do patients say about their care on ratings sites? Being an educated consumer makes good financial sense if you are shopping for a car or life insurance, and the stakes are even higher when it comes to health care. Fortunately, there are now a multitude of resources avail- able to arm you with the infor- mation you need to make the best decision for your particu- lar medical condition or issue. And there has never been a greater priority placed on ensuring hospital design results in a safe, clean and peaceful healing environment. What to consider when choosing a hospital - PAID ADVERTISEMENT - NAMING BENEFICIARIES VERSUS A WILL In my practice I find most people are confused about naming beneficiaries versus passing property by way of a will or trust. Everyone needs to understand that if you name a beneficiary on a bank account, your real estate, retirement plans, insurance, or any other property, that beneficiary will receive the property when you die, regardless of what your will says. Your estate (property passing under your will) will not include property for which you have already named a beneficiary. A common mistake is for people to have a will that leaves their estate equally to several people. However, individuals then go and put particular beneficiaries on particular bank accounts. This can lead to your property not passing equally to the individuals named in the will. A corollary concern is those individuals who wish to leave everything to one individual, with the intention that the one "trusted" individual will then split the property among other individuals. For example, dad wishes to leave his entire estate equally to his three children. However, he really trusts his son and knows that his son "will fairly split everything with his siblings" after dad dies. Dad then puts all his bank accounts in the name of that son. This is a most serious mistake. By law, the named son legally owns all the accounts when dad dies. He may or may not split the bank accounts as dad had planned. Even if the son is trustworthy, he may become ill, die or get involved in a divorce or bankruptcy which may result in a loss of some of the property left by dad. In summary, if you have named a beneficiary on a particular asset, that designation will override whatever your will says. If you insist on naming beneficiaries for a particular bank account or asset, name multiple beneficiaries if your goal is to have all the beneficiaries receive that property. Understand that an inherent risk in naming a beneficiary or beneficiaries of any asset is the possible result if one of those beneficiaries should predecease you. This is why lawyers often prefer that your will or trust be the beneficiary and that the language of your will or trust provide what happens in the event a beneficiary predeceases you. Retirement accounts are an exception to the above rules. For tax and financial planning purposes, it is often best that you have a beneficiary or beneficiaries named on retirement accounts. The Law Office of James J. Winiarski offers a free estate planning consultation. Our approach to estate planning is to explain the options available, the cost of each option, and the advantages and disadvantages of each option. If you would like to set up an appointment for a free estate planning conference, please call us at 414-383-3902. 250569064 Housecalls Thick/Fungus Nails Ingrown Nails Corns/Calluses After 35 years of treating patients in his office Dr. Thomas Marciniak is devoting his practice to exclusively housecalls. Getting to the doctor has often been the reason why minor foot problems have become major problems among our senior population and Dr. Marciniak has decided providing "routine" foot care in the patient's home is the best way to combat the problem of accessibility. "Routine" isn't routine if you are diabetic, or if you have poor circulation or if you don't have the strength, vision or flexibility to properly take care of your feet by yourself. 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