Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/122407
Wednesday, April 17, 2013 – Daily News FEATURES Passion for tobacco use prevention Dear Annie: I Dear Annie: have a speech We are the future. problem that It may sound makes my voice cheesy, but that's sound hoarse and the motto I live by, gravelly, and and it's one of the although people reasons I believe can understand so strongly in the me, some ask, need to prevent and reduce tobac- Annie's ''Where are you from?'' (They co use among think I sound like teens and kids. My passion for tobac- by Kathy Mitchell Henry Kissinger.) co-use prevention and Marcy Sugar I usually answer with the name of a started when I saw the harm that tobacco use local working-class neighcaused my older sister. borhood where people She started smoking at sound a bit rougher, and age 13 and ended up with sometimes that shuts them an addiction that spiraled up. But more often, they out of control, in many persist in commenting on ways taking her childhood my ''accent.'' I find this incredibly rude. with it. Isn't it wrong to quesEvery year, tobacco kills more than 400,000 tion people like this? It's Americans, and the vast none of their business majority started smoking why I sound this way. My as children. Kids are over- city has a diverse populawhelmed with pressure to tion, and it's not unusual smoke, from tobacco to hear foreigners. I industry marketing, their wouldn't dream of asking peers, movies and other them about their place of sources. But we have the origin. The questions are startpower within ourselves to win the fight against ing to get to me. I was tobacco, and I am proud talking on my cellphone to advocate for policies on the street, and some proven to reduce tobacco guy stopped and asked use and save lives. To where I was from. I said learn more about tobacco- ''none of your business'' use prevention and to see and walked away. This how you can be a part of guy was horrified by my the efforts of the Cam- rudeness. Maybe this is paign for Tobacco-Free the best thing to say. Any Kids, please tell your other ideas? — Native readers to visit New Yorker Dear New Yorker: www.tobaccofreekids.org. — Gabe Glissmeyer, age You could make up an unlikely response (''I'm 19, Salt Lake City, Utah Dear Gabe: Thank from Canada''), but you for writing and giving although the question is us the opportunity to tell rude, we don't think it's our readers about the intentionally so. You are Campaign for Tobacco- sensitive about your Free Kids. The cigarette voice, but people are curicompanies do an excellent ous, and you sound interjob of recruiting new esting to them. They missmokers. It's time for the takenly believe they are rest of us to do our part to being friendly. You are not obligated to provide keep that in check. Mailbox personal information. You can simply respond, ''Why do you need to know?'' or ''I'm sorry, but I don't like to talk about it,'' and keep moving. Dear Annie: I feel for ''Lost in the Country,'' who has been married 36 years and recently learned that her husband was calling another woman. My wife also will sympathize with her. I was that man. Not only was I calling other women, but I was having sex with them, as well. I also looked at Internet porn. My wife finally caught me and asked me to leave. She guided me toward Sexaholics Anonymous. I totally gave myself to this 12-step program of recovery. SA saved my life and put me on a spiritual path to God. I hurt my wife and children and caused harm to those I was involved with. I cannot make it up completely, but I can continue to make amends wherever possible. My advice to ''Lost'' is to trust her instincts. Hold him accountable. If he responds with anger, he is hiding something. But there is light at the end of the tunnel. — Into the Light Annie's Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please email your questions to anniesmailboxcomcast.n et, or write to: Annie's Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254. Take it slow and easy to avoid lightheadedness stand up. This causes the musDEAR DOCTOR K: I often cles in your legs to squeeze feel lightheaded when I stand more blood back up into your up, especially first thing in the heart and to slightly raise morning. Why does this hapblood pressure. pen? — Review your medicaDEAR READER: You are tions with your doctor and probably experiencing a drop in maybe make a change. Some blood pressure when you stand drugs can trigger orthostatic up. This is called orthostatic Dr. K hypotension or make it worse. hypotension. As a result, not by Anthony L. — Lift the head of your bed. enough blood reaches your brain, and you feel lightheaded Komaroff, M.D. Sleeping with your head higher than your feet keeps blood or dizzy. When you stand up, gravity pulls pressure higher. This causes your kidthe blood down. This causes blood to neys to release a hormone that increaspool in the lower half of our bodies and es blood pressure. — Drink more fluids. Dehydration blood pressure to drop. If it drops enough, you'll have symptoms. Sen- can cause blood pressure to drop. — Perhaps increase your salt intake. sors in your major arteries signal your brain that your blood pressure has Unless you have high blood pressure dropped. In response, the brain tells already, this is a good idea. — Drink coffee in the morning. Cafthe heart to beat a little faster and stronger and blood vessels to constrict, feine boosts blood pressure. — Exercise more. Improving your which raises blood pressure. As a result, blood pressure and blood flow cardiovascular fitness through exercise may help the problem go away. return more or less to normal. — Avoid straining. Straining to But with age and certain medical conditions, these compensations may have a bowel movement or to pass falter. The heart doesn't pump as well. urine (if you have an enlarged prostate) Blood vessels get stiffer and less and coughing can cause blood pressure responsive. The sensors in the arteries to briefly drop. Even laughing very become less sensitive, and the signals hard can do it. Sometimes comedians they send less effective. As a result, really do leave the audience "rolling in some people experience sizable drops the aisles." When people start to get in blood pressure when they stand up. lightheaded from laughing hard, they (I've put an illustration on my website, instinctively get down on the floor to avoid falling. AskDoctorK.com.) — Wear compression stockings. Here are some things you should Special stockings that apply pressure try: — Take your time standing up. on the lower half of the body can keep Move gradually from lying down to blood from pooling in the leg veins. sitting to a standing position. This is This, in turn, increases blood pressure. particularly important at night (when Dr. Komaroff is a physician and you go to the bathroom) or in the professor at Harvard Medical School. morning when you awaken. That's send questions, go to when orthostatic hypotension is most To AskDoctorK.com, or write: Ask Doctor likely. — Try these maneuvers: Wiggle K, 10 Shattuck St., Second Floor, your toes and flex your feet before you Boston, MA 02115. Woman cited for calling 911 seeking divorce GIRARD, Pa. (AP) — Police have cited a 42-year-old Pennsylvania woman for disorderly conduct after she called 911 requesting a divorce and police assistance to make her husband leave. Troopers say the woman called just after 1 a.m. Saturday asking that officers be sent to her home in Girard Township in northwestern Pennsylvania. Police say they explained to the woman, whom they are not identifying, that a divorce is a civil matter and that they could not make her husband leave the residence because no crime had been committed. Instead, police have cited the woman for disorderly conduct and misusing the Erie County 911 system. 3B