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Saturday, August 10, 2013 – Daily News 5A FEATURES Stick to directions when taking medication importance of taking preDear Annie: As a scription medication as patient, I know how easy it directed. It's easy to forget, is to forget to take your skip a day or think that medication one day. As a because you are feeling betpharmacist, I also know ter you don't need to finish how serious the consethe dosage. We hope our quences can be. A recent readers will check out your report finds that one out of website and pay closer attenseven Americans with chronic conditions, like Annie's tion. Dear Annie: I have been diabetes or heart disease, attending meetings of a are not taking their medicaby Kathy Mitchell wonderful craft group each tions as prescribed. Sometimes patients and Marcy Sugar week. Women sit at tables of five to 12 to work on their neglect to fill or refill a prescription, miss a dose, take an old current projects and chat. It is a medication for a new problem, and lovely way to spend a few hours. The problem is with a new lady more. Although these mistakes may seem harmless, they take a toll on who recently joined our table. She patients' health and on the well- is very nice, and we enjoy her conbeing of our nation's health care versation, but her breath is enough system, costing an estimated $290 to knock me over. I thought the first billion annually. Pharmacists can week that it was simply something help patients understand how med- she had eaten that day, but the next ications prevent the progression of week was just as bad. None of us knows her well disease, reduce complications and enough to feel comfortable saying contribute to a healthier life. Please encourage your readers to anything. I have considered slipping review the first-ever National an anonymous note into her craft Report Card on Adherence at bag, but am not sure what it would www.ncpanet.org/reportcard, and say. We don't want to make her feel talk to their doctor or pharmacist if unwelcome, but sitting next to her is they have questions about taking torture. What should I do? — Holdtheir prescriptions. — B. Douglas ing My Breath Dear Holding: Please don't Hoey, RPh, MBA, Chief Executive Officer, National Community Phar- write an anonymous note. She will feel terrible and worry that every macists Association Dear B. Douglas Hoey: Thank person she sees is the one who you for reminding our readers of the wrote it. At your next meeting, Mailbox bring some breath mints. Put one in your mouth, saying that you get so dry, you worry about your breath, and then offer one to all the other members at your table. (Don't say, "Would you like one?" Say, "Please take one.") It's also possible the woman has some kind of gastrointestinal disorder or dental problem that makes this a more difficult issue for her. But nonetheless, keeping mints or water handy should help. If not, it would be a kindness to take her aside privately and tell her the truth. Dear Annie: I read the letter from "Loveless and Discouraged," who had cheated on his wife for 20 years and finally made amends and turned his life around. But his wife still won't have sex with him. I know how he feels. My wife and I were separated for two years before she agreed to let me come home under certain conditions. I accepted. We sought help in many places, worked hard, cried a lot, accepted a lot and forgave a lot. We decided we wanted to be reunited more than revenge or payback. We have become joyful, supportive, more understanding and loving. Sex is not resolved — none so far this century. She "doesn't want to be bothered." I don't like that part, but our relationship is otherwise better than ever, and I find it is well worth this particular consequence of my own behavior. — W.W. Shasta College awarded three new regional grants The Economic and Workforce Development Program at Shasta College has been awarded three new regional grants from the California Community College Chancellor's Office. All grants are focused on the "Doing What Matters Most for Jobs and the Economy" statewide initiative. The goal of the grants is to supply a skilled workforce for regional employers, create relevant career pathways and stackable credentials for student success, promote small business and get Californians into open jobs. Shasta College will provide these services across 10 counties, comprised of one region called the Far North, from Butte County to the northern border. Shasta College will focus on three areas identified by the California Community College Chancellor's Office as priority sectors for our 10 regions. Sectors include Small Business; Global Trade and Logistics; Agriculture, Water and Environmental Technology. Each grant will be managed by a key talent; Darren Gurney, Leah Goold-Haws and Greg O'Sullivan, respectively. "We are excited to launch this new initiative, on behalf of our northern region, for our students and the business community," said Joe Wyse, superintendent and president. "Shasta College understands that focusing on jobs and the economy requires new and innovative approaches to prepare our students, businesses, and the workforce. These three grants, awarded from the California Community College's Chancellor's Office (Economic and Workforce Development division), provide Shasta College with targeted investments towards development of teachers and faculty; expanding internship and work-based opportunities and establishing student readiness for postsecondary education and careers." After a disaster Social Security can help By Jennifer Cooper Social Security Manager in Redding For some, recent years have been made difficult by natural disasters. Fatal tornadoes in Oklahoma. Massive wildfires and strong earthquakes in Colorado and California. Landslides in Washington. Flooding in Texas, North Carolina and Florida. Hail storms in Tennessee. Hurricane Sandy along the Eastern seaboard. And now, we brace ourselves for yet another hurricane season. In addition to the catastrophes caused by Mother Nature, there are manmade tragedies, such as the theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado that killed 12 and injured 58; the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Newtown, Connecticut , which left 26 children and staff members dead; and the Boston Marathon explosions, killing three and injuring more than 260. When disasters strike, despite the immediate response by so many well-intentioned people and organizations, it's often hard to know where to turn. But when it comes to the need for disability $ 64,50162 in Discount Coupons were published last week in the DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY … And that does not Count all the ads offering percentage discounts, two-for-ones and Free-with-Purchase offers! Don't miss a Day of it! Subscribe Today 527-2151 It pays for itself. *approx. value and survivors benefits, Social Security is always here to serve those who require our services. Dependent survivors of wage earners, such as spouses, minor children, and in some cases parents or grandchildren, may be eligible for survivor benefits when the family's provider dies. The sad fact is that about one in eight of today's 20 yearold workers will die before reaching age 67. The good news is about 96 percent of people age 20 to 49 who work have survivors insurance protection if they die and leave behind young children and surviving spouses. Social Security is here to help people inflicted with disabling conditions as well. In fact, disabled workers account for about 19 percent of all Social Security benefits paid. One in four of today's 20 year-old workers will become disabled before reaching age 67. Our emergency services reach more than the limited numbers of people who die or become disabled as a result of a tragedy. For example, if you are still receiving a paper check and the delivery of mail is interrupted due to severe weather, in many cases any Social Security office can issue an immediate replacement payment. To avoid this situation, however, switch to electronic payments as required by law. Even if your mailbox — or home — is destroyed due to an emergency, or you are evacuated or displaced, your payment will always arrive on time every time if you receive it electronically. Sometimes, emergencies cause Social Security offices to close. If you want to check whether your local office is open, the best place to go is to Social Security's Office Closings And Emergency Annual Hot August Sale 20% OFF All Concrete & Wrought Iron Statuary-Fountains-BenchesBirdbaths-Trellises-Gazebos & Yard Decor Upcoming classes & events PRESERVING THE HARVEST 8/17 @ 10AM COOL SEASON VEGGIES 8/18 @ 11AM HOT PEPPER DAY & SALSA CONTEST 8/24 Your partner for successful gardening....... WYNTOUR GARDENS 365-2256 8026 Airport Road, Redding I-5 North, Exit #673, Rt on Knighton, Rt on Airport Located 1 mile south of the Airport (Next to Kents Mkt) Open Mon-Sat 8-5 & Sunday's 10-4 wyntourgardens.com Facebook inform@wyntourgardens.com Information page at www.socialsecurity.gov/e mergency. This site is a great place to visit before you try to go to an office, especially when severe weather is affecting your area. The emergency page also offers valuable FEMA advice that can help you prepare for or cope with emergency situations. While we all hope and pray to avoid disasters, unfortunately, they are bound to occur. The best we can do is to be as prepared as possible to deal with them if they happen. And know that Social Security will be here for you when you need it. Be prepared. Visit www.socialsecurity.gov/e mergency. Cluster headaches come in episodes is that migraines DEAR DOCoccur mainly in TOR K: I get girls and women, excruciatingly whereas cluster painful cluster headaches occur headaches. What mainly in men. can I do to treat, or C l u s t e r better yet, prevent headaches are them? often treated with DEAR READER: Cluster Dr. K a drug called sumatriptan headaches are by Anthony L. rare. Only about Komaroff, M.D. (Imitrex). It works by narrowing one adult in a thousand suffers from blood vessels in the brain them. But they are among and stopping pain signals the most painful of all from being sent to the When given headaches. We doctors brain. have theories about what promptly by injection at causes cluster headaches, the start of a headache, but the fact is that we sumatriptan can relieve don't really know. They cluster headache attacks do run in families: There within 15 minutes. Another effective treatis an inherited, genetic ment is inhaling pure oxycomponent. A typical cluster gen. Oxygen can be headache begins suddenly, administered in an emeroften waking a person gency room or at home from sleep. The pain is from a portable tank. An intense, sharp and pene- injection of dihydroergottrating. It usually occurs amine (DHE-45) can behind one eye. That eye quickly alleviate severe may start weeping and pain as well. You should also talk to become bloodshot. The eyelid may droop, and the your doctor about mednostril may first be stuffy ication to prevent cluster and then runny. The few headaches. You'll start patients I have seen with taking the preventive when your this condition tell me that drug the pain may be so intense headache first comes on, that they feel like banging and you take the medicatheir heads against a wall tion for as long your to distract them from the episodes generally last. Most doctors start with a headache. After an hour or two, sustained-release form of calcium-channel the pain and other symp- the verapamil toms usually recede, blocker sometimes as suddenly as (Calan, others). Another option is high they came on. But they tend to recur at the same doses of steroids such as prednisone, which can time day after day. Most people have prevent further attacks episodic cluster within 24 to 48 hours. headaches. They have one Once you've interrupted or two headaches a day the pattern, your doctor over two to eight weeks, can slowly reduce the dose alternating with headache- to the minimum necessary suppress your free stretches that may last to from a few weeks to sever- headaches. You'll gradualal years. That's why ly taper the dose down to they're called "cluster" nothing. Finally, avoid alcohol headaches: They cluster during a window of time, and cigarettes, both of then go away, then come which can trigger cluster headaches. back and cluster again. Cluster headaches are Dr. Komaroff is a like migraine headaches in some respects. The princi- physician and professor Harvard Medical pal difference is that at To send migraines tend to be a fre- School. go to quent and recurring prob- questions, AskDoctorK.com, or lem; they don't come in clusters and then go away write: Ask Doctor K, 10 entirely for a very long Shattuck St., Second time. Another difference Floor, Boston, MA 02115. Oh Snap! 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