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Tuesday, November 5, 2013 – Daily News 3B FEATURES High blood pressure, clogged arteries lead to heart failure muscle. DEAR DOCWhether it TOR K: My husbegins gradually band has heart or suddenly, in failure. His doctor many cases of often uses the term heart failure the "ejection fracmuscle tissue in tion." Can you the heart's left explain what this ventricle becomes means? Dr. K thin and weak. It DEAR READby Anthony L. can't contract ER: Before I explain what an Komaroff, M.D. strongly enough to send sufficient ejection fraction is, let's say what "heart blood throughout the failure" is, and isn't. body. Which brings us to Many of my patients think that heart failure means a ejection fraction. A low heart that stops pumping ejection fraction is a completely. But that's not defining characteristic of a heart failure; that's sudden common type of heart failure called systolic death. Heart failure can lead heart failure. An ejection to a range of symptoms, fraction is a measurement from fatigue and shortness of the volume of blood of breath to a buildup of pumped out of the left fluid in the body. With ventricle each time the heart failure, the heart is heart contracts, expressed still pumping — it's just as a percentage of the total not pumping effectively amount of blood expelled. enough to completely do (I've put an illustration of the job the rest of the body ejection fraction on my w e b s i t e , needs it to do. What is that job? Every AskDoctorK.com.) Even a healthy heart cell in the body needs a constant supply of nutri- doesn't expel its full contion (sugar, fat and oxy- tents at every beat. A norgen) and needs to elimi- mal ejection fraction lies nate waste. In that sense, in the range of 55 percent every cell in our body is to 65 percent. A doctor can measure just like us. The heart pumps nutri- ejection fraction with an tion-rich blood out to the echocardiogram. This test body, and as the blood uses sound waves to credelivers the nutrition, it ate a moving picture of the picks up the waste. The heart. The resulting video heart also pumps blood can determine ejection through the lungs to fraction. The ability to measure receive a fresh supply of oxygen. The heart has the ejection fraction has four chambers. Two helped doctors more prechambers, called the atria, cisely determine the effecreceive blood. Two larger tiveness of treatment, and chambers, the ventricles, the best type of treatment. pump blood out to the It also helped doctors to lungs and the rest of the discover a second type of heart failure that we now body. That's how a healthy recognize as another comheart works. However, mon type: diastolic heart disease (particularly high failure. But that's a topic blood pressure and for another column. clogged arteries), injury, Dr. Komaroff is a and years of wear and tear can take their toll. Heart physician and professor Harvard Medical failure is usually a gradual at School. To send decline in the heart's abilgo to ity to pump. Sometimes questions, or heart failure begins sud- AskDoctorK.com, denly, such as when some- write: Ask Doctor K, 10 one has a heart attack that Shattuck St., Second kills a part of the heart Floor, Boston, MA 02115. IRS warns of telephone scam WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today warned consumers about a sophisticated phone scam targeting taxpayers, including recent immigrants, throughout the country. Victims are told they owe money to the IRS and it must be paid promptly through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer. If the victim refuses to cooperate, they are then threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver's license. In many cases, the caller becomes hostile and insulting. "This scam has hit taxpayers in nearly every state in the country. We want to educate taxpayers so they can help protect themselves. Rest assured, we do not and will not ask for credit card numbers over the phone, nor request a prepaid debit card or wire transfer," says IRS Acting Commissioner Danny Werfel. "If someone unexpectedly calls claiming to be from the IRS and threatens police arrest, deportation or license revocation if you don't pay immediately, that is a sign that it really isn't the IRS calling." Werfel noted that the first IRS contact with taxpayers on a tax issue is likely to occur via mail Other characteristics of this scam include: • Scammers use fake names and IRS badge numbers. They generally use common names and surnames to identify themselves. • Scammers may be able to recite the last four digits of a victim's Social Security Number. • Scammers spoof the IRS toll-free number on caller ID to make it appear that it's the IRS calling. • Scammers sometimes send bogus IRS emails to some victims to support their bogus calls. • Victims hear background noise of other calls being conducted to mimic a call site. • After threatening victims with jail time or driver's license revocation, scammers hang up and others soon call back pretending to be from the local police or DMV, and the caller ID supports their claim. If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS, here's what you should do: • If you know you owe taxes or you think you might owe taxes, call the IRS at 800-829-1040. The IRS employees at that line can help you with a payment issue – if there really is such an issue. • If you know you don't owe taxes or have no reason to think that you owe any taxes (for example, you've never received a bill or the caller made some bogus threats as described above), then call and report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 800366-4484. • If you've been targeted by this scam, you should also contact the Federal Trade Commission and use their "FTC Complaint Assistant" at FTC.gov. Please add "IRS Telephone Scam" to the comments of your complaint. Taxpayers should be aware that there are other unrelated scams (such as a lottery sweepstakes) and solicitations (such as debt relief) that fraudulently claim to be from the IRS. Parents worry about son's drinking one else. How can I get him Dear Annie: I am a to see that he is an alcomother of three children, holic? Please help before we but it's the oldest my husend up having to bury our band and I worry about. son. — Two Scared Parents When ''John'' went to Dear Parents: Your son college, he started drinking will not stop drinking until a lot. I asked him about it he is ready, and you cannot then, and he admitted that make that happen. His alcohe might have a problem, but he did nothing about it. Annie's holism may also mask other problems, such as depresThat was 10 years ago. He sion, and he might be willhas had two DWIs since, and he drinks every day. I by Kathy Mitchell ing to discuss those issues found out from his girl- and Marcy Sugar with a doctor. You also could try an intervention, friend that he actually gets into the shower with a beer in his but please do so only with the assishand. I recently noticed that the tance of a professional. Right now, contact Al-Anon (alwhites of his eyes are yellow, which anon.alateen.org) for support and I'm told is a sign of liver damage. We've tried talking with John, information. Give the website for but he denies he has a problem. My Alcoholics Anonymous (aa.org) to daughter and her friends have gone John and tell him you love him. That's all you can do. The rest is out socially with John, and she says he is fun to be with and then sud- up to your son. Dear Annie: I've been a public denly a switch flips and he yells and curses. He once did it when he and librarian for 15 years. Despite signs my daughter were alone in the car, that clearly state, ''No Cell and she was so scared, she called Phones,'' patrons largely ignore them. I once had a father who the police. John has had many girlfriends, turned his cell on and played loud but they all leave. He is good most music for his toddler daughter in the of the time, and he's a hard worker. same room where people were His current girlfriend has tried dif- doing research. He then got offendferent ways to get him to stop drink- ed when I asked him to turn it off. ing, but he won't do it. We are so Do these people have no clue about afraid he is going to die from all the which building they walked into? Where, in this entire country, is booze, or that he will get into an accident and kill himself or some- there a refuge from noise? Why Mailbox can't there still be sanctuaries where people can go to think, do homework and write creatively? I'm not saying libraries have to be as quiet as churches, but people who want to talk on their cells need to have respect for others and do so outside of the library. — Shhh, Library Dear Library: People aren't quiet in church anymore, either. The solution is enforcement. We recall a time when noisy people were told to be quiet by the librarian and were asked to leave if they didn't comply. We recommend you do this whether or not patrons are ''offended.'' Your rules apply. If your library has a separate children's room, that would be a good place to direct parents with rambunctious young children, as well as those who chat or play music without using headphones. (We can see libraries having ''cellphone rooms'' in the near future.) Dear Annie: Please pass along this information to ''Proud Mom,'' whose military son isolates himself from his peers. We have a Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association in every state, and most of the chapters are near military bases. We are veterans who help veterans, young and old, active or retired, whether they've seen combat or not. Our website is combatvet.org. — Ed ''Amerbadas'' Lonecke Jr., U.S. Navy Ret. When not to file an insurance claim Insurance is a funny thing. You pay a small fortune to get it and keep it. Then, if you have the blatant audacity to actually file a claim, the company either increases your premiums or cancels you altogether. While the world of insurance can at times be so confusing as to be maddening, going without basic property and automobile coverage is simply not an option. The financial risk is just too great. But there are some things you can do to make sure you don't stand out to the company as an intolerable risk. Cover the little stuff yourself. Instead of looking for ways to recoup your premium by making lots of small claims, raise your deductibles to $500 or $1,000 and then do not make a claim unless the damage exceeds that limit. The real problem with filing a small claim is that it can count against you if you ever need to file a bigger claim. A good rule of thumb is to not file a claim if the damage is under $1,000. No injuries? Don't file. If the incident is your fault and does not involve injuries, then not telling your insurance company will help protect your premium. Your state claim will do more than increase may require that accidents your premium. It could make it involving property damage impossible for you to buy a policy beyond a certain dollar at all. Home insurers are becoming amount must be reported to mold-phobic, and even a phone report that suggests you its department of might have a mold probmotor vehicles. lem goes into a history file Of course you must tied to you and the properdo that if you've ty. That could make it difcrossed the legal threshficult to sell the house in old. But if the damages the future. are less than say $1,000 Think twice before filand you can swing it, ing a claim that is the then paying out of pockresult of your neglect. et will be cheaper than Most policies won't cover facing increased premidamage that the insurer ums for years to come. Mary determines was preMishaps reported to ventable if you'd only your insurer, no matter taken reasonable care to how minor, become a maintain the property in black mark against your question. Filing a claim record because it makes will only raise a red flag you appear to be acciand add another black dent-prone. mark to your record. Mold is a 4-letter word. If you suffer water damage While you might think that that has even a hint of bringing up neglecting things like leaky faucets the word "mold," do all you can to and roofs will eventually lead to a not file a claim. Of course you will nice insurance claim that will pay have no choice if you've suffered a for new carpeting and a complete major disaster. But if we're talking paint job, think again. You're askabout the washing machine over- ing for trouble if you try to pull a flowing or wet carpet smelling a fast one on your insurance compabit on the moldy side, filing a ny. Hunt Everyday Cheapskate College aims to increase transfer rate REDDING - Like other community colleges statewide, Shasta College has been creating and approving degrees that transfer seamlessly into the CSU system in order to eliminate barriers for students and prevent them from having to repeat courses. The legislation that cleared the way for these degrees, called "Associate Degrees for Transfer" or ADTs, was passed in 2012 and community colleges have been challenged to create up to 22 ADTs in disci- DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U NTY S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Your "Local" Daily Newspaper Since 1885 To Subscribe CALL TODAY! 527-2151 FAX 527-3719 DAILY NEWS PO BOX 220 545 DIAMOND AVE. RED BLUFF CA 96080 Website: redbluffdailynews.com plines from math and English to physics and philosophy. At the state level, several more models for ADTs may be produced in the next year or two. As of Fall 2013, Shasta College has nine of these degrees available for students: Administration of Justice, Business Administration, Communication Studies, Early Childhood Education, Kinesiology, Psychology, Sociology, Studio Arts, and Theatre Arts. By Fall 2014, the college plans to have several more approved in English, Physics, Mathematics, Philosophy, and Music. "Shasta has outpaced many other colleges in the creation of these degrees because we see the value for our students planning to transfer," said Superintendent/President Joe Wyse. "If a student completes one of these degrees, all courses are automatically accepted by the CSU and the student starts in his or her chosen program at the junior level." ADTs at the community college level can- not be more than 60 units, and the CSU can require only 60 more for a bachelor's degree. Students completing the degrees are given priority for enrollment at CSUs, although they may not be admitted to every CSU campus or to impacted programs. In addition, the degrees require that students maintain a certain GPA level. For more information about Transfer Degrees, visit the following website: adegreewithaguarantee.com. NOTICE OF CURRENT PROPERTY TAX DUE Made pursuant to Section 2609, Revenue and Taxation Code Dana Hollmer, Tehama County Tax Collector, hereby announces that regular secured tax bills will be mailed on or before November 1, 2013, to all property owners, at the addresses shown on the tax roll. If you own property in Tehama County and do not receive a tax bill by November 10, contact the tax collector's office, 444 Oak Street, Room D, Red Bluff CA or call 527-4535. Failure to receive a tax bill does not relieve the taxpayer of the responsibility to make timely payments. The FIRST INSTALLMENT of 2013-14 taxes are due and payable on November 1, 2013, and will become delinquent if not paid by 5:00 p.m. or the close of business, which ever is later, on December 10, 2013 thereafter a 10% penalty will be added. The SECOND INSTALLMENT is due on February 1, 2014 and will become delinquent if not paid by 5:00 p.m., or the close of business, whichever is later, on April 10, 2014, thereafter a 10% penalty will be added plus the cost to prepare the delinquent tax records and to give notice of delinquency. BOTH INSTALLMENTS MAY BE PAID when the first installment is due. Payments may be made by electronic funds transfer or by credit card by logging on to co.tehama.ca.us or by mail sent to P O Box 769, Red Bluff CA, 96080. Mailed payments must be POSTMARKED BY THE DELINQUENT DATE to avoid late penalties. Payments may also be made in person at the county tax collector's office, 444 Oak Street, room D, Red Bluff, CA between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, holidays excepted. I certify, under penalty of perjury, that the foregoing is true and correct. DANA HOLLMER Tehama County Tax Collector Executed at Red Bluff, Tehama County, California, on October 31, 2013 Published on November 5, 2013 and November 12, 2013.