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8A – Daily News – Saturday, January 8, 2011 Broad briefing on bizarre behavior Chronic cough usually benign Dear Annie: This is for ‘‘Con- cerned Teacher,’’ whose 9-year-old pupil rubs herself against her seat all day long. I am a school psychol- ogist. If sexual abuse has been ruled out, she should simply treat it like any other publicly unacceptable behavior, the same way you would treat a child picking his nose in class. However, kids often engage in self-pleasure when anxious. So the first step should be to track the behavior and see if it happens when certain subjects are taught. The teacher and parents should talk to the child about a signal to let her know when she is doing it because she may not be aware of it at the time. Another point is to make sure she doesn’t have a learning or cognitive disability. Students with mild cog- nitive disabilities some- times do not understand the social inappropriate- ness of this behavior. — A School Psych Dear School Psych: Thank you for your expertise. We are grate- ful for the many readers who weighed in on this, most mentioning that the problem may not be masturbation at all. Read on: From California: I spent much of second grade doing the same thing. The cause was a chronic low-grade yeast infection that made me constantly itchy. The rubbing made it feel bet- ter but caused inflam- mation, and it was a long time until I was NEW YORK (AP) — A disappointing jobs report dragged stocks lower Fri- day. Banks took a hit after a Massachusetts court upheld a ruling in a foreclosure case against U.S. Bancorp and Wells Fargo & Co. that could lead to more trouble for lenders. Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar treated properly and the behavior went away. Yeast infections can be triggered by undetected food sensitivities and often go undiag- nosed in both boys and girls. The resultant itching (and other people’s reactions) can cause lasting emotional anxiety. New York: Years ago, my little sister used to do the same thing. Our family doctor dis- covered that she had pinworms. Our entire family had to be treated, and our mother boiled all our sheets and under- garments to kill the pin- worm eggs. Danbury, Conn.: That child should be examined by a dermatol- ogist for a possible skin condition such as lichen simplex chronicus or lichen sclerosus. These are not uncommon in the genital region and can be treated with topical medications such as cor- tisone creams. Ohio: The girl may have an infection or allergic reaction (from soap, bubble baths, laundry detergents, cer- tain foods, etc.) that is causing itching or dis- comfort. Infections and/or exposure to aller- gens can come and go, even over several years. A child may say nothing to her parents because she may not realize her symptoms are not nor- mal, and she may have become accustomed to them. Texas: We had the same situation with a pupil at our school. The girl’s third grade teacher came up with a solution. She met with the student and her mother, and found a simple gesture the teacher could use to signal the student when the behavior was hap- pening. In this case, the teacher tapped her own chin with her finger. It was so subtle, no one else was even aware of it, but the student knew to stop the behavior. When the child entered my fourth grade class, this information was passed on to me, and I only had to signal her once. Poughkeepsie, N.Y.: My daughter had chron- ic urinary tract infec- tions that itched terribly. At that age, she may not be cleaning herself properly after using the bathroom. Antibiotics should clear it up. Florida: In special education, some of our students do not fully understand how to be appropriate in public. We explain, privately, what we want and then, in the classroom, remind her to ‘‘sit up’’ when she reverts to her ‘‘comfort- able’’ position. It is not humiliating to be reminded to sit up. With boys who use their hands under the desk, we ask them to put their hands up on the table. This is done matter-of- factly, without any classroom disruption. Annie’s Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please e-mail your questions to anniesmailboxcomcast. net, or write to: Annie’s Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Ste. 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. FEATURES DEAR DR. GOTT: I am a 19- year-old female and have had a non- productive cough for 16 months without any other symptoms other than some slight drainage down the back of my throat. I have kept food and cough diaries and cannot find anything that triggers it. I cough when I sit, stand, laugh, after strenu- ous exercise and around smoke; it seems that I cough all the time. I have seen my family physician, a nurse practitioner, an ENT, his PA, a pulmonologist and his PA. I have been diagnosed with bronchitis, hiatal hernia, asthma and heartburn. None of the medica- tion given for these diagnoses has worked. I’ve been on Symbicort, Spiriva, codeine, Prilosec, Zantac and one other that I can’t remember the name of. I had to take it for five days for what they thought was bron- chitis. I had a chest X-ray done in July 2009 without abnormalities. There is nothing wrong with my vocal chords, either. At my last visit to the pulmonologist, I was told that I have irritated bronchitis and that I would have it for the rest of my life unless it miraculously went away. There is no treatment for it. I cannot accept this diag- nosis. This cough is truly annoying. I work at an elementary school and am currently attending nursing school. Coughing all the time makes people believe that I am sick, and nobody wants a nurse who is coughing constantly in a hospital. I am sure that you can understand my predicament. I am out of options. I don’t know what else to do or who else to see. Within the past two weeks, I have noticed that I have all of a sudden been getting heart- burn. No acid comes up in my throat, and it usually never lasts for more than a few sec- onds, but it is a new symptom. Doctors have asked me in the past if I have had heartburn, but I never have up until now. Please help me, Dr. Gott. DEAR READER: Chronic cough can have many causes; most are benign. Up to 90 percent of all cases are caused by post- nasal drip, acid reflux or asthma. Postnasal drip is a common condition in which the sinuses drain down the back of the throat rather than from the nostrils. This can be associated with colds, the flu and various allergies. I suggest that you take a look at your environment to determine if there is something that may be causing this. Did you get a new pet or move? Did you start wear- ing a new perfume or using a new scented soap or shampoo? Did you begin using a new laundry detergent or fabric softener? You may want to talk to your physician 2009. The Labor Department said employers added 103,000 jobs in December, less than analysts expected. Job growth has remained sluggish in the U.S. since the recession ended in June Established 1970 P. Ralph Campbell Income Tax Service Bookeeping Service Financial Service P. Ralph Campbell Enrolled Agent 31 years California Insurance License #0C73069 - 11 years 20639 Walnut St., Red Bluff (530) 529-9540 Classes Bare Root Planting & Care Rose Prunning & Care January 15 @ 11am January 9 @ 1pm January 16 @ 1pm Salad Bowl Fruit Tree Prunning & Care January 23 @ 1pm Red Bluff Garden Center 766 Antelope Blvd. (next to the fairgrounds) 527-0886 Free A separate survey found that the unemployment rate fell to 9.4 percent last month. That’s a decrease from 9.8 percent in Novem- ber and the lowest rate in 19 months. But the drop came partly because many people gave up looking for work. “On balance, this was a pretty disappointing report,” said Hugh Johnson, chair- man and chief investment officer of Johnson Advisors. It “suggests we have a long way to go to recover the 8.4 million jobs that we lost during the crisis.” The Dow Jones industri- al average fell 22.55 points, Mark's Fitness *Get into Shape, Get Healthy, & Enjoy a Good Quality of Life!* * Private Personal Training - FREE Consultations! ! * Public Spin Class: M-W-F @ 6 PM - Ask about monthly FREE classes! ACE Certified & Senior Fitness Assn. Certified Personal Trainer (530) 941-2832 821 Walnut St. Red Bluff or 0.2 percent, to close at 11,674.76. Dr. Peter Gott about a trial course of an allergy medication. Over-the-counter options include Claritin, Zyrtec, Benadryl and various store brands with the same active ingredients. Prescription options include Nasonex, Flonase, Clarinex and more. These should dry up the drip and, if it is the cause, the cough as well. I am hesitant to believe that you have acid reflux or asthma because treatment failed to improve your cough; however, they may still be the cul- prits. Acid reflux can be helped through changes in diet as well as physical activity. Limit your intake of fatty, greasy foods, high-acid foods and spicy foods. You may not have typical symptoms. Asthma may require daily preventive therapy such as a steroid inhaler in addition to a rescue inhaler for emergencies. Your new symptom of heartburn may be related to acid reflux, but it may also simply be the result of your constant coughing. Other possible, yet unlikely, causes include infection, lung disorders or cancers, and various medications. I urge you to undergo another chest X-ray, since it has been more than a year since your last. Your pulmonologist can then compare the two films side by side to determine whether there are changes that might indicate a more insidious cause. If you are uncomfortable with your cur- rent physicians and their assistants, start fresh with another lung specialist or prima- ry-care physician. Express your concerns about the cough, and be sure to bring all your medical records with you. The new physician can offer a new perspective and insight into your situation and may find something that the others missed. To provide related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Pulmonary Disease.” Other readers who would like a copy should send a self- addressed stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 check or money order payable to Newsletter and mailed to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092-0167. Be sure to mention the title or print an order form off my website at www.AskDr- GottMD.com. Dr.Peter H.Gott is a retired physician and the author of several books, including “Live Longer, Live Better,”“Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Diet” and “Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Cookbook,” which are available at most bookstores or online. His website is www.AskDrGottMD.com. JPMorgan and other banks lead Wall Street stocks lower Wall Street percent to $43.64. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 2.35, or 0.2 percent, to 1,271.50. The Nasdaq composite fell 6.72, or 0.3 percent, to 2,703.17. JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Bank of America Corp. were two of the biggest losers among the 30 stocks that make up the Dow. Banks fell as investors wor- ried that the foreclosure rul- ing in Massachusetts could set a precedent for other cases against lenders. Bank of America, the largest holder of mortgages in the U.S., fell 1 percent to $14.25. JPMorgan lost 2 BOOK BARN 619 Oak St., Red Bluff (530) 528-2665 Tues-Fri 10am-5pm Sat. 10am-2pm Happy New Year Thank you to all our loyal customers. We are looking forward to serving you in 2011 Jack & Linda Gaines COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR All makes and models. We perform dealer recommened 30K, 60K, 90K SERVICES AT LOWER PRICES Smog Check starting at $ (most cars and pick-ups) 2595 + cert. Pass or FREE retest 527-9841 • 195 S. Main St. The highest court in Massachusetts found that U.S. Bancorp and Wells Fargo failed to prove that they owned the mortgages in two cases where home- owners were in foreclosure. Lenders have been under scrutiny from law enforce- ment officials since last fall over accusations that they bungled foreclosure pro- ceedings and had shoddy record-keeping practices. “This court ruling is a reminder that banks are still facing some headwinds left over from the financial cri- sis,” said Alan Gayle, senior investment strategist at RidgeWorth Investments. “It’s going to be tough sled- ding for the financial indus- try until they get these mort- gage problems sorted out.” Bond prices rose, send- ing their yields lower. The yield on the 10-year Trea- sury note fell to 3.32 per- cent from 3.40 percent late Thursday. The yield helps set interest rates on many kinds of loans including mortgages. KB Home rose 6 percent to $15.25 after the home- builder surprised Wall Street with a profit. Falling stocks outnum- bered rising ones on the New York Stock Exchange. Tehama District Jr. Livestock Annual Meeting Wed., Jan 12th 6pm held in the Tehama Room @ Tehama District Fairgrounds