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Thursday, January 13, 2011 – Daily News – 5A FEATURES Around-the-clock BP monitoring? DEAR DR. GOTT: My doctor has indicated that he wants a 24- hour blood-pres- sure reading on me. I just returned from my ophthalmologist’s office for a rou- tine visit and asked him about this. I am unin- formed but was surprised a specialist would not have heard of it, either. Can you fill in the blanks? Dr. Peter Gott DEAR READER: The use of ambulatory blood- pressure monitoring (ABPM) for 24 hours has gained greater accep- tance for several reasons. A situation known as white-coat hypertension occurs in up to 32 per- cent of patients, and this particular testing unit can monitor the condi- tion. It can also delineate circadian variations in readings and pick up on drug-induced orthostatic hypotension and episodic primary hypertension. There are instances where high-blood-pres- sure readings appear to have no known cause; however, with the capa- bility of 24-hour moni- toring, it stands a better chance of identification. Primary hypertension, as indicated above, is defined as that which occurs with no known cause. It occurs in up to 95 percent of people with high blood pressure. Sec- ondary hypertension with a known cause occurs in up to 15 per- cent of people with high blood pressure. and may result from a kidney or hormonal disorder, the use of specific drugs, hyperthyroidism and other conditions. Blood pressures vary and increase with age. Systolic pressure (the first number) increase until about the age of 80. Diastolic (the second number) increases until the age of 55 or 60. Then these levels stabilize or perhaps decrease. Smok- ing, a sedentary lifestyle, stress, eating too much salt, obesity and numer- ous other conditions can aggravate the condition. My guess is that your physician is attempting to zero in on whether you have white-coat syn- drome, whether your readings are consistently lower at home, or whether extenuating undefined circumstances cause the problem. The monitoring device is harmless and should pro- vide the answers the doc- tor is seeking. Go with it, and get to the bottom of the problem. To provide related information, I am send- ing you a copy of my Health Report “Hyper- tension.” Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 check or money order made payable to Newsletter and mailed to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 4409-0167. Be sure to mention the title or print an order form off my website at www.AskDr- GottMD.com. DEAR DR. GOTT: How do I get rid of nail fungus? Is there a home remedy? I have had it on my big toenail for years, following a pedicure, and it’s now on two of my fingernails. DEAR READER: Home remedies include soaking the toes or fin- gers in warm water to make the nails softer and easier to cut. Trim the nails, and remove as much of the debris as possible. Apply a petro- latum/menthol salve around the top and under the tip of the nail twice daily. The process may take a month or more but is worth a try. Apply decolorized iodine to affected dry nails twice daily. Again, this will take some time but offers another option. Oregano oil applied to affected clean, dry nails once or twice daily with a cotton swab has been purported to work. Consider purchasing ove r -the-counter Miranel, an antifungal remedy that permeates nails and promotes faster eradication of the fun- gus. To provide related information, I am send- ing you copies of my Health Reports “Com- pelling Home Remedies” and “More Compelling Home Remedies.” Other readers who would like copies should send a self-addressed stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 check or money order for each report to Newslet- ter, P.O. Box 167, Wick- liffe, OH 44092-0167. Be sure to mention the title(s) or print an order form off my website at www.AskDrGottMD.co m. 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 Reeling Romeo’s rickety romance Dear Annie: I was in a nine-year relationship with ‘‘Louisa.’’ We were engaged for three years before we moved in togeth- er. Once we were living in the same house, however, we couldn’t tolerate each other. We didn’t touch, kiss or have sex. I fell in love with ‘‘Bren- Dear Annie: I’m a col- da’’ and had a torrid love affair. I didn’t get caught cheating, but I ended things because I knew it was wrong. After Louisa and I finally broke up, I reconnected with Bren- da, but she was still hurt and unsure about me. She moved on with someone else. However, Brenda keeps telling me that she loves me and needs time to sort things out. Is she just stringing me along? She was having sex with me, and then the other guy found out. I told her she had to choose, and she chose him. But she continues to want me in her life. Am I being used? What should I do? — Lost in Pennsylvania Dear Pennsylvania: Brenda has clearly chosen another man, but won’t let you go because she does- n’t want you to find happiness with someone else. You are her back-up plan. She is being selfish and pos- sessive and will continue to tie you to her as long as you permit it. Sorry to say, this relationship has run its course. Move on. Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar lege student in a small town. I get good grades, have a ter- rific job and plan to attend graduate school. I still live with my dad, as it would be nearly impossible to make ends meet living on my own. Dad is glad to have me at home, and he provides everything I need as long as I continue to study hard. I am so grateful for his dedi- cation to my well-being. The problem is, I’m beginning to feel restless. I have lived in the same town all my life. I have big goals and no intention of forgetting them, but I’d like to expe- rience more than this. I would like to take a few months off when I get my bachelor’s degree and go some- where else. But I worry that Dad would question whether I was mak- ing a wise decision. How can I con- vince him that it would be good for me? And what are some options? Where should a young woman go to gain a little life experience and have some fun before diving back into school? — Confused and Restless Dear Confused: It is not unusu- al to want to take a break from your schooling. Many college students travel in order to broaden their life experience. Those with limited means can often find summer jobs to cover their basic expenses. Other students do volunteer work in an exotic locale. For you, it is probably best to work within an established group, and you can check out orga- nizations online. We recommend Habitat for Humanity (habitat.org), which helps build homes all over the world for those in need. You’ll be gaining experience while doing good. Dear Annie: I read the letter from ‘‘Losing it in Canada,’’ who asked how to teach her children to chew with their mouths closed. Her dilemma reminded me of a sugges- tion I read in a magazine when my tykes were younger. It was a game called ‘‘Pass the Piggy,’’ and it worked nicely as motivation. Whoever let his or her manners lapse was passed a small plastic piggy, which would sit in front of their plate until the next infraction. The offender who was holding the piggy at the end of the meal was stuck with dish duty. For younger children, the consequences may need adjustment, but this game worked wonders for our family. — Jacksonville, Fla. 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. Small business, contractors outreach Caltrans, with city of Redding, Shasta County Public Works, Nor Cal Pacific Insurance and Bonding Services, is presenting a small busi- ness and contractor out- reach on Feb. 8. Classes will be offered at the Shasta Builders’ Exchange Training Center, 2985 Innsbruck Drive, in Redding from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Participants may choose the class or classes that interest them. From 9-11 a.m., Department of General Services will present a class on the how and why of becoming a cer- tified small business or disabled veteran busi- ness with the state, learning about State agencies who are adver- tising to purchase goods, services and con- tracting. Participants will be able to sign up to receive notification of available bid opportuni- ties and learn how to navigate the BidSync Web site. From 11 a.m. to noon Caltrans will present a class on navigating the Caltrans workshop, locating opportunities for your business to work with prime con- tractors and other sub contractors and finding service contracts and smaller projects perfect for smaller businesses. Participants will also learn about marketing Adobe Rd. Chevron Fresh Cooked CRABS Cooking Fresh Crab 2 DAYS A WEEK • “Freshest CRABS in Red Bluff” • Cleaning of Crab Free! Every Crab sold $1.00 donated to a local charity Price & availability depending on weather. Call to see if they arrived. 527-1859 2370 NORTH MAIN STREET, RED BLUFF • 527-1859 “Your Convenience Store With A Whole Lot More” their business to Cal- trans and other agen- cies. Noon to 1 p.m. is a free lunch with a pre- sentation by Nor Cal Pacific Bonding and Insurance about why a businesses needs bond- ing and insurance. Par- ticipants will also learn about choosing an agent, open communica- tion and how credit scores, work experience and other factors play a role in obtaining bond and insurance limits. From 1 to 4 p.m., Shasta Builders’ Exchange will present a class on Local Trans- portation Agencies Con- tractor Outreach, how to find city, county and state construction pro- jects available for bid and how local agencies vary in contracting and project administration. The class will also include goals and good faith efforts with small business, disabled veter- an business and disad- vantaged business enter- prises; looking ahead projects 2011 to 2012 and a question and answer session. Registration can be done at www.dot.ca.gov/dist2/s mbusiness/eventforum.h tm. For more information call Becky Alexander at 229-0561.