Newspapers / The Carolina Times (Durham, … / Dec. 28, 1991, edition 1 / Page 4
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-WE CAHOLiNA TIMES—SATURt HHHHHHHHHHHt EALTH NEWS Health Events^ Meetings^ Info HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES TO HOITDAV ' S.'Pm" — When friends and family get together for sfas""®' an alternative to holiday "spirit" from a bottle. Nothmj- ..impe.ns the holiday mood more than the tragic outcomes reiated to ^tlcc.ci and drug you liave a drag or alcohol use problem, call the Du I 'm County Menial Health, Developmental Disabilities and : u-, . . , Abuse Services at 560-7500. We’re here to help. HOLIDA'y STRPSS ~ The holidays are not alwavs jolly for all ot us. Stress and feelings of isolation are common during this ■ scasom If you need help, or just want a sympathetic ear, call HtLI DINE at 683- ^FOCTEiToR ^OnriVE parents needed - Tlie Durham County Department of Social Services is seeking families to provide stable and caring homes for children. The Januuiy training senes is scheduled to begin on Tuesday January 7, with additional classes on January 14,21,28 and February 4. '992. Classes will be hc-,d at Durham ■lechnical Community College in the Continuing Education Building. Interested persons are. encouraged to call 683-3550 for detmls. WEEKLY ACOA/AFG (Adult Child of Alcoholics/AI-Anon Family Group) meets Samrdays at 5:30 pm Mt. Bethel Presbyterian Church 3541 Rose of Sharon Road, Durham. , ,, WORKING WITH EPILEPSY — If your have epilepsy and want to work but don’t know where to turn, contact representatives (rf the Employment Services Program at the Epilepsy Ass^iation of North Carolina in Raleigh. For more informauon, contact, 834-2876, or 1-8UL- 451-()694 WIDOWED PERSON’S SUPPORT GROUP BEGINS — Durham County Hospital Corporation’s Educational Services/Patient Education department will sponsor a Widowed Person’s Support Group beginning The support group wit! meet durmg the day ck -he 1;;t and 3rd Monday of every month from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in Durham Regional Hospital s private Dining Room B located on the first floor of the hospital. During the evenings, the support group will meet on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., in Conference Room 96, at the Health Services Center (formerly the Family Medicine Center) located at the corner of North Duke and Crutchfield Streets. Men and women are welcome and encouraged to attend either support ^ Foi' more Information, call Patty Darragh, Patient Education ^HUNtIfJGYON-s'^DISEASE SUPPORT GROUP BEGINS - Durham County Hospital Corporation’s Educational Services^atient Education deparunent will sponsor a Huntington’s Disease Support Group beginning in January. - u o t, The support group will meet the 3rd Saturday of each month from 2 tn 4 p.iri. in classroom 431-A of Durham Regional Hospital. For more information, call Patty Darragh. Patient Education Coordinator ai 470-7155. ^ . MASTECTOMY SUPPORT GROUP BEGINS — Durham County Hospital Corporation’s Educational Services^atient Education deparunent will sponsor a Mastectomy Support Group beginning m '*'*'TlTLpvX)rl group will meet evenings on the 2ri(i and -d^ 1 ue^ay of every month from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., in the Health Servic-es Center (fonnerW the Family Medicine Center) located at the .orncr of North Duke and Crutchfield Streets, ill Conference Room 96 For- more information, call Patty Darragh, ■ r,: r.i Eaueation Coordinator at 470 7155. i ADULT DIABETES SUPPORT' GROUP ^Durham County Hospital Corporation’s Educational Scrvices/Paiicnt Education d’eparanent will sponsor an Adult Diabetes Support Group for Patients and their Families beginning in Janu.iry. . , . t ■ Ti-e'support group will meet evenings on the 1st and .!rd Tuesday ot eveiy mon* from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., at the Health Services (>ntc: (fonnerly the Family Medicine Center) located at the comer of North Duke and Crutchfield Streets, in Conference Room 96. For more information call Patty Darragh. Patient Educatioi ^WEIfUrr^LOSS support group — Call 471-4448 for more ‘"f-BETOND THE RHETORIC: DEVELOPING SOLUTIONS TO MINORITY HEALTH ISSUES' — This two day program will be held at the School of Public Health, UNC-Chapel Hill. Feb. 6-7. For more information cal! (919) 966-40.32. . SENSIBLE SLIMMERS — Geared to the African American lifestyle this class will seek to: alter behavior, lose weight safely, test nutritional foods, exercise program, restructure lifestyle for a introductory offer for the first 20 persons to sign up. Call 471-4448 tor '*'g^*NITAL herpes support GROUP — Planned Parenthood of OiJge and Durham Counties — HELP is a confidential support group for ireople concerned about genital herpes. The HELP 8™“? a month in Chapel Hill. For more information, call (919) 929-5402. DUKE POISON CONTROL CENTER — Anyone may call the Duke Poison Control Center for information on poisons, poison'ng prevention and the treatment of poisoning. Specially trained health nrofessionals are available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. * To call in North Carolina, dial 1-800-672-1697; outside the state, or if the toli-free number is busy, dial 1-919-684-8111 and ask for Poison Control Center - Emergency. DIABETES CLASSES — A scries of classes will be held on the tirst 4 Wednesdays of each month at 2 p.m. at the Durham County Health Classes are free to all Durham County residents. Ulie classes are for persons diagnosed as having diabetes, their families, md other tx^rsons wishing to know more about the disease. Iversons who test their own blood sugar and want instrucuon in the use of their machine or want their procedure checked, should bring their lesting machine and materials to the class held on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays. For more information or to register call 560-7601. hypertension & CHOLESTEROL CLASSES — A series of 3 p.m. on the first 4 Wednesdays of each monm at ^ Durham County Health Deparmient. Classes an ' ° ™ County residents. Sessions 2 and 4 are on m i.oihum and low cholesterol diets. , i .t />; - as havinff The classes are for persons having b-• a ('(.-• .loscd as navi g hypertension or an elevated cholesterol level, ihcir Kimincs, and persons to know more about the disease. For more mioiination or to TImMOCRATOY screening and SilL -FilEAST EXAM EDUCATION — Mammography Screening Mobile Van Durham Countv Health Department, 414 E. Main Stieet, die 3rd Monday of each L.1I. MaimoBopliy S-n-.IPt “ S Lcome a'monthly lifetime habit for females beginnmg with their firs TnSohl^Mt is required two (2) weeks prior to ^ning. and a sh^ngSS clJ^ with price from $0 - $50. Cash only fee is due 56fr76W*fOT M ^ipoinlment and to determine your cost. NM A President: Number of Female Physicians Increasing Alma R. George, M.D„ examines the status of American physicians historically and currently in an article, "African American Women in the Medical Profession," in the November issue of the Journal of the National Medical Association. Dr. George, of Detroit, i president of the National Medica Association. She states that it was only aftei 1970 that the number of all women in medicine increased greatly, rising from 7.1 percent in 1970 to 15.3 percent in 1986. "It has been estimated by the Department of Manpower and Demographic Studies of the American Medical Association that, by 1996, 40 percent of new medical school graduates will be women, and by the year 2010, women will represent 29.4 percent of all active physicians." Data on all African American physicians are scarce but data on African American women pnysictans are even more ditficuU to trace, Dr. George writes. In 1920, there were 65 African American women physicians, by 1970, there were 1,051 and 3,153 by 1980. Dr. Rebecca Lee, who received her medical degree from New England Female Medical College in Boston in 1864, was the first documented African American woman physician in the United States, Three years later. Dr. Hearing Loss Is Making More People Listen Rebecca J. Cole graduated from Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Dr. George notes that various African American women physicians have distinguished themselves in the ensuing years up to the present. She refers to a 1983 national survey on career plans of resident physicians which indicated that "the increase of women and minority physicians during the 1970s facilitated the government’s goals for better specialty and geographic distribution of physicians.” The survey also found that minorities and women, to a greater extent than minority men or white women, were still practicing in more traditional fields: internal medicine, pediatrics, general or family practice and obstetrics and gynecology. Dr, George also discusses the number of women who are board certified, Iheir practice patterns and their leadership roles in various professional organizations. She draws two important conclusions: "First, while progress has been made since the 1970s, one may conclude that African American women are moving at a much slower pace in closing the gap between themselves and white male physicians, while minority men and non-minority women arc almost on the verge of closing the gap. Second, the African American community must not let the increase in African American women’s enrollment in medical schools come at the expense of the African American male’s enrollment and the overall minority admission percentages, which have, either leveled off or dropped in many schools over the last decade. "It is imperative that the numbers and percentages of African American male and female medical students are increased simultaneously to eradicate the insufficient number of physicians serving in the African American community." Dr. George, a surgeon, is president of the 200-physician staff of newly named Mercy Hospital in Detroit. The Journal is the official publication of the National Medical Association. NMA, headquartered in Washington, D.C.. is the oldest Black professional organization in the United States. It was founded in 1895 and speaks for more than 16,000 physicians in the U.S., including the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Its primary goal is to improve the health care of all Americans, particularly the poor and underserved minority population. -I Your body, your skin O you dial-ogiie DEAR DIALOGUE: Are there such things as growing pains? My son complains of pain in his legs. C.E., Highland Park, Mich. TV-Free Activities DEAR C.E.: Dr. Barton Schmitt of Children's Hospital in Denver, Colo., says, yes. Mild leg aches brought on by bursts in physical activity, they 24fect one in 10 school-age children. Stretching exercises help. CHICAGO, III. — Do you feel that when you’re talking to your children it goes in one ear and out of. the other? It may be more ilian youthful inattention but a cause for real concern. Audiologists arc reporting an increase in hearing loss among school-aged children and young adults. This has created a great concern for parents and educators alike. Mona Thomas, of mC American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), writes about hearing loss in the December/January issue of the National PTA’s award-winning magazine PTA Today. "More than 21 million Americans, including many children and teenagers, are exposed everyday to noise levels that could result in permanent hearing loss," says Thomas. "Amplified musical instruments, farm machinery, power tools operated in industrial arts classes and firearms have been cited as sources of noise responsible for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) among school-age children and teenagers," she continues. The National PTA offers the following suggestions to help keep noise levels down. * Sound proof your home. Hard surfaces such as tile floors and bare walls amplify noise. Use draperies, carpets and bulky furniture to soak up the sound. * Monitor your child’s use of personal stereo systems. Make sure that they do not wear the headset for prolonged periods of time. Also tell them not turn up the volume to drown out environmental noise because they will just compound the hearing damage. * Avoid loud music. When listening to music, don’t sit close to the sound source. If you’re like many parents, you’d probably like to replace some of your youngster's TV viewing with more family lime. Well you can. say Steve and Ruth Bennett. The games and ac tivities you can come up with require little or no preparation, yet provide hours of enieriainmenl and play that might otherwise be spent in front ot the lube. Happily, just about any kind of con tainer, lid. or cardboard tube can be turned into a nifty toy or activity. Did you know that: •Unused paper towel -tubes a squandered precious re.sourcc. They can be used for everything from a tele scope to the main piece of a wind chi' ne. •The tops of plastic containers make great dials and meters for play dashboards. Plastic m;’k jugs make great piggy bank J catcher’.s mitts. •Cotton from ' v.min bottles is ver/ important for .aking puppet hair, volcano smoke and other items. These are just some of the ideas taken from the Bennetts’ new book, 365 TV-Free Activities You Can Do With Your Child ($6.95, Bob Adams, Inc.) The bestselling book is based on their experience in raising children without television. DEAR DIALOGUE: I need some major dental work and I'm petrified. Do you have any advice for me? B.D., Milwaukee, Wise, DEAR HD.: Sure do, and here it is: Try to avoid traveling during the middle of dental work. Pressure changes induced by changes in altitude while flying or iiii. toring can cause intense pain in incomplete root canal work. Aspirin can relieve pain somewhat, but it should be swallowed—not placed on a sore tooth. Oil of dove, applied in a cotton ball ground the tooth can help, too. If you should knock out a tooth, keep it moist and rush to a dentist. It might be saved. Neither ice nor whiskey applied to a toothache will much relieve it. A loose crown can be kept in place temporarily with denture adhesive. And, when all the work is complete, you'll be relie' ed it’s over. Fortunately new equipment and techniques have greatly improved dental processes and cause minimal discomfort. DEAR DIALOGUE: I want to increq the fiber in my diet. Whicj fruits and vegetables should I choosd W.M., Inglewood, Cali) DEAR W.M.: The National Canc^ Institute recommends that adul| consume 25 to 40 grams of fiber ea(| day. Here are some good sources vegetable fiber, baked potato with ski mixed vegetables, Brussel sprou com, winter squash, raw carrot, ai cooked broccoli. Pieces of fruit high fiber include: dried figs, apple with sk fresh pear, dried dates, prunes, orani and kiwi. These all range between 2 5 grams of fiber per serving. But highest scores for fiber are in bea and cereals. Many of the bran-h cereals contain 8 to 14 grams of fit per half cup. And three-fourths serving of pinto beans has almost grams, kidney beans -14 grams, bal beans -13 grams and black-eyed pe 12 grams. ir-kirir DEAR DIALOGUE: We eat a lol chicken and I fear getting sick salmonella, (bacteria) on fresh chick How can I get more information. JX, Houston, DEAR JX: Call the toll-free Meat Poultry Hotline, set up by Department of Agriculture Washington, DC. Dial I-8()()-5354f Do you have a question about personal hygiene or wellness. Write The Dial Corporation, Dial Tower, Phoenix, AZ 85077-2' For a personal reply send a SASE SAFE BABYSITTINC * If you must engage in noisy activities, alternate them with periods of quiet. Give your ears time to rest. * Help control environmental noise. For exposure to noise you cannot control, cover your ears tightly with your hands. If your community has a noise ordinance, find out what you can do to help enforce it. * Most important, be aware of the early signs of hearing loss. When you suspect a hearing loss — in yourself or your children — consult a certified audiologist for a hearing evaluation and treatment. Parents often turn to teenage babysitters to watch their children after school and on the weekends. Dr. Patricia Keener, founder of Safe Sitter, Inc., recommends that parents talk with their babysitters about precautionary steps that can ensure children's safety. Safe Sitter, a not-for-profit, medically-oriented instructional program, trains adoles cents in safe babysitting skills. “Parents should encourage babysitters to come early so that there is plenty of time for the child to ad just to the sitter’s presence, the par ents’ departure and for the parents to discuss the job responsibilities,” rec ommends Dr. Keener. “If the children are playing out side, it is important to discuss the possibility of bee stings,” Keener warns. Sitters should be cautioned to avoid any chance of exposure if the child they are caring for has a history of allergic reaction to bee stings. Young children may enjoy jump ing and playing in piles of leaves. Dr. Keener recommends that parents counsel sitters to keep rakes safely out of the way and to be sure the leaf pile is free of sticks or other sharp objects before allow ing the children to jump. “Of course, the children should also be reminded to jump feet first,” Keener warns. Whenever children are outdoors. Dr. Keener strongly recommends that sitters never leave them unattended. “Sitters should always stay with the children,” she said. “Teenagers love horror shows and it might be wise to discuss television viewing with the sitter to specifically prohibit shows which the teen may not realize are nightmare material for the young child,” reminds Dr. Keener. Dr. Keener emphasizes taking the time to discuss accident prevention with sitters. “There are no short cuts to taking time to discuss these issues. In addi tion, you should leave the numbe an available adult who could com vour home immediately if an dent should occur and your si needs the support of an adult. A aid chart should also be availab! your home and should be pointed to your sitter along with first aid plies,” recommends Dr. Keener, Above all. Dr. Keener believes education is the best defense ag: accidents. “White knowing first is important, learning how to pre accidents is more important.” The national Safe Sitter prof is funded in large part by a from The Gerber Companies F dation. For further information the Safe Sitter program, write to Sitter, ISOON.RitterAve.,Indian lis, IN 46219. To help make the home a place for young children, Gerbe fers a free booklet. The Gerber S Guide. The informational book filled with safety tips and sug practical measures to help pn accidents. Copies of The Gerber Safety are available upon written requt Gerber Products Company, Dept Sitter, 445 State St., Fremont 49413.
The Carolina Times (Durham, N.C.)
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Dec. 28, 1991, edition 1
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