> •
T he P ortland O bserver • S eptember 4, 1996
P age A 7
H e a lth
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Fighting AIDS
The Urban League of Portland is
increasing its efforts to help prevent
the spread of HIV/A1DS in the Port­
land area, particularly in the African
American community. The League
has created an HIV/AIDS Com m u­
nity Outreach Office to provide pre­
vention ed ucation and co n n ect
people who arc HIV positive with
appropriate services.
“Our goal is to be aggressive the
awareness of HI V/AIDS in the Afri­
can American community and to
partner with other agencies and or­
ganizations in this important work,”
said League President and CEO
Lawrence J. Dark. Mr Dark serves
on the American Red Cross National
HIV/AIDS Education Review Panel,
which reviewsall HIV/AIDS related
materials produced by the Red Cross
for the Centers of Disease Control.
Urban League staff m em bers
Ameera Saahir, Cecil Prescod and
Terry Durst assist with outreach and
education efforts. A total of six Ur­
ban League staff members have re­
ceived training in teaching HIV/
AIDS education to communities of
color. In September several Urban
League staff will discuss their work
before the first annual African Ameri­
can W ellness Conference in Port­
land.
National and local statistics indi­
cate a rising number of HIV/AIDS
cases in communities of color. The
Make the most out of
your physical
Urban League o f Portland HIV/AIDS outreach staff (from left) Cecil
Prescod, Ameera Saahir and Terry Durst.
Urban League is focusing it out­
reach efforts on groups within the
African American com m unity. “Dif­
ferent groups in our community have
different needs,” said the League’s
Terry Durst. “W omen who are HIV
Positive need a support system that
is appropriate for their culture.
Young people who are HIV positive
are often cut off from their families.
The rate o f infection for African
American men is nearly five times
greater than for white men.”
The Urban League has developed
a number of HIV/AIDS education/
prevention and client services pro­
grams. One goal is to encourage
people who are H IV +toutilize avail-
able health services, with a special
emphasis on communities o f color.
Research indicates that people of
color with HIV are less likely to
know about and utilize health ser­
vices. The Urban League is working
to develop a sense of community
and individual responsibility for the
risk o f HIV infection.
For more information about U r­
ban L eague pro g ram s, c o n ta c t
Ameera Saahir or Cecil Prescod at
280-2643.
T he U rban L eague o f P o rtlan d
is a n on-profit, co m m unity-based
hum an s e rv ic e , e c o n o m ic and
so c ia l ju s tic e a g e n c y se rv in g
youth and fam ilies, stu d e n ts, jo b
seek ers, and sen io rs in the m etro
area.
Pregnant? Don't eat peanuts
More and more children are be­
coming allergic to peanuts and this
could be because more pregnant
women are eating them, sensitizing
their unborn babies, British doctors
said Friday.
Allergy to peanuts is the most
common cause of fatal allergic reac­
tion to food. In severe cases just a
tiny amount of peanut is needed to
set off a reaction.
Dr. Jonathan Hourihane and col­
leagues at Southampton General
Hospital tested 622 adults and chil­
dren with known or suspected pea­
nut allergy. They found it is more
common than believed.
Reporting in the British Medical
Journal, they said just over one per­
cent of the British population was
allergic to peanuts, while seven per­
cent of brothers or sisters o f som e­
one allergic to peanuts were also
allergic.
Mothers of allergic children were
also more likely to be allergic than
fathers, and the researchers said they
found a tendency for allergy to run in
families.
“It has been suggested that before
first exposure to peanut foods some
infants have been sensitised to pea­
nut by infant milk formulas that con­
tain peanut protein or peanut oil,”
they wrote.
“Our simple survey of peanut con­
sum ption during pregnancy and
breast feeding by mothers of these
children with peanut allergy may
suggest that they are being exposed
to peanut allergens in utero or via
breast milk.”
They suggested that pregnant and
breast-feeding women avoid peanuts
— especially if they have otherallcr-
gies.
In a second study, Dr. Syed Tariq
and colleagues at St. M ary’s Hospi­
tal in Newport found that one in 100
children can become allergic to pea­
nuts by the age of four.
Tests on 1,200 children showed
that those born to families with aller­
gies were much more prone to pea­
nut and nut allergies and should avoid
both.
They also found that children with
peanut allergies always had some
other allergy, such as eczem a or
asthma.
Drug from flower still useful
Digitalis, a popular heart drug de­
rived from a common garden flower,
still stands up pretty well against so­
phisticated mixlern pharmaceuticals,
doctors said Monday.
Heart specialists attending the Eu­
ropean Congress of Cardiology in Bir­
mingham debated just what aspects of
heart disease digitalis was good for —
but they agreed the old-fashioned treat­
ment still had its uses.
The artist Vincent van Gogh was
prescribed digitalis and painted his
doctor holding the foxglove plant from
which it is extracted. But the drug has
been subjected to few clinical trials,
perhaps because of its venerable repu­
tation.
Richard Gorlin of the Mount Sinai
Medical Center in New York headed a
study of 8,(XX) patients given a drug
derived from digitalis, called digoxin,
for congestive heart failure — when
the heart does not pump effectively
and blood backs up in the system.
He said digoxin had little effect on
deaths. “There was no impact on mor­
tality,” he told a news conference.
But, he said, 25 to 30 percent fewer
patients had to be hospitalised for con­
gestive heart failure — indicating that
the drug was doing some good. Pa­
tients were, however, hospitalised for
other problems at the same rate as
heart patients not given digoxin.
William Littler, chief of cardiology
at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in
Birmingham, said digoxin made pa­
tients feel better even if it did not
lengthen their lives.
The next time you go for a com­
plete physical exam, "brown bag” it.
“Sweep all prescription and over-
the-counter medications from the bed­
side table and medicine cabinet into
a paper bag and take them to your
physician," said Dr. Isaac Kleinman,
associate professor of family medi­
cine at Baylor College of Medicine
in Houston.
“This is especially important when
you're accompanying elderly family
members who are treated by several
specialists to be sure their drugs are
not incompatible, unnecessary or
outdated," he said.
Also, take along notes on your
health history. Make a list of major
illnesses, surgeries and immuniza­
tions you have had and the years they
occurred, and note serious health
problems that have run in your fam­
ily.
"The patient’s medical history is
the most important part of a health
checkup,” Kleinman said. “Most di­
Digitalis, a popular heart drug
derived from a com m on garden
flower, still stands up pretty well
against sophisticated modern phar­
maceuticals, doctors said Monday.
Heart specialists attending the Eu­
ropean Congress of Cardiology in
Birmingham debated just what as­
pects of heart disease digitalis was
good for — but they agreed the old-
fashioned treatment still had its uses.
The artist Vincent van Gogh was
prescribed digitalis and painted his
doctor holding the foxglove plant
from which it is extracted. But the
drug has been subjected to few clini­
cal trials, perhaps because of its ven­
erable reputation.
Richard Gorlin of the Mount Sinai
Medical Center in New York headed
a study of 8,(XX) patients given a
drug derived from digitalis, called
digoxin, for congestive heart failure
— when the heart does not pump
effectively and blood backs up in the
system.
He said digoxin had little effect
on deaths. “There was no impact on
mortality,” he told a news confer­
ence.
But, he said, 25 to 30 percent
fewer patients had to be hospitalised
for congestive heart failure — indi­
cating that the drug was doing some
good. P atients w ere, h o w ev er,
hospitalised for other problems at
W e e k e n d s^ O ff is making
Weekends Off—
believers out of thousands of
ski lost 40 pounds
in 25 iok I q I
people just like you. They’re
discovering that, if they give
themselves a break, it’s easier to
stay on track and see the results
they want.
the same rate as heart patients not
given digoxin.
William Littler, chief of cardiol­
ogy at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital
in Birmingham, said digoxin made
patients feel better even if it did not
lengthen their lives.
"Digoxin clearly improves symp­
toms,” he said.
He said the nature of heart disease
had changed in the 200 years since
digitalis was first prescribed by an
English doctor intrigued by the suc­
cess of an old woman herbalist.
There were fewer cases of rheu­
matic heart disease arising from fe­
vers and more cases o f coronary
heart disease, which is often related
to a high-fat diet.
He said digoxin was still one of
the best drugs for heart arrhythmias,
or irregular heart-beat rhythm s,
which affect 15 percent of westerners
over the age of 70.
Healthvan cruises
your neighborhood
The Adventist Medical Center
I lealthvan travels to various Port-
land-area locations each month, of­
fering free and low-cost health test­
ing, screenings and education.
Services are open to the public
at each site.
-Sept. 6— United Way DA Y OF
CA R IN G , Pioneer C ourthouse
Square, 701 SW 6th Ave., 11:15am-
1:30pm. 228-9131.
-Sept. 8 - Race fo r the Cure, Wa­
terfront Park, Front Avenue. 423-
2365.
-Sept. 10— Fringe Benefits Fair,
David Douglas High School. 1500
SE 130th. 261-8225.
-S e p t. 15—A m erica n H eart
Walk, Springwater Corridor Trail,
1200 N Main, Gresham, OR. 233-
0100.
-Sept. 20— "Spirit S u m m it" Re­
gional Drug Initiative, Salvation
A rm y(M ooreCenter),5335N Wil­
liams Avenue. 294-7074.
-Sept. 22— Fujitsu Classic 8K
Benefit Run, Main City Park, Gre­
sham, OR. 251-6162.
-Sept. 24—Hollywood Senior
Center, 1820 NE 40th. 288-8303.
-Sept. 26 -V alu e Village, 82nd
& SE Foster. 771-5472.
Make Self Care A Priority
o«f
Making a personal commitment to take time o ut for
you may mean reshuffling priorities.
With our unique roles as mother, wife, sisters, career
women - and sometimes all of the above - our schedule
is already full.
Cherish your body fo r the great g ift th a t it is, and give
it the best of care.
It is recommended th a t women 4 0 and older get
annual health exams. Early detection saves lives.
GET
In fact, it’s
so effective,
you can lose a
clothing size in 4 weeks.
Believe it...Weekends Off
can work for you!
For Information
Call collect
Weekdays 8:30 am-5:00 pm
503-297-1021 f 9
•I
The Race for the C u re * has a finish line —the eradication
which lab tests the physician requests
and the need for additional proce­
dures, such as a sigmoidoscopy )vie w
ing the lower colon through a lube
inserted in the rectum).
K leinm an recom m ends that
healthy adults get a full physical ev­
ery five years, starting at age 20.
A blixxl-pressurecheck. Pap smear
and breast exam should be done ev­
ery year.
Starting at age 40, you should have
a rectal exam and a test for blood in
the stool every year and get your
eyeball pressure checked for glau­
coma every two years.
Starting at age 45, women should
have a mammogram annually.
“Always ask your doctor to ex­
plain any thing you don’t understand,”
Kleinman said. "Be sure to find out
whether your lab results will be re­
ported to you by phone, letter or in
person during your next visit. Don’t
assume there’s nothing wrong if you
don’t hear from your doctor.”
Red wine for your heart
W e ig h t W a tc h e rs
CDiiine '•Pontolillo
Losecar believes in
agnoses are based on this informa­
tion."
During the physical exam, your doc­
tor should:
-Note weight, blood pressure, pulse
and temperature
-Inspect the eyes, ears, nose and
throat
-Listen to the heart and lungs for
unusual sounds
-Test for sensation in fingers and
feet
-Check rellexes and balance
-Check the abdomen, lymph nixies
and breasts for swelling or lumps
-Inspect the skin for lesions, rashes
or other abnormalities
-Do a rectal exam (including check
for prostate cancer in men)
Order a blood and urine analysis
-Check for blood in the stool.
Women should also have a Pap
smear, pelvic exam and mammogram.
Men should have a testicular exam.
Remember that your life-style, age
and other health problems will affect
If you are 4 0 or older you may
ualify fo ra free Women’s Health
hock, which includesa pap te s t
and mammogram.
2
Sign Up for the Race For The Cure
September 8th, 1996
For more information call 795-3908
ol breast cancer as a life-threatening disease. You can help
V '-jd k p
us win. IX ) a monthly breast self examination. And support
the Race. Please join us to walk, run or simply cheer.
Presented by JCPenney
Proceeds from the Race for the Cure* help fund breast
NATtONAI SPONSORS-
cancer research, education, screening and treatment. For
more information, call (503) 242-1874.
A*A
Sunday, September 8, 8am
Waterfront Park, Portland
© M ®
M
Susan G. Komen
Breast Cancer Foundation
NanOMAt NOMOUtr (MAR )*AMC< (AMMU UUTH
Vanina
il
Join Any Meeting Anytime!
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•This is Diane Pontolillo Losecar's experience. As people vary, so do individual weight
loss, maintenance and results.
* 1996 Weight Watchers International. Inc Owner ol the WEIGHT WATCHERS trademark All rights reserved
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