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Page 16
^orttani» (Obsemer
O ctober 12, 2011
H E A LTH
Sickle Cell
Awareness
Officials said a pan left on the stove o f a downstairs unit
caused a fire that killed a woman in an upstairs unit at the
Normandy Apartments at Northeast 46th and Killingsworth.
Women Dies in
Northeast Fire
An elderly woman died and two
others were injured after a fire broke
out Thursday in a northeast Port
land apartment building.
The fire broke out around 11 a.m.
at the Normandy Apartments at 46th
and Killingsworth, where firefighters
battled 1,000 degree temperatures.
When fire crews arrived on the
scene, the residents of two apartment
complexes filled the parking lot. Two
people jumped from a second story
window to escape the fire.
Mary Jackson, 88, died after be
ing trapped by flames in an up
stairs unit, officials said. The stair
well to her apartment was engulfed
with flames.
Officials determined the fire was
caused by a pan that was left on
top of a stove in a downstairs unit.
About 50 firefighters fought the
fire, fighting it from the roof and
from the unit below.
D r . J ames
N. M artin J r .
by
An estimated 100,000 people in
the U.S. have sickle cell anemia, an
inherited, lifelong disorder that af
fects the red blood cells. While the
disease is most common among
African Americans, it also occurs in
people of Hispanic, Indian, Carib
bean, Mediterranean, Middle East
ern, and South Asian descent.
Red blood cells move oxygen
from the lungs throughout the body.
Normal red blood cells are round,
doughnut-shaped, and able to move
easily through the blood vessels.
They live for about 120 days.
In contrast, sickle cells are abnor
mal, crescent-shaped red blood cells.
Stiff and sticky, they have a ten
dency to block blood flow in the
blood vessels of the limbs and or
gans which can lead to pain, serious
infections, and organ damage. Sickle
cells are also fragile, dying after just
10 to 20 days and leaving the blood
with a lower than normal amount of
red blood cells (anemia).
An estimated two million people
in the U.S. are sickle cell carriers,
meaning that though they have no
symptoms, they have inherited one
sickle cell gene from a parent and
could pass it along to their children.
When two sickle cell carriers have
a child together, there is a 25 percent
chance that the child will be bom
with the disease. Most states rou
tinely test newborns for sickle cell
disease before they leave the hospi
tal.
Symptoms of sickle cell disease
include swelling in the hands and
feet (often the first sign of sickle cell
anemia in babies), episodes of pain,
frequent infections, delayed growth
in babies and children and late on
set of puberty in teens, vision prob
lems, and an increased risk of stroke.
Classic symptoms of anemia such
as weakness, tiredness, a pale or
washed out complexion, and yel
lowing of the skin and whites of the
eyes (jaundice) may also be present.
Sickle cell disease can worsen
during pregnancy and increase the
risk of preterm birth and low-birth-
weight babies. Special prenatal care
is needed, so women with sickle cell
disease who are pregnant or con
sidering pregnancy should consult
with their doctors.
Daily antibiotics for infants and
children from two months to five years
of age, routine childhood immuniza
tions, blood transfusions, and medi
cations are commonly used treat
ments. Eating right, staying hydrated,
exercising, getting enough sleep, and
developing a pain management plan
are important strategies for improv
ing quality of life. Blood and marrow
stem cell transplants may cure sickle
cell disease in some individuals, but
the procedure is risky and success is
not guaranteed.
People with sickle cell anemia
may have a reduced life expectancy,
though with the medical advances
and treatm ents available today,
many live into their 40s, 50s, and
beyond.
Dr. James N. Martin Jr. is presi
dent o f the American Congress o f
Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
America Loses Weight, a Little
Dr. Billy R. Flowers (above center) and his skilled sta ff are ready to help those in need
■
THE
SPINACOLUMN
ÎM
An ongoing senes of questions and answers about Americas natural healing profession
rt 4* Stress: H o w Chiropractic can
help ease life's day-to-day pressin g s.
I hear a lot about stress
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: I have a very stressfull job.
How can Chiropractic help me?
erly. What's more, today's Chiro
practors can also help you with
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: Modem Chiropractic care can such as yoga, message and visu
, : Stress causes high blood
help de-stress your body. By alization. For less stress, or more
pressure, which in turn is a helping your nervous system work answers to any questions you
major cause of strokes and heart more smoothly. Chiropractic helps might have about your health,
disease. It can lead to asthma, assure that all your body funcions you'll find that Chiropractic is
arthritis, insomnia and migraines. (including the ones negatively af often the answer. Call us for an
It impairs the immune system and fected by stress) are working prop appointment today.
is estimated to cost the nation
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2124 NE Hancock, Portland Oregon 97212
health care costs. That’s pretty
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Flowers' Chiropractic Office
Phone: (503) 287*5504
The percentage of Americans
who are overweight or obese fell
slightly in the third quarter of this
year, but they still make up a major
ity of the population, a Gallup poll
showed Friday.
Some 36.6 percent were a normal
weight, up a percentage point from
a year earlier, while 35.8 percent
were overweight, down from 36.0
percent, and 25.8 percent were obese,
down from 26.6 percent.
Black Americans, the middle-aged
and those earning less than $36,000 a
year remained most likely to be obese
— but even in those categories, said
Gallup in a statement, the trend was
either stable or declining.
"Although the majority of Ameri
cans are still overweight or obese, it
is an encouraging sign that obesity
rates are trending downward in the
U.S. and among demographic sub
groups," the pollsters said.
H ealth
Sm oke-Free S u p p o rt G ro u p -
Meets Mondays, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. For
information, call 503-256-4000.
Family Caregiver Support G roup -
- This topic-oriented group offers a
safe place to discuss the stresses,
challenges and rewards of provid
ing care to an older relative or friend.
Meets the first Thursday of each
month at 3 p.m. at Legacy Good
Samaritan Hospital.
some gentle ancient African yoga
poses and mental balancing tech
niques. People have left these
classes joyful and with a peaceful
viewoftheir lives. Call Dr. Marceline
Failla at 503-228-6140.
Tenderfoot Care — Treat your feet
with a soak, nail trim, buffing and
massage from a licensed nurse at
one of six clinics or at your home.
Call 503-251 -6303 for more informa
tion.
Free Body Basics - This physician
recommended class is appropriate Cancer Resource Center — Provi
for all ages and health conditions. dence St. Vincent Medical Center
Plan to attend this one-session class and the American Red Cross have
and learn the simple guidelines for joined forces to create the first in-
safe exercises, including stretching. hospital resource center providing
Call 503-256-4000 to register.
books, printed material, computer
access and more for individuals and
Empowerment through Relaxation
families dealing with cancer. The
-- Free informal meditation classes
center is open Monday through
that address breathing techniques.
Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.