Herald & Lantern 15 June '83

55

Rx

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by Dr Robert G Batman

To complete our understanding of high blood pressure, today we will discuss the role of diet in the management of hypertension, as well as several of the classes of drugs used in blood pressure treatment. There has been some controversy over the role o7 / salt in causing hyperten- / sion. However, the basic concept is that salt holds fluid in the body. This excess fluid can prove to be a heavy burden to the heart Overeaters

Offers Help For Cape May County residents who can’t push themselves away from the table help may be at hand Overeaters Anonymous, which operates through the same world service organization as Alcoholics Anonymous, is holding mutual assistance meetings at two sites in the county. 10 a m. Saturdays at Burdette Tomlin Memorial Hospital. Court House, 'call Sue or Anna. 886-8819* and 7:30 p.m Mondays, 3100 Dune Dr. Avalon (call Monica. 967-7588).

of a hypertensive person. Research has shown that it is possible to lower many people’s blood pressure by stopping their salt intake. THIS DOESN’T just mean that you stop adding salt at the table. It requires a serious study of labels on cans, packaging, asking questions at restaurartts. in other words, avoiding all salt sources possible In some cases this will be sufficient to hold blood pressure to a normal level. Often it is necessary to remove tven more salt than the amount eliminated by your special salt-free diet. To accomplish this, your doctor may give you a type of drug called a “diuretic” or "water pill.” This drug aids your body in ridding itself of excess salt. If a diuretic alone is not sufficient, even stronger anti-hypertension drugs may be needed. Some drugs relax those blood vessels which are tight and narrowed, making them dilate and thus lowering the blood pressure. Alternatively. the doctor may select a type of drug that sends a special message through your nervous system to the blood vessels telling them not to constrict in the first place IT IS FREQUENTLY the case that people who are

County ^^0 Library by Kathleen Dully

“What's the matter with kids today?” From my vantage point in a free, non-graded, nonthreatening environment at the County Library, if our future depends on the intelligence and creativity of our young adults, it’s in great hands. If you attempt to see past the current physical fads and slang, you will find, on the most part, intelligence, humor, technological expertise and an astounding amount of creativity. A recent Design Your Own Superhero Contest at the County Library highlighted artistic, writing and some research skills. The truly wonderful part is how they express their concerns for the future through their creative efforts. Superheros who protect animals, forests or some form of nature was by far the overwhelming popular concept, mirroring their creators concerns in this area. A UNICORN with rain bow wings and “Bright Eyes” from the planet of Hope were fourth grade en-

/ tries centering on the power of peace and the ability to end conflicts Those contestants who mentioned nuclear energy and exposure to its wastes more often described it destructively tlan the idea that it could erant super powers, a concfcpt popular in comic books that youngsters are rejecting. Most marvelous of all is the ability to see humor in their own behavior pat terns — The Superhero Fad Lady has the ability to regulate the tastes and fads of thousands in the United States and is reportedly responsible for Walkman radios, friendship pins, Pac-man and even Garfield. This creativity and insightfulness extends to the lower grades and give me iaith in the forthcoming generations. A recent visit from author Kathleen Stevens, who read her two books and discussed writing and publishing a book brought forth reams of stories that were absolutely delightful So if you are worried about the kids today — Relax!

Our Readers Write (From Page 54) the long block, we parked, feeling confident that we were legal Treating law-abiding citizens in the above manner, and then slapping an additional ($20) traffic ticket on top of the already exorbitant towing charge, is a travesty on justice and should not be allowed to continue. There is no reason under the sun why there should not have been signs posted on the north side Jackson street - unless the city fathers in their “wisdom" have deliberately seen to it that such signs are not posted We shall remember Cape May. not for its beautiful Victorian buildings, but rather for the callous “racket" on Jackson Street

MR. AND MRS. LAWRENCE LUCKER MR. AND MRS R.G McCONNELL Springfield Delaware County, Pa.

Dart$ Word QUITE A CROWD — A family reunion involving about 100 relatives from 12 states was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. James Gallagher of Sea Isle City Saturday. Left to right, Gert Donnelly. Tina Remy, John Donnelly, hosts Nancy and James Gallagher, all of Sea Isle City, pose before a collage of family photos.

overweight or obese have high blood pressure. One theory explains that since the overweight have so much more body tissue to feed, the heart has to work harder to meet the body's needs, and as a result the pressure is raised. For this reason, overweight persons need to pay special atten tion to blood pressure Part of your treatment plan, if you are overweight, will be a gradual weight loss pro gram. You will probably lower your pressure by losing weight. Stress docs not cause high blood pressure However, your emotional reaction to stress can cause you to raise your pressure if you already, have hypertension On rare occasions we hear of someone who has a fit of anger and dies shortly thereafter of a stroke This person pro bably had not been checked for hypertension and was not on medicine to control blood pressure. DURING ANGER the blood pressure spiked, and with no medicine there was nothing to stop the increas ing pressure and blood vessels in the brain to burst This is not to say that someone on blood pressure medication cannot have a stroke, just that those with controlled blood pressure are less likely to have strokes. Research has shown that

some people can be taught to lower their pressure using bio-feedback techni ques. They can literally learn to calm their body Much of this work is ex perimental, but it is a pro^ mising area of research It is important to emphasize that your pressure is a changing set of numbers You can expect your physician to monitor your blood pressure and medication regularly As you age. gain and lose

weight, develop different diseases, or change your activity levels, your pressure medications may need to change as well. IT IS.ALSO essential that you follow your medication schedule closely I know of one sad case where a man decided he felt well and stopped taking his pressure medicine You will recall that hypertension in most cases has no symptoms Unfortunately this man attempted to stack firewood

in his yard a few days after stopping his medication His heart could not stand the strain without help from the pressure medication, and he died With the wonderful progress in hypertension treatment, this man probably caused his death unnecessarily PJease, have your preflsure checked regularly and'if it is high, follow your doctor's treatment plan closely You might save your life

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Cool Off with Cold

Contact any participating air conditioning contractor or dealer now We don t care what brand you buy We |ust want you to gel more for your energy dollar Get the best deal you can find before August 21, 1983 And fill out a certiticate tor our cash rebate of $20 to $90 for installing a new window air conditioner. $75 to $340 on central systems One that has 9 EER or higher The sooner your new air conditioner is installed the sooner you'll start saving money on your cooling bill. And the sooner you II get your Colo Cash Rebate from Atlantic Electric

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Atlantic Electric Serving a million people in Southern New Jersey

‘(In existing homes only )