News Letter 2006 08

M. A. SMITH

A PROFESSIONAL LAW CORPORATION

MASAPLC.COM

Michael A. Smith, Attorney at Law

319 E. Foothill Blvd., #C Voice - (626) 357-1177

Arcadia, CA 91006 Facsimile - (626) 357-4588

August 2006 No. 15

Tired of paying phone companies for information you cannot look up yourself? When you need information, dial 1-800-FREE-411 or 1-800-373-3411. You get the information you want but do not pay a fee. It works on cell phones, too! Thanks Judi M.

For one in three people, aging brings the problem of hearing loss. It is usually gradual and difficult to recognize. By age 75, half of us clearly miss elements of conversation and often ask, “What did you say”? Those who suffer with vision limitations know their abilities are waning and take corrective measures, but hearing loss is not as easy.

Age related hearing loss, called presbycusis, occurs when the cilia, or tiny internal hairs, normally moved by different frequencies of sound, age and become less responsive. Once the cilia are impaired, hearing loss manifests itself in one of two different ways or sometimes a combination of both. The most common is loss of high-frequency sounds. As the ability to hear higher frequencies wanes, parts of words literally disappear and the resulting sound is unintelligible, as if the speaker were mumbling. The second pattern has nothing to do with frequency. This loss shows up across the board with all sounds being muffled, not just those in particular frequencies.

While some people develop hearing loss as a result of specific causes, including certain diseases or trauma, presbycusis generally develops over time for a variety of reasons; genetics, oxygen flow, noise and nutritional deficiencies, to name a few.

If it sounds like people are mumbling consider seeing an audiologist to have your hearing tested. Bottom Line Daily Health News

One third (1/3) of the employers surveyed in a recent study, admitted to firing employees for violating company e-mail policies. People do not see the difference between phone conversations and e-mail--but legally, there is a very big difference, says Keith Crosley of Proofpoint.

Nearly 40 percent of employers surveyed have people whose job it is to read other employee’s e-mails. Almost half the employers regularly check the contents of e-mails sent by employees. Yet, an alarming number of workers do not realize they are being watched, despite the recently, highly publicized corporate scandals.

Some firms have rules against using company e-mail for personal use, and that is all it takes to get fired. Another likely firing offense is sending messages with “unacceptable content” such as racist or sexist jokes or smutty stories or pictures. Then, of course, there are those who use workplace e-mail for criminal behavior like stealing customers’ credit card or Social Security information.

Though more than 80 percent of surveyed firms have written policies outlining acceptable e-mail use, only half gave workers formal training. If you work for a company and are unfamiliar with their e-mail guidelines, check with your boss or tech department.

Remember: Don’t put anything in an e-mail you wouldn’t want the whole world to see. Thanks Fred C.

A woman made pancakes for her healthy 14-year-old son, using a mix from her pantry. He said they

tasted "funny," but ate them anyway. About 10 minutes later, he began having difficulty breathing and his lips began turning purple. He took an allergy pill and sat on the sofa to relax; his breathing quite labored. His father heated some water and had him lean over the water so the steam could clear his chest and sinuses. Soon, his breathing became more regular and his lips returned to a more normal color. A check of the expiration date on the pancake mix showed it had expired.

The woman researched the incident and found an article that mentioned a 19-year-old man who DIED after eating pancakes made from outdated mix. The mold that forms in old mixes can be toxic. Many people are shopping at warehouse-type stores and buying in “large quantities.” It is doubly important to take time and check the expiration date on all foods before using them, especially if not used often.

Medications carry expiration dates, too, and, if outdated, can be every bit as toxic as foods.

A recent study showed people are likely to seek testing for conditions they believe to be severe but treatable. However, they are unlikely to do the same for illnesses they see as severe and untreatable; e.g., cancer, Alzheimer’s, and HIV/AIDS.

If people believe they have no control, they may not seek information about their health status even if they are at risk. In fact, they may go out of their way to actively avoid information, said Erica Dawson, assistant professor of organizational behavior and fellow of the Center for Customer Insights at the Yale School of Management in New Haven, CT. Thanks Fred C.

62.7% of workers consider the 60-minute lunch hour the biggest myth in office life.

Employees are forgoing the traditional lunch and taking abbreviated afternoon breaks instead, using the time they'd normally eat to keep working or get errands done. It's a sign of how “time-starved” employees have become. Blame it on too much work, not enough time for personal errands and greater productivity demands.

Some lunches are forfeited by employees, but companies have come under fire for not granting workers enough of a break.

In 2005, a California jury awarded more than $172 million to more than 100,000 current and former Wal-Mart workers who claimed they were illegally denied lunch breaks and asked to clock back in before their breaks were over.

Executives, professionals and other non-hourly employees are generally not entitled, under federal law, to a lunch break, according to Robin Bond, an employment lawyer in Wayne, PA. However, hourly paid employees or those covered under union collective bargaining agreements are typically supposed to get regular breaks, including a 30-minute lunch after 5-hours work. Plus, some states have their own statutes mandating lunch breaks for workers. Thanks Fred C.

Of the nearly 3,000 healthy people ages 70 to 79 in a multi-center U.S. study, those able to complete a 1/4 mile walking test in good time were found to be 3 times as likely to live longer and were much less likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease and physical disability as they aged. The test was done every six months and periodic evaluations were made for an average of five years. The study supports the use of the extended walking test as a baseline for fitness in seniors. Thanks Fred C.

Chronic sinusitis, the most common chronic disease in the US, is still on the rise and fast becoming resistant to antibiotics. Conventional treatment of sinusitis (antibiotics) has created a very difficult situation. Instead of curing the disease it has made an already stubborn illness even more difficult to manage. Overuse of antibiotics has created an explosion of antibiotic-resistant bacteria or the so-called super-germs.

Also, repeated courses of antibiotics opens the door to yeast overgrowth and fungal infection. Research at Mayo Clinic confirms that when sinus problems become chronic, there is nearly always a fungal component.

The problem, antibiotics destroy the friendly, beneficial bacteria normally populating the digestive tract, which then opens the door for destructive fungi to flourish in body membranes, including the sinuses.

The good news is, doctors are beginning to understand it is both the presence of disease-causing organisms and an immune system weakened by the presence of the fungi overgrowth that makes a person more susceptible to chronic sinusitis.

So how can one protect themself? You must heal and restore the mucous membranes in the nose and sinuses, and strengthen the immune system. You can survive or prevent a sinus infection by:

*Take vitamin C: 1,000 to 3,000 mg 3 times daily. During an active infection you need more--3,000 to 5,000 mg 3 times daily. [Be sure to drink a lot of water. Vitamin C is known to cause kidney stones.]

*Drink six to eight glasses, or more, of water daily. Water, herbal teas, broths, diluted fruit juice, etc., moisturize the mucous membranes to help keep nasal discharge thin.

*Avoid inflammatory foods; sugar, refined white flour, red meat, fried food, dairy items, partially hydrogenated oils and additives.

*Eat antioxidant-rich foods; fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, cold-water fish and lean cuts of hormone-free meat.

*Get a lot of sleep: lack of sleep weakens the immune system and makes us more vulnerable to infection. If you do get an infection, instead of pushing yourself, take a few days to rest.

*Steam sinus troubles away. Deep-breathing steam loosens secretions in the sinuses and upper chest. Pour boiling water in a basin and cover your head and the basin with a towel. Breathing steam for 10 minutes, 3 times daily brings considerable relief. Bottom Line Daily Health News

Research shows people need an average of seven to eight hours sleep nightly for optimal health. Yet, for many, something gets in the way. Although media ads are quick to tell us a pill can solve the problem, it is not necessarily the best solution. According to Michael Twery, PhD, acting director of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research, the best way to overcome sleep challenges is to practice good sleep hygiene; institute a calming nightly routine and steer clear of caffeine and alcohol during the hours before retiring. If sleep problems continue, consult your doctor.

1. Create a routine, do the same thing before you go to bed every night; read a book, listen to soft music, etc.

4. Take the Scarlett O'Hara approach to your worries, think about them tomorrow.

5. Let the sunshine in, try to spend 15 to 30 minutes each day in the sunlight. Bottom Line Daily Health News

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