LOCAL
Roswell Daily Record
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Understanding food allergies and managing symptoms BY: JAN HOBBS, M.D.
With the r ecent outbreaks of tainted food – fr om pr oduce to pantry staples like peanut butter – Americans are paying more attention than ever to what they eat. For the several million Americans living with food intolerances and allergies, meticulously reading food labels and monitoring reactions to certain foods is an everyday routine.
Food Intolerance
A food intolerance is diffe r e nt f r o m a t r u e f o o d allergy because it does not involve the immune system. Food intolerance is an abnor mal reaction – such as abdominal pain or gas aft er consu m ing milk – after eating a certain food. Common symptoms of food intolerance include: •Gas •Cramps • B lo a ti n g an d h e a r tburn • Possibly severe nausea, headaches or vomit-
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Food Allergy
Food allergies affect an estimated six to seven million Americans and ar e becoming incr easingly common among both childr en and adults. The effects are often underestimated: a food allergy can cause serious health problems and even death. What’s mor e, a r ecent report from the Centers for Disease Control suggests that food allergies are becoming more prevalent. An October 2008 CDC study found that child food allergies alone are up 18 percent over the last decade. Some of these allergies can be outgrown in time, but others last into adulthood. A food allergy is much more serious than a food intolerance. In the case of a food allergy, the body’s immune system will perceive an ordinary food as a contaminant, and the immune system will release antibodies to fight the foreign agent. Eight types of foods are
responsible for 90 percent of food allergies, according to the CDC: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat. Symptoms can appear after exposure to only a trace amount of the allergen and can range from mild to severe. Symptoms may include: • Hives – red, swollen, itchy bumps on the skin that appear suddenly • A red, itchy rash on the skin • A stuffy or itchy nose or eyes, congestion or sneezing •Gas, stomach or abdominal cramps, vomiting or diarrhea. A severe allergic reaction, called anaphylaxis, can involve any of the
Rotary seeking professionals for travel Rotarians of Rotary District 5520, which includes New Mexico and West Texas, are seeking four outstanding professionals to visit the Capetown area in South Africa in between April 10 and May 7, 2012, as part of the Group Study Exchange program of The Rotary Foundation. Through the program, teams of professionals exchange visits between paired areas in different countries. During the visit team members share personal knowledge of their own country and experience the customs, vocations, and lifestyles
of another. The purpose of a Group Study Exchange is to promote international understanding and goodwill through person-to-person contact. While abroad, team members stay in Rotarians’ homes and have the opportunity to meet their professional counterparts. They will also give presentations to Rotary clubs and other groups about their home country. The Rotary Foundation provides a round-trip air ticket, and local Rotarians in the host country provide meals, lodging, and group travel in their
district. Team members pay for personal and incidental expenses.
People interested in applying should be US citizens between ages 25 and 40 and employed full time for at least two years in a recognized business or profession. Applicants must live or be employed in Rotary 5520.
For an application, please go to rotary.org/ RIdocuments/en_pdf /161en.pdf or Carolyn Mitchell at 626-4666, csmitchell8 @yahoo.com . The application deadline is Sept. 9, 2012.
Pet of the Week
Jessica Palmer Photo
This is a 2-year-old terrier mix, male and is available for adoption. For more information call Animal Services at 624-6722 or stop by at 705 E. McGaffey St.
Gott
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irritating the diaphragm by pulling the knees to the chest while leaning forward have been found effective. Thank you for sharing your remedy. DEAR DR. GOTT: I experience cramping in the legs, thighs and toes, and even my feet turn to the side at times. I have found that when this happens, my lower back and hips are out of alignment. I visit my chiropractor and the cramping stops. I think this is worth a try for those who experience similar cramping rather than taking medication. You have listed other cramping remedies in your column, but none of them have worked for me. I hope my suggestion will help others as much as it has helped me. DEAR READER: Cramping in the legs Publish your ad in English and Spanish in the Daily Record. Call 622-7710. Publíque su anuncio en Español e Inglés en el Daily Record al 622-7710.
and feet can occur when one or more of the spinal vertebrae or discs push against the spinal cord or surrounding nerves. Pain, weakness, numbness and tingling are more common symptoms, however. Chiropractic manipulation and techniques can be beneficial in relieving or improving symptoms in many cases of back and hip pain. My only concern is that individuals who wish to try this ensure they are seeing a reputable practitioner since, rarely, damage can be done if certain techniques and maneuvers aren’t performed correctly. Dr. Peter H. Gott is a retired physician and the author of several books, including “Live Longer, Live Better,” “Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Diet” and “Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Cookbook,” which are available at most bookstores or online. His website is www.AskDrGottMD.com.
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above symptoms, as well as a feeling of lightheadedness, anxiety, throat tightness, coughing or breathing difficulties – and, if not treated promptly, can lead to death. Immediate medical attention is imperative for a severe allergic reaction – even if the symptoms subside. Your doctor can help you to distinguish between a food intolerance and a food allergy and determine the most appr opriate treatment, including if an allergist or immunologist should be seen. A food allergy is generally diagnosed thr ough a medical exam and a review of symptoms and foods that trigger the symptoms. You may be asked to keep
Bandow
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Thursday, September 1, 2011
a food diary to help determine foods that are causing the allergic reaction, and foods may later be introduced by your doctor in a controlled environment to deter mine their effect. Your doctor may conduct an allergy test, either a skin test or food allergy blood test (known as a RAST test) – a quick and painless test where the skin is pricked with a small amount of the food allergen to observe the body’s reaction. Food allergies are often inherited and ar e most often diagnosed by your family history, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, rather than a skin or blood test alone. A food allergy can also raise your risk of other allergies, such as asthma, according to recent industry studies, so it’s important to see your doctor if an allergy is suspected. Find out mor e on the Health Resources link at enmmc.com, or visit the American Academy of
The most serious problem remains countries with Islamic majorities or some provinces with Islamic majorities. Those which suffered increases in government persecution or social attacks included Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Nigeria and Pakistan. Only communist or formerly communist nations demonstrated such rising hostility toward religion. By simple number, the most persecuted faith is Christianity: 130 countries (two-thirds of those studied) limit or harass Christians. Muslims face pressure in 117 nations, while Jews — despite their smaller numbers — are at risk in 75 states. Hindus and Buddhists face restrictions in 27 and 16 countries, respectively. Other religions, such as Baha’i, Zoroastrians and Sikhs, are victimized in 84 nations. Pew noted that “restrictions on religion are particularly common in countries that prohibit blasphemy, apostasy or defamation of religion. While such laws are sometimes promoted as a way to protect religion, in practice they more often serve to punish religious minorities whose beliefs are deemed unorthodox or heretical.” Indeed, Pew devoted an entire section to these restrictions, imposed by 44 different governments. Again, the Middle East has the worst record. Some 60 percent of countries in the Middle East/North Africa have and enforce blasphemy statutes; another 20 percent have passed statutes but don’t apply them. Blasphemy prosecutions have become notorious in Pakistan. These laws began with the British, were strengthened by a military dictator seeking religious support, and now are disproportionately used against Christians, often to settle property or other disputes. Muslims who urge reform of the laws are at risk. Punjab Gov. Salman Taseer was vocal in his criticism of the blasphemy statute and was murdered in January. In all, 30 times as many people now suffer from more religious oppression as enjoy greater spiritual liberty. So, the question emerges: what is responsible for this alarming trend? One finding suggests an unusual form of global polarization. Explained the Pew
ALLERGY FACTS
• Food allergies among children under 18 increased 18 percent from 1997 to 2007. • Children with a food allergy are two to four times more likely to have asthma or other allergies. • More than 3 percent of adults have one of more food allergies. • 6.5 million Americans are allergic to seafood. •More than 3 million people in the U.S. report being allergic to peanuts, tree nuts or both. •Food allergies account for 35-50 percent of all cases of anaphylaxis. Source: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Allergy, Asthma and Immunology at aaaai.org, or the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Alliance at foodallergyalliance.org. For testing or treatment of allergies please contact Roswell Ear, Nose and Throat and Allergy at 575622-2911.
report: “The substantial increases tend to be in countries where restrictions and hostilities are already high, while the decreases tend to be in countries where restrictions and hostilities are already low.” That is, authoritarian states are growing more repressive while liberal nations are growing freer. But while the Americas remains the most religiously free region in the world, social oppression is breaking out even in Western democratic nations. Until recently, Europe seemed an unlikely venue for religious oppression. However, Pew found that “Europe had the largest proportion of countries in which social hostilities related to religion were on the rise from mid-2006 to mid-2009. Indeed, five of the 10 countries in the world that had a substantial increase in social hostilities were in Europe: Bulgaria, Denmark, Russia, Sweden and the United Kingdom.” Italy showed a lesser but still noticeable increase. Russia also showed a dangerous upswing in religious-oriented terrorism. “In Russia ... more than 1,100 casualties resulted from religion-related terrorist attacks during the two-year period ending in mid-2009. This was more than double the number of casualties recorded in the previous reporting period. This includes people who were killed, wounded, displaced from their homes, kidnapped or had their property destroyed in religion-related terrorist attacks.” Only one thing is certain: liberty is both rare and precious. Unfortunately, people in much of the world are free in neither their personal nor their political lives. And, as the Pew report details, a majority of the world’s population does not enjoy full spiritual liberty, but instead faces varying degrees of restrictions in and punishments for worshiping God. These threats have been increasing. History obviously has more than its share of surprises left for us. The First Amendment must never be taken for granted. Doug Bandow is a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute and the Senior Fellow in International Religious Persecution at the Institute on Religion and Public Policy. A former Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan, he is author of Beyond Good Intentions: A Biblical View of Politics (Crossway).
CHAVES COUNTY NEW MEXICO HAS BEEN AWARDED FEDERAL FUNDS UNDER THE EMERGENCY FOOD AND SHELTER NATIONAL BOARD PROGRAM
Chaves County, New Mexico, has been chosen to receive $21,753.00 to supplement emergency food and shelter programs in the county.
The selection was made by the National Board that is chaired by the U. S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency and consists of representatives from Catholic Charities, USA; National Council of Churches, The Jewish Federations of North America, the Salvation Army, and United Way Worldwide. The Local Board was charged to distribute funds appropriated by Congress to help expand the capacity of food and shelter programs in high-need areas around the country.
A Local Board will determine how the funds awarded to Chaves County, New Mexico, are to be distributed among the emergency food and shelter programs run by local service agencies in the area. The Local Board is responsible for recommending agencies to receive these funds and any additional funds available under this phase of the program.
Under the terms of the grant from the National Board, local agencies chosen to receive funds must: 1) be private voluntary non-profits or units of government, 2) be eligible to receive federal funds, 3) have an accounting system, 4) practice nondiscrimination, 5) have demonstrated the capability to deliver emergency food and/or shelter programs, and 6) if they are a private voluntary organization, they must have a voluntary board. Qualifying agencies are urged to apply.
There will be a meeting on Thursday, September 15, 2011, at 2:00 pm, at the Conference Room of the Presbytery of Sierra Blanca, 300 North Missouri, Roswell, NM. For further information, please call 623-3323.