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JUNE 1, 2012
THE COAST NEWS
OF THE
PET WEEK Bayou is a female, 3year-old, spayed, terrier/American pit bull mix She is sweet girl who loves athletic pursuits and outdoor adventures and would do best in a home with older children and no kitties. Bayou’s adoption fee of $75 includes her spay, vaccinations, microchip identification, a certificate for a free veterinary exam. San Diego Humane Society & SPCA, 2905 San Luis Rey Rd., Oceanside, is open seven days a week from 10 a.m.
RARE TREASURES Brownie Troop 1718 out of La Costa Heights Elementary School enjoy a special tour of the Gemological Institute of America in Carlsbad. Admiring the gems in the museum are, from left, Sarah Kirk, Jillian Rosser, Sierra Brown, Mari Bowidowicz, Erin Kaplan, Karrie Kirschenmann, Lily Burke, Rithika Vighne, Hannah Cravets, Emma Lynch and Paige Hays. Not pictured: Marissa Gretsch. Courtesy photo
Don’t get dinged by overdraft fees High-profile hikes in checking-account fees by big banks have drawn more attention recently than overdraft charges, those sneaky debit-card fees that can add $35 to the cost of a $3 cup of coffee, according to Consumer Reports. Despite federal rules on overdraft fees that went into effect in 2010, banks are still pulling in billions of dollars from them. That’s because many bank customers have opted in to overdraft-protection pro-
grams, which allow you to use your debit card for purchases even if you don’t have enough money in your account to cover the payment. Each overdraft incurs a fee of about $30 to $35. Under the 2010 regulations, banks must ask you to choose overdraft protection rather than enroll you automatically. If you opt out, you can still be charged a fee if an overdraft occurs from a check you’ve written, an online payment or an automatic recurring debit. Banks aggressively market overdraft protection to customers, CR warns. A 2011 survey of checking-account holders by the Center for
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Responsible Lending found that 33 percent had opted in, and many said they did so to avoid fees. Moebs $ervices, an independent financialresearch company in Lake Bluff, Ill., surveyed banks in 2011 and found a much higher opt-in rate: 77 percent. Last year, Moebs says, banks took in $31.6 billion in overdraft fees. $120 mistake, $506 in fees In February, the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced it was looking into overdraft programs. It is focusing on the practice of processing daily checking transactions — checks, bill payments, debit-card purchases and ATM withdrawals — in order of size, starting with the largest first. An account can be quickly drained, and banks can maximize the number of overdraft fees. A 2010 class-action lawsuit against Wells Fargo in California, which resulted in an order that the bank pay $203 million in restitution to customers, highlighted how overdraft fees can spin out of control. One plaintiff, Erin Walker, an 18-year-old who had just opened her first bank account, was charged
$506 in fees over a one-week period for an overdraft of about $120. Wells Fargo did that in part by ordering her transactions so that most of them — purchases of about $4 to $5 at places like Starbucks and Jamba Juice — were posted after larger purchases. Wells Fargo is appealing the decision. What can you do? CR suggests these ways of avoiding overdraft fees: — Decline overdraft protection. If you’ve already signed up, you can contact your bank to opt out. Your debit card will be declined if you exceed your balance, but you won’t get hit with overdraft fees. — Link your accounts. Ask your bank to link your savings to your checking account for overdraft protection. You might get hit with a transfer fee, but it’s generally lower, about $5 to $10. — Consider an overdraft line of credit. Any overdrafts will be covered by the line of credit.They will incur interest but you’ll probably pay less than overdraft fees. — Budget better. Sign up for email or text alerts to know when your account balance falls to a certain level. Balance your checkbook regularly, and keep track of all checks you have written, debit transactions, automatic bill payments and direct deposits.
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to 5 p.m., closing at 2 p.m. every third Wednesday of the month. Viewings and adoptions end at 4:15 p.m. For more information, call (760) 757-4357.
Allergies: Types, triggers and their treatments To Your Health By the physicians and staff at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas
According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, about one in five Americans has at least one allergy. Allergies are the fifthleading cause of disease in the United States and the third-most common chronic disease among children and adolescents. While most allergies result in only mild to moderate symptoms, they can have serious health consequences. Severe allergic reactions to food, prescription drugs, insect bites, latex, and other triggers result in hundreds of deaths in the U.S. each year. Hay Fever and Grass Pollen Allergies During the early spring and summer in San Diego, tree and grass pollen allergies are common. Sensitive patients develop a common allergy called hay fever, characterized by itchy, watery eyes, itchy nose, and congestion. However, the majority of people who suffer from allergies experience their symptoms year-round, due to dust mites, mold, and furry animals in addition to seasonal flare-ups. Food Allergies About two-thirds of people self-report some sort of food allergy, according to a recent report by the National Institute of Health. However, many people who feel sick after eating blame their condition on a food allergy, when it fact it may just be indigestion, food poisoning, or another illness. Children are more likely than adults to have food allergies, as are people who have at least one other type of allergy or a family history of allergies.
Risk Factors Children with a family history of allergies are at elevated risk of developing them. Also, patients with one allergic disease are more likely to develop another. San Diego tends to have relatively long-lasting pollen seasons, but they are not as intense as those in other areas of the country. Along the coast, there are fewer problems with pollen, but the damper conditions allow for more mite and mold problems. There is more pollen but less mite and mold in drier inland areas, while areas like Tierrasanta get a bit of both types of allergy triggers. Allergies vs. Colds Allergies have similar symptoms as the common cold, leading many patients to confuse the two. However, there is no fever with allergies, and if there is itching of the eyes or nose, it cannot be a cold – histamine is released with allergies, not colds. Also, if there are significant eye symptoms, it’s more likely an allergy than a cold. Diagnosis & Treatments Diagnosing the source of an allergy can be made from a simple skin or blood test done in a doctor’s office. The primary method of treating allergies is avoiding whatever is causing the allergic reaction. For hay fever or pollen allergies, an air purifying unit or air conditioning filter can remove up to 99 percent of airborne pollen and relieve symptoms. If avoiding the allergy trigger is not possible, overthe-counter antihistamines such as Claritin, Zyrtec, or Allegra may help control most allergy symptoms. A decongestant such as Sudafed can be effective at reducing congestion. Daily use of prescription topical cortisone (steroid) nasal sprays is safe and highly effective for adults and children.
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“To Your Health” is brought to you by the physicians and staff at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas. For more information or for physician referral call 1-800-SCRIPPS.