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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1999-05-19, Page 7THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 1999. PAGE 7. Children especially vulnerable to sun May' 17 - 23 is Sun Awareness Week. This year, the Canadian Cancer Society focuses its message on par­ ents and caregivers of young children, emphasizing their role in ensuring that children are practicing sun safe behav­ iours whenever possible. More than 67,000 Canadians developed skin cancer in 1998. Skin cancer occurs frequently, but is usu­ ally treated successfully with­ out requiring hospitalization. However, a small percent­ age of the above cases include melanoma of the skin, which is almost always curable if treated early. Children are especially vul­ nerable to the sun’s exposure. One blistering sunburn before the age of 18 can double a child’s riks of developing skin cancer later in life. This is especially important for par­ ents and caregivers of young children to be aware of during the summer months, because of the amount of time that children spend playing out­ doors. Adultrs should ensure that both they and the children they are caring for avoid the sun between ll a.m. and 4 p.m. They should seek shade while enjoying activities out­ side, or if no shade is avail­ able, create their own with umbrellas or an awning. Babies under one year of age should always be kept out of direct sun. During the summer chil­ dren also spend a lot of time in or around water. Water reflects only a small amount of ultraviolet light; the rest can penetrate below the water’s surface. People swim­ ming or playing in water absorb nearly as much ultra­ violet radiation as those on land nearby. Therefore chil­ dren playing in or near water need to have their sunscreen reapplied often, and they need to wear a broad-brimmed hat to protect their face, neck, and eares. The Canadian Cancer Society urges all parents and caregivers of young children to be sun smart and follow the SunSense guidelines - Slip! Slap! Slop! • Slip on a shirt! • Slap on a hat! • Slop on sunscreen! For more information about skin cancer or sun protection, call the Canadian Cancer Society’s toll-free Cancer Information Service at 1-888- 939-3333. Waiting for symptoms of hyper tension can kill More than one in four Canadian men and one in five women have high blood pres­ sure, but the majority are ignoring it. Twenty-six per cent of peo­ ple with high blood pressure are unaware of the problem because they experience no symptoms. “If you wait for symptoms, it will be too late in the game,” says London family physician, Dr. Robert Luton. “Damage to organs, such as hardening of the arteries, enlarging of the heart or adverse effects on the kidney and vision will have already happened. That’s why it is important to catch hyperten­ sion early.” Hypertension increases the risk of all forms of cardiovas­ cular disease - coronary artery disease, stroke, conges­ tive heart failure and periph­ eral artery disease - by two to three fold. The other frightening statis­ tic is that 57 per cent of those aware that they have high blood pressure are not being adequately treated. “Compliance to physician advice is a big problem,” explains Luton. “Many of the older medications had annoy­ ing side effects such as cough, headaches, swelling of the ankles, impotence and lethar­ gy. Others couldn’t be used with people who had asthma or circulatory problems.” After being switched from one drug to another, or trying combinations of two or three medications, patients give up and don’t return to their doc­ tor or clinic. New Therapy with No Side Effects The good news is that Atacand, a highly-effective, new medication to reduce hypertension, has just become available in Canada. For many people,- just one Atacand tablet a day brings blood pressure under control quickly says Dr. Luton. In clinical trials, involving 7,000 people, the reports of side effects from those on the drug were no greater than for those on a placebo. Aggressive Treatment Goals Set New research is showing that in the past, physicians were not treating hyperten­ sion aggressively enough. Until recently, physician guidelines recommended achieving a diastolic blood pressure of 90 mm Hg. But a recent five-year study of 18,000 patients in 26 coun­ tries, including Canada, showed a 30 per cent greater reduction in the risk of heart attack and stroke when patients reached a target dias­ tolic pressure of 85 mm Hg. For people with diabetes, the HOT (Hypertension Optimal Treatment) Study suggests an even more aggressive target of 80 mm Hg. Install Smoke Alarms IT’S THE LAW. The Ontario Fire Code requires that every home have working smoke alarms. FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL US AT 1-888-ONT-VOTE (668-8683) OR TTY 1-888-292-2312 VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT www.electionsontario.on.ca ONTARIO PROVINCIAL ELECTION Be Sure You Can Vote! To vote on June 3rd, your name must be on the List of Voters. OS Most Ontario voters will be receiving the Notice of Registration card that is being mailed out over the next few days. It confirms that they are on the Voters List for this election. If you are qualified to vote and DO NOT receive your Notice of Registration card, be sure to apply for a Certificate to Vote by 8:00 p.m. on June 2nd, the day before election day. The Notice of Registration LOOKS LIKE THIS. PHONE FOR INFORMATION ON HOW TO OBTAIN A CERTIFICATE TO VOTE The phone numbers for electoral district returning offices are available from Directory Assistance. If you require information specific to your electoral district, ask for “Elections Ontario” and then the electoral district by name. Returning office phone numbers can also be found on our website at www.electionsontario.on.ca IF YOU DON’T KNOW THE NAME OF YOUR ELECTORAL DISTRICT, CALL US AT: l-888-ONT-YOTE(668-8683) OR TTY 1-888-292-2312 NEW ELECTORAL DISTRICTS The boundaries for electoral districts in Ontario provincial elections have changed. The number of electoral districts has gone from 130 to 103 and boundaries are now the same as those for federal elections. You may confirm your electoral district by calling Elections Ontario or by visiting our website. QUALIFICATIONS TO VOTE To be eligible to vote, on polling day a person must be: 18 years of age, a Canadian citizen, and a resident of the electoral district. Persons who ceased to live in Ontario within the two years before polling day may be entitled to vote under certain conditions. Call us for further information. If you have friends or relatives who have difficulty reading, please make them aware of the information in this notice. O Elections © Ontario A non-partisan Agency of the Legislative Assembly. Keeping you informed. R/37