Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 2 September 2005 — Page 18

PAGE C2

THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2005

GERMS Continued from Cl lasting at least three to five days, Horowitz said. Besides keeping kids home from school and lowering their in-school performance, infections like these cause parents to miss an estimated 126 million workdays annually caring for a sick child, Horowitz added. Germ-ridden classrooms take their toll on teachers, too: the average teacher now clocks an average 5.3 sick days per school year. It’s not that teachers aren’t doing their best to keep classrooms clean. For the new survey, teachers from across the country were encouraged by the Scholastic publishing company to fill out an online questionnaire at the company’s Web site. A total of 614 teachers who taught during the 2004-2005 school year completed the survey. “Most said they considered their classrooms clean,” Horowitz said. But most of the teachers also understood that clean doesn’t mean germ-free, especially when obviously sick kids show up for class. “Nine out of 10 teachers reported that children often come to school sick,” Horowitz said. “I see this myself in my office - a child will come in quite ill, and I’ll be told they’ve been ill for three days, and this is the first day they’ve actually missed a day of school.”

And sick kids mean sick teachers: According to the survey, three-quarters of teachers believe that they contracted some form of transient illness from children they taught during the previous year. Every desktop, pencil sharpener, doorknob and faucet an infected child touches becomes colonized with germs, Horowitz pointed out. Unfortunately, “70 percent of teachers reported that their janitorial staff does not regularly disinfect their classroom,” he added. For many teachers, there’s only one solution. “More than half (56 percent) say they take what little salary they get, and go to the store themselves to buy products to help clean their classrooms,” said Horowitz. “They are going out and spending their own money on cleaning supplies because they identify this as such a big problem.” Even so, just two-thirds of teachers said they regularly disinfected students’ desktops (a major source of infection), and less than a third said they regularly disinfected other germ-laden objects in the classroom such as doorknobs and paper towel dispenser levers. So what can teachers - and parents - do to cut the risk?

First and foremost, Horowitz said, is to encourage hand washing. “We know that (child) absenteeism is reduced by nearly half with just regular hand washing,” he said. “Use the appropriate technique though - water and soap with vigorous rubbing for at least 20 seconds, about the same amount of time it takes to sing the ‘Happy Birthday’ song twice.” Added Janis Hootman, immediate past president of the National Association of School Nurses, “We also need to re-train children when we talk about sharing.” “Children are natural sharers, and school is a place to do that,” she said. But she added that sharing food, cups, glasses and other germ-prone objects is a bad idea. “Adolescents also need to be cautioned about sharing clothing and cosmetics - mascara is a culprit for adolescent females, for example,” Hootman said. She said children and adults alike should also stop coughing or sneezing into their hands. If there’s no tissue at hand, Hootman said, “We need to be coughing into a sleeve. Because otherwise we take that soiled hand and go to the doorknob. Or I greet you, shake your hand - and spread disease organisms.”

But all the precautions in the world won’t completely shield children from the common cold or flu. That’s why Horowitz and Hootman agreed that when children do become sick, keeping them out of school can speed recovery and ensure that the infection doesn’t spread to classmates. Horowitz said he understands that working parents can’t always find the time to stay home with a sick child. But when kids are running a fever or are very ill, parents “need to come up with a contingency plan,” he said. The best strategy is to “have a plan in place before school starts,” Horowitz said. “What are you going to do when your child is sick? It’s inappropriate to (have them) spread those germs at school and in other places.” And to help teachers, Horowitz urged parents to lobby local authorities for cleaner, safer schools. “It’s about being advocates for children in the school and in the community,” he said. “It’s no different from any other advocacy work, whether it’s trying to change school menus or getting vending machines loaded with soda pop out of schools.”

aas wyas. i nd ia n a F»ol ■ s reco rd e r. com

:2i

■-T

1

m

2901 N.Tacoma Ave. Indianapolis, IN 4621 8

kS

w h

Call 317.924.5143

Dr. Kenneth Ackles. Sr.D.C Chiropractic Physician

ummer s

ere

Come in and get your spinal examination. Scolosis screening available. Specialization in accident cases. No referrals needed.

Still maintaing practice for over 30 years!

The Atkinson Building 3231 N. Meridian, Suite 502 Indianapolis, IN 40208 31 7.926.4623

Dr. Kenneth Ackles, Sr., D.C. Chiropractic Physician

If you would do anything to help your elderly parent, start by reading this ad. CICOA is an Area Agency on Aging that connects seniors and their caregivers with hundreds of services that help the elderly and people with disabilities live in their own homes. Call for information or a FREE resource guide* for seniors.

# CICOA Aging & In-Hcme Solutions

317-254-3660 1-800-432-2422 www.cicoa.org

All services are provided without regard to race, age, religion, sex, disability, nationol origin or ancestry. *While supplies last.

Weight

Reduction & Management

Heart Disease High Cholesterol High Blood f \ Pressure Diabetes Mellitus j

Ray Henderson, M.D. Cardiovascular Disease & Internal Medicine

3231 N. Meridian Street Suite 600 317.923.2565

HEALTH BRIEFS

VBCA fall extravaganza The Verbal Behavior Center of Autism (VBCA) will host its first yard sale Sept. 10 from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the center located at 11720 Maple St. in Fishers. More than 20 families will participate in the sale that will feature clothing for all ages, appliances, office eguipment, electronics, sports eguipment, tools, books and toys. The event will benefit the VBCA scholarship fund as well as the Therapist Conference and Continuing Education fund. For more information contact Sabrina Shannon at (317) 849-4653. Y-ME luncheon and fashion show Y-ME Indiana is hosting its 11th annual luncheon and fashion show, "Inspire in Style" on Oct. 15 beginning at 10:30 a.m. This year's show is being held at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown, 350 W. Maryland St., and proceeds will benefit the numerous programs and support services provided free of charge by Y-ME Indiana to those facing breast cancer. The Breast Cancer Awareness Month celebration features uplifting stories of breast cancer survivors and medical professionals who showcase the benefit of empowering support while modeling Nordstrom fashions to choreographed

lighting, music and narration by WISH-TV news anchor Joy Dumandan of their courageous journey with breast cancer. Tickets for the show and luncheon are $65 and are now available. Corporate sponsorships are also needed. To purchase tickets or for more information, call (317) 844-6017. Parkinson’s disease symposium Mort Kondracke, an accomplished journalist and advocate for Parkinson's disease, will be the keynote speaker at the Indianapolis Parkinson's Disease Symposium on Sept. 24. The symposium will be held from 1-4 p.m. at the Wayne Township Emergency Services Building, 700 N. High School Road. The symposium also will include a presentation on PROGENI, a research study that seeks to identify genetic and other risk factors, which may be important to the development of Parkinson's disease, by Dr. Tatiana Foroud, a nationally recognized researcher and clinical professor of medicine and molecular genetics at Indiana University School of Medicine. At the conclusion, there will be a question and answer panel of medical experts. Registration is $15 per person and seats are limited. Call (317) 255-1993 or e-mail

[email protected] for registration information. For more information on the symposium, PAACI, YPI or Parkinson's disease, contact Paula at (317) 408-0993 or (317) 570-0545 or [email protected]. Walk to fight ovarian cancer Ovar'coming Together, Indiana's Ovarian Cancer Education and Resource Organization, will be holding its annual Whisper Walk to Fight Ovarian Cancer on Sept. 10, at the Indianapolis Downtown Canal. In its seventh year, the Whisper Walk hopes to raise awareness about ovarian cancer, "the disease that whispers," and generate funds to support education and research. Racing legend Lyn St. James and RTV6 Health Reporter Stacia Matthews will host the 3-mile walk, which starts at The Indiana History Center located at 450 W. Ohio Street, Indianapolis. Festivities begin at 8:30 a.m., and will include a health fair, raffle, and survivor recognition followed by the walk at 10 a.m. To learn more about Ovar'coming Together and the Whisper Walk, log on to www.ovariancancer.org. You may also call (317) 925-6643 to receive a walk registration by mail. Registration will be accepted until the day of the walk.

HEALTH TIP Managing psoriasis

(HealthDayNews) — Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition in which new skin cells grow too fast. This causes thick, dry, scaly patches of skin to form in areas where the old skin hasn’t shed quickly enough. If you’ve been diagnosed with psoriasis, there are several things you can do to help manage flare-ups. Health Canada suggests you: • Keep your skin moist. • Apply creams and ointments slowly and gradually in the direction of your hair’s growth. • Avoid using very hot water when bathing or showering. • Use mild soaps and deodorants. • Use brushes with soft bristles. • Wash your hair gently and let it dry naturally whenever possible. • Avoid picking or scratching skin and skin injuries. An injury to the skin can cause psoriasis patches to form at the site.

CHOCOLATE ► Continued from C1 wine, grapes, apples and green tea, although cocoa beans are a particularly rich source. Mars Inc. developed the technology to visualize flavanols on a computer screen. Says Harold Schmitz, the company’s chief science officer: “Now we understand cocoa well enough to start to do new things with it.” The company is starting with CocoaVia granola bars, made with a special cocoa powder that retains most of the flavanols. The bars also have plant sterols, which have been shown to help lower cholesterol. For now, the 80-calorie, 23-gram snack bars are sold only on the Internet. The bars have a satisfyingly rich chocolate flavor, along with a slight but distinct bitter taste.

Mars says its Dove dark chocolates - a 1.3 ounce bar is 200 calories - also contain flavanols. Researchers are excited by the potential of flavanols to ward off vascular disease, which can cause heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, dementia and hypertension. Vascular diseases are linked to the artery’s inability to make a simple but fundamental chemical called nitric oxide. Flavanols appear to reverse that problem. “The pharmaceutical industry has spent tens, probably hundreds of millions of dollars in search of a chemical that would reverse that abnormality,” Hollenberg said. “And God gave us flavanol-rich cocoa, which does that. So the excitement is real.”

Another coffee perk: antioxidants

(HealthDay News) — Americans’ love affair with coffee means they get more antioxidants from this drink than from any other source in their diet, a new study reports. By measuring the amount of antioxidants contained in the most common foods and beverages, and comparing them to US. government data on food consumption, researchers found that coffee far outpaced any other beverage or food as the main source of antioxidants in the American diet. “When you look at the quantity of antioxidants in coffee and how much is consumed, it really shines either way,” said Joe Vinson, a chemist at the University of Scranton. He presented the results of his analysis this week at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society, in Washington, D.C. More than half of Americans drink coffee every day, making it the most popular beverage in the country, Vinson said. Antioxidants are vitamins and minerals that help prevent oxidation, a process that can cause damage to cells and may contribute to aging. The compounds may help boost immune function and possibly cut your risk of infection, heart disease and cancer, according to the American Dietetic Association.

For his study, which was partially funded by the American Cocoa Research Institute, Vinson and his colleagues analyzed the antioxidant content of more than 100 different food items, including vegetables, fruits, nuts, spices, oils and common beverages. The analysis included tracking antioxidants that are hidden in sugar molecules, which increased the number of antioxidants measured, Vinson said. In coffee, most of the antioxidants are hidden in sugar molecules, he said. The antioxidant data was then compared to aU.S. Department of Agriculture database to measure the estimated US. per capita consumption of each food. The results showed that the average American received more than four times the amount of antioxidants from coffee daily than from black tea, which was second on the list. Bananas, dry beans and corn were the top three foods on the list. Vinson said that other foods, particularly dates, cranberries and red grapes, contain more antioxidants than coffee, but those foods aren’t consumed in anywhere near the quantities as coffee.

PA6F tt r?

CYAN MAfiFNITA

Rl AFK