Page 16 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – WEDnEsDAy, nOVEmbER 23, 2022 Sa nr Sa a y Senior Seni by Jim Miller H L P i Cld b Dear Savvy Senior, I started a walking program a few months ago to help me lose weight but I’ve been having problems with my legs and hips hurting during my walk, although they feel better once I stop. I thought it was just because I’m getting old, but my neighbor was telling me about a leg vein disease she has called PAD and thinks I may have something similar. What can you tell me about this? Limping Linda Dear Linda, The health condition your neighbor is telling you about is known as “peripheral arterial disease” (or PAD), which is an under the radar disease that aff ects approximately 8 to 12 million Americans. It happens when the arteries that carry blood to the legs and feet become narrowed or clogged over the years with fatty deposits or plaque, causing poor circulation. But you also need to be aware that because PAD is a systemic disease, people that have it are also much more likely to have clogged arteries in other areas of the body like the heart, neck and brain, which greatly increase the risks of heart attack or stroke. Few Symptoms Unfortunately, PAD goes undiagnosed and untreated way too often because most people that have it experience few, if any symptoms. The most common symptom, however, is similar to what you’re experiencing: pain and cramping in the hip, thigh or calf muscles, especially when walking or exercising but usually disappears after resting for a few minutes. Another reason PAD is under-diagnosed is because many people assume that aches and pains go along with aging and simply live with it instead of reporting it to their doctor. Other possible symptoms to be aware of include leg numbness or weakness, coldness or skin color changes in the lower legs nior ior E l How Leg Pains Could be an Early Sign of Heart Attack or Stroke and feet, or ulcers or sores on the legs or feet that don’t heal. Are You at Risk? Like most other health conditions, the risk of developing PAD increases with age. Those most vulnerable are people over the age of 50 who smoke or used to smoke, have elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, are overweight, or have a family history of PAD, heart attack or stroke. African Americans are also twice as likely to have PAD as Caucasians. If you’re experiencing any symptoms or if you’re at increased risk of PAD, you need to be tested by your doctor or a vascular specialist. He or she will probably perform a quick and painless ankle-brachial index test, which is done by measuring your blood pressure in your ankle as well as your arm and compare the two numbers. Your doctor may also do imaging tests such as ultrasound, magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), and computed tomographic (CT) angiography. With early detection, many cases of PAD can be treated with lifestyle modifi cations including an improved diet, increased physical activity and smoking cessation. If lifestyle changes aren’t enough, your doctor may also prescribe medicine to prevent blood clots, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and control pain and other symptoms. And for severe PAD, the treatment options are angioplasty (infl ating a tiny balloon in the artery to restore blood fl ow then removed), the insertion or a stent to reopen the artery, or a graft bypass to reroute blood around the blockage. To learn more about PAD, visit the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at NHLBI.NIH.gov/health-topics/peripheral-artery-disease. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. Latest Seasonally Unadjusted Unemployment and Job Estimates for Local Labor markets in massachusetts BOSTON, MA— November 22, 2022-- Local unemployment rates increased in three labor market areas, decreased in fourteen areas and remained unchanged in seven labor market areas in the state during the month of October compared to September, the Executive Offi ce of Labor and Workforce Development reported. Compared to October 2021, the rates were down in twenty-four labor market areas. Of the fi fteen areas for which employment estimates are published, fourteen NECTA areas gained jobs compared to the previous month. The largest increases occurred in the Peabody-Salem-Beverly (+2%), Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford MA-NH (+1.5%), and Leominster-Gardner (+1.3%) areas. From October 2021 to October 2022, fourteen areas gained jobs with the largest percentage increases seen in the Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford MA-NH (+5.2%), Boston-Cambridge -Newton (+4.8%), and Leominster-Gardner (+3.9%) areas. The statewide seasonally adjusted preliminary jobs estimate showed an increase of 9,800 jobs in October, and an over-the-year gain of 141,300 jobs. In order to compare the statewide rate to local unemployment rates, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the statewide unadjusted unemployment rate for October 2022 was 3.0 percent, down one-tenth of a percentage point from the revised September estimate and four-tenths of a percentage point below the nation’s unadjusted unemployment rate of 3.4 percent. Last week, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported the statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the month of October 2022 was 3.5 percent, up one-tenth of a percentage point from the revised September 2022 estimate of 3.4 percent. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the nation’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for October 2022 was 3.7 percent. The unadjusted unemployment rates and job estimates for the labor market areas refl ect seasonal fl uctuations and therefore may show different levels and trends than the statewide seasonally adjusted estimates. The estimates for labor force, unemployment rates, and jobs for Massachusetts are based on diff erent statistical methodology specifi ed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. NOTES: The preliminary November 2022 and the revised October 2022 unemployment rates, labor force data and jobs estimates for Massachusetts will be released on Friday, December 16, 2022; local unemployment statistics will be released on Tuesday, December 20, 2022. Detailed labor market information is available at http://www. mass.gov/EconomicResearch. See the 2022 Media Advisory for complete list of release dates. ~ Guest Commentary ~ The Self-Absorbed Nine and the One Who was Grateful By Dr. James Th rasher A ll the turkey-time trappings of the Thanksgiving holiday tend to numb our sincere refl ection. But this is a perfect time to consider whether we are thanks-giving or ungrateful people. Being grateful isn’t natural. Gratitude, for all its merit, is not something easily embraced or practiced, especially as we all face life’s challenges. It is easier to complain than to be grateful. One of the biggest problems we all have is pride. We say to ourselves, “I deserve better.” “This is wrong.” “You’ve got to be kidding me.” “Not me, I’m not due this.” How often do you feel grateful? But more importantly, how often do you pause to sincerely express it? If we are honest with ourselves, the answer is not enough—not even close. The parable in Luke 17:11-17 speaks of 10 men with leprosy. A leper’s life was unbearable, and the physical ramifi cations were horrendous. Thought to be highly infectious at the time, this disease attacks the body with grotesque damage. Sores, missing fi ngers, missing toes, and damaged limbs were commonplace. They emanated a smell of rotting and decaying fl esh, which was overwhelmingly repulsive. They were the walking dead, and due to these devastating infi rmities and perceptions, they were despised as social outcasts. Whenever they encountered anyone, they were required to yell, “unclean, unclean.” This account in Luke tells us that 10 men approached Jesus from afar and shouted to him, requesting that he take pity on them. He told them to show themselves to the priests: “And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.” Then Jesus asked penetrating and heart-revealing questions: “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except for this foreigner?” Only one of the 10 lepers was truly thankful. Think about it. All 10 lepers were healed, but only one returned to glorify God and fell down to worship Him in gratitude. Let’s ask ourselves: are we like the self-absorbed nine who did not return, but whose lives were literally released from a death sentence? Or are we like the one who glorifi es God and falls down before Him for what He has done? If we search our heart and confront the stark reality, we are more like the other nine than the one who returned. This parable teaches us that God desires us to express our GUEST | FROM PAGE 16
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