Page 20 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2023 BEACON | FROM Page 18 Chairman of Stop Handgun Violence on a report that shows that Massachusetts ranked 50th in the nation for gun deaths per capita. “Protecting the environment is a fundamental responsibility of state government and partnering with private businesses like these grant recipients helps us increase and improve recycling across the commonwealth. Our administration is pleased to support these companies as they grow in their local communities and implement innovative methods and practices that allow us all to achieve our common environmental goals.” ---Gov. Maura Healey upon awarding more than $950,000 in grants to six companies under the state’s Recycling and Reuse Business Development Grant program, which will enable Massachusetts recycling companies to expand and grow their operations and increase the amount and quality of recycling in the state. “Adding to employers’ woes is the inability to fully staff their businesses with qualifi ed workers. Beacon Hill must proceed with caution this legislative session to avoid further increasing the cost of doing business in Massachusetts—giving small business owners yet another reason to move jobs to a state with friendlier economic conditions or worse, close their doors for good.” --- National Federation of Independent Business’ Massachusetts state director Christopher Carlozzi. “Regional Home Care engaged in illegal practices at the expense of vulnerable consumers across Massachusetts who depend on this medical equipment for their health and livelihood. As a result of this settlement, thousands of consumers who were harmed by this company’s actions will directly benefi t, and our offi ce will continue to protect consumers from predatory practices and scams.” ---Attorney General Andrea Campbell announcing her offi ce reached a $2.5 million settlement with Regional Home Care, resolving allegations that the company engaged in unfair, deceptive and abusive debt collection practices in violation of state consumer law and debt collection regulations and improperly collected money from members of MassHealth, the state’s Medicaid program, for balances not owed or that were already paid for by MassHealth. HOW LONG WAS LAST WEEK’S SESSION? Beacon Hill Roll Call tracks the length of time that the House and Senate were in session each week. Many legislators say that legislative sessions are only one aspect of the Legislature’s job and that a lot of important work is done outside of the House and Senate chambers. They note that their jobs also involve committee work, research, constituent work and other matters that are important to their districts. Critics say that the Legislature does not meet regularly or long enough to debate and vote in public view on the thousands of pieces of legislation that have been fi led. They note that the infrequency and brief length of sessions are misguided and lead to irresponsible late-night sessions and a mad rush to act on dozens of bills in the days immediately preceding the end of an annual session. During the week of February 1317, the House met for a total of nine minutes while the Senate met for a total of 15 minutes. Mon. Feb. 13 House 11:01 a.m. to 11:06 a.m. Senate 11:06 a.m. to 11:18 a.m. Tues. Feb. 14 No House session No Senate session Wed. Feb. 15 No House session No Senate session Thurs. Feb. 16 House 11:02 a.m. to 11:06 a.m. Senate 11:17 a.m. to 11:20 a.m. Fri. Feb. 17 No House session No Senate session Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com Bob founded Beacon Hill Roll Call in 1975 and was inducted into the New England Newspaper and Press Association (NENPA) Hall of Fame in 2019 Law Offices of JOSEPH D. CATALDO, P.C. “ATTORNEYS AND COUNSELORS AT LAW” ESTATE/MEDICAID PLANNING WILLS/TRUSTS/ESTATES INCOME TAX PREPARATION WEALTH MANAGEMENT RETIREMENT PLANNING ELDER LAW 369 Broadway Everett, MA 02149 (617)381-9600 JOSEPH D. CATALDO, CPA, CFP, MST, ESQUIRE. AICPA Personal Financial Specialist Designee ~ Home of the Week ~ SAUGUS....Nice Colonial offers spacious kitchen with maple cabinets, granite to Saugus Center. View the interior of this home right on your smartphone. Could You Have a Thyroid Problem and Not Know It? Dear Savvy Senior, What are the symptoms of thyroid disease? I’ve been dealing with a number of health issues over the past few years, and a friend of mine recently suggested I get my thyroid checked because it might be causing my problems. Almost 66 Dear Almost, If your thyroid is out of whack, it can cause a number of health issues that can be tricky to detect because the symptoms often resemble other age-related health problems. In fact, as many as 30 million Americans have some form of thyroid disorder, but more than half aren’t aware of it. What to Know The thyroid is a small butterfl y-shaped gland located at the base of your neck that has a huge job. It produces hormones (called T3 and T4) that help regulate the rate of many of your body’s activities, from how quickly you burn calories to how fast your heart beats. It also infl uences the function of the brain, liver, kidneys and skin. If the gland is underactive and doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormones, it causes body systems to slow down. If it’s overactive, and churns out too much thyroid, it has the opposite effect, speeding up the body’s processes. The symptoms for an underactive thyroid (also known as hypothyroidism) – the most common thyroid disorder in older adults – will vary but may include fatigue and weakness, unexplained weight gain, increased sensitivity to cold, constipation, joint pain, a puff y face, hoarseness, thinning hair, muscle stiffness, dry skin and depression. Some patients may even develop an enlarged thyroid (goiter) at the base of the neck. However, in older adults, it can cause other symptoms like memory impairment, loss of appetite, weight loss, falls or even incontinence. And the symptoms of an overactive thyroid (or hyperthyroidism) may include a rapid heart rate, anxiety, irritability, fatigue, insomnia, increased appetite, weight loss, tremors of the hand, frequent bowel movements, sweating, as well as an enlarged thyroid gland. Too much thyroid can also cause atrial fi brillation, affect blood pressure and decrease bone density, which increases the risk of osteoporosis. Those with the greatest risk of developing thyroid disorders are women who have a family history of the disease. Other factors that can trigger thyroid problems include: autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto’s or Graves disease; thyroid surgery; radiation treatments to the neck or upper chest; and certain medications including interferon alpha and interleukin-2 cancer medications, amiodarone heart medication and lithium for bipolar disorder. Get Tested If you have any of the aforementioned symptoms, or if you’ve had previous thyroid problems or notice a lump in the base of your neck, ask your doctor to check your thyroid levels. The TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) blood test is used to diagnosis thyroid disorders but depending on what they fi nd, additional blood tests may be necessary. If you are diagnosed with a thyroid problem, it’s easily treated. Standard treatment for hypothyroidism involves daily use of the synthetic thyroid hormone levothyroxine (Levothroid, Synthroid and others), which is an oral medication that restores adequate hormone levels. And treatments for hyperthyroidism may include an anti-thyroid medication such as methimazole and propylthiouracil, which blocks the production of thyroid hormones. Another option is radioactive iodine, which is taken orally and destroys the overactive thyroid cells and causes the gland to shrink. But this can leave the thyroid unable to produce any hormone and it’s likely that you’ll eventually become hypothyroid and need to start taking thyroid medication. For more information on thyroid disorders, visit the American Thyroid Association at Thyroid.org. 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.
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