TOLONO - After nine games this season, Unity's Ruby Tarr has scored 11 times and batted in 13 runs to assist in leading her softball team to a 6-2-1 early-season record.
The Sentinel caught up with her after the Rockets' home game against Oakwood last month where she scored once, collected two stolen bases, and singled in her two trips to the plate.
We asked a few questions to get to know the senior infielder better.
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SENTINEL: What is your dream job?
TARR: A speech pathologist at a school.
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SENTINEL: What is your favorite pre-game meal or snack?
TARR: Goldfish (crackers).
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SENTINEL: Who is your favorite actor or actress?
TARR: Reese Witherspoon.
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SENTINEL: Which movie describes your life so far?
TARR: Oh my, a movie ... Benchwarmers.
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SENTINEL: What is your favorite Taylor Swift song?
TARR: You Belong With Me.
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DANVILLE - When the temperature starts to warm up, so does the concern for allergies. But one condition – allergic rhinitis, commonly known as hay fever – isn’t confined to March, April and May.
Edward Jenner/PEXELS
“It’s the most common pediatric medical condition that exists,” says Luis Garcia, MD, a pediatrician at OSF HealthCare. That adds up to 40% of children, he says.
Dr. Garcia says allergic rhinitis describes chronic swelling of the tissue inside your nose due to an allergic reaction. It’s commonly triggered by inhaling irritants like dust, pollen and bacteria through the nose. Sneezing, itchiness and a blocked or runny nose often follow.
Dr. Garcia says risk factors include a family history of allergies, being a first-born child, being male, being born in the spring or summer and a heavy exposure to antibiotics in the first year of life.
The first line of treatment for allergic rhinitis is prevention, Dr. Garcia says. How does a person avoid the irritants that cause the condition? We can’t all move to climates that suit our health, he jokingly points out. So other options include:
Close doors and windows in your home.
Use an air purifier to remove dust from the air.
Avoid touching your face.
Keep your home clean, especially if you have pets.
Watch the weather forecast. If you know a dry, dusty day is coming, stay indoors.
Keep a journal of when your allergies are at their worst. You may be able to pick up on patterns and avoid triggers.
Dr. Garcia says a provider can usually see how severe your case is by examining you. But a blood sample or a skin prick test may be needed to determine your triggers. Treatments a doctor may recommend include:
Flushing your nose with salt water
Medication including antihistamines
In more severe cases, a specialist like an ear, nose and throat doctor may try immunotherapy.
“Immunotherapy sort of helps your body switch on and switch off the immune responses,” Dr. Garcia explains. “You could get it in shots or take the substance under the tongue.”
Photo: sweetlouise/Pixabay
When left untreated, allergic rhinitis can cause infections, polyps and sleep issues. Problems tend to compound, Dr. Garcia says. For example, when we have a stuffy nose, we can’t breathe well. Then we can’t sleep well. Then we suffer at school or work, increasing stress and the risk for anxiety and depression.
In other words: “We function as a whole. We always try to separate ourselves into different organs, and that’s simply not true. When one part of us is not working well, there is always something else affected,” Dr. Garcia says.
ROCKFORD - As we get older, the chances increase for many of us to develop chronic disease. That also means the likelihood of taking daily medications for conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, insomnia, arthritis and high cholesterol.
In medical terms, it’s called polypharmacy.
“Polypharmacy is using or taking multiple medications,” says Jessica McCuen, manager of pharmacy operations at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, Illinois. “Most healthcare professionals have agreed that the number is somewhere around five or more. Generally, we say anyone who's taking five or more medications is experiencing polypharmacy.”
It's estimated that about one-third of adults between the ages of 60 and 70 are exhibiting some form of polypharmacy.
Taking multiple prescription drugs can increase the risk of multi-drug interactions, in which one medication can affect another medication. Another potential concern is drug-disease interaction, where taking medication for one health issue can make another health problem worse.
It appears to be a bigger concern for older people. It's estimated that about one-third of adults between the ages of 60 and 70 are exhibiting some form of polypharmacy.
“Once we get to that age, we tend to have chronic diseases that have been diagnosed and we take more medications to handle those chronic diseases.”
McCuen adds we don’t often think about how our age can affect how medications work.
“That’s when your body starts to change,” she explains. “You can absorb medications differently; the way that your body works changes and then the way that you hold on to medications because of your body makeup changes too. The way that you may have absorbed or had a reaction to a medication in your 30s could be different in your 60s and 70s just because of the way that your body has changed.”
People who experience polypharmacy have a bigger risk of being tired and dizzy, which increases the risk for falls. Other symptoms are weakness, loss of appetite, gastrointestinal (GI) problems and skin rashes.
And it’s not just prescription medications pharmacists worry about. Over-the-counter medications and herbal supplements can negatively interact with daily prescription drugs.
It’s also possible to be on a medication longer than is needed. For example, some people take a proton pump inhibitor – medicines that work by reducing the amount of stomach acid – for problems like heartburn.
“They'll just continue to take it even though they probably only need to take it for a couple of weeks and then see how they do off of it,” McCuen says. “That’s one of the most common ones I see that they don't necessarily need to be on.”
That’s why it’s important to talk with your care team before starting any new medication. In fact, McCuen recommends doing a medication review with your physician or pharmacist at least once a year to make sure your medications mesh.
“Your pharmacist is really your drug and medication expert,” she says. “They know a lot about the drug interactions with all your medications.”
McCuen adds that it's also a good idea to use the same pharmacy whenever possible so that your pharmacist has a record of all the drugs that you're taking. That way if anything new is added they can intervene in the event you have an interaction with one of your other medications.
If President Biden could announce on November 1, 2024 that all student debt is forgiven, he would do so. That would surely be a way to get a few more votes. If you have a $100,000 student loan, then you have a heavy burden of paying back that loan. To suddenly have the debt cleared would be a marvelous feeling.
Would this make you feel like Biden is a great President? Would this boost your confidence in his ability to lead our nation? Or, would you see such an act as a last-ditch effort to do whatever it takes to stay in the oval office for four more years?
Thousands of Americans have carried the weight of student loans for years. Thousands have paid back the loans. Loans are never fun to pay back. Car payments, house payments, and credit card debt are tough to carry for years and years. Is it fair that many Americans have paid off student debt but suddenly thousands of Americans could have a large portion of their debt wiped away? It doesn’t seem fair. Is it good for America? Many more Americans need to borrow money for college. Paying back student loans is one way to keep money circulating back into the government coffers.
What if someone paid back 75% of their loan in ten years then the other 25% would be forgiven? What about a two or three percent interest rate on student loans? What if people went to community colleges their first two years? There has to be a better way than just waving the magic wand and clearing debt to boost popularity.
Interest rates are going to come down between now and November 1. A 30-year mortgage by November 1 will be closer to six percent. The stock market is roaring. If you have some money in stock then you have to be enjoying the increase. What goes up always comes down some, eventually. Don’t look for it to go down much between now and November first.
The one thing President Biden doesn’t seem to want to do is stop the invasion of America. The invasion of America continues. Allowing up to 8.5 thousand illegals per day is not a fix. Outlaw gangs have taken over parts of South America in Columbia and Venezuela and parts of central America. Gangs have taken over Haiti. The cartel seems to roam freely in Mexico. These outlaws are coming into America. Violence, stealing, and killing are all they know. They will fight with and kill police officers, assault and murder women, steal from you, and terrorize our communities. Most of our small American counties are understaffed to protect our citizens from gangs armed with semi-automatic weapons.
The invasion must be stopped today. Border states deserve all the help the federal government can give in securing the borders immediately instead of making it difficult on the states.
Soon there will be so many illegals from China and throughout the world in our country that we will not have enough police or military to protect ourselves. We see this happening before our very eyes.
The issues of student loans, interest rates, gasoline prices, inflation, and much more impact our lives significantly. Nothing is impacting our nation like the invasion.
Please Mr. President and Congress, stop the invasion of our nation.
He is the author of 13 books including Uncommon Sense, the Spiritual Chocolate series, Grandpa's Store, Minister's Guidebook insights from a fellow minister. His column is published weekly in over 600 publications in all 50 states. The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily representative of any other group or organization. We welcome comments and views from our readers. Submit your letters to the editor or commentary on a current event 24/7 to editor@oursentinel.com.
URBANA - Looking to meet new people or maybe show off your artistic side? Unwind and chill at this post-workday event at the Urbana Arts and Culture free craft happy hour at the Urbana Free Library on Wednesday, April 3, from 6 to 7 p.m.
Each month, UAC offers a monthly drop-in crafts program for adults to enjoy after a long day at the office. This week, participants will create painted flower pots to take home. All the craft supplies needed will be provided and light refreshments will be available. Pre-registration is not required.
The adult craft happy hours are presented each month by Urbana Arts and Culture with a different craft and guest artist. For more information contact the Programming and Outreach Manager via email at programming@urbanafree.org or via phone at 217-367-4057.
The St. Joseph-Ogden soccer team hosted Oakwood-Salt Fork in their home season opener on Monday. After a strong start, the Spartans fell after a strong second-half rally by the Comets, falling 5-1. Here are 33 photos from the game.
