You may face common legal issues you haven’t thought of

Written by Hillsboro Free Press Tuesday, 24 May 2011 14:56

For most law-abiding Americans, legal assistance may not be a service you think you could need at a moment’s notice. While you may think of legal assistance in connection with a criminal offense, most of the legal work done in America is for people facing much more ordinary circumstances.

You may not realize it, but most Americans will have a legal need at some point in their lives. In fact, seven out of 10 Americans said they experienced a legal event within the past year, according to a recent survey conducted by ARAG, a legal solutions provider.

If having a legal plan in place seems unnecessary, consider the following instances where you may need legal assistance:

• Wills and estate planning. Planning for your own death isn’t...

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Contrary to belief, low-salt diet not good for everyone

Written by Hillsboro Free Press Tuesday, 10 May 2011 16:07

Audrey Baker grew up watching her mother put table salt on nearly everything—steak, potatoes, even gravy. Believing the nutrition myth that salt is bad for health, Baker sometimes scolded her mom for her old-fashioned ways.

As an adult, Baker carefully monitored what she ate, putting herself on a low-salt diet with lots of water. But one day at home, she became light-headed. Her heart raced, her chest pounded. She called 911 and was rushed to an emergency room.

The problem: hyponatremia, a more-common-than-you-might-think condition in which the blood level of salt (sodium) in your body becomes abnormally low.

“That’s when I realized my body does need salt,” Baker said. “They gave me a saline solution drip with sodium in...

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CHF leading reason seniors are hospitalized

Written by Fred Cicetti Tuesday, 10 May 2011 16:06

Q What is the leading cause of hospitalization of older people? Is it heart attacks or strokes?

 

A The number one reason people over age 65 go into the hospital is congestive heart failure (CHF), or simply heart failure. If you have CHF, your heart can’t pump enough blood. This condition develops over time.

Heart failure is most common in older people, and is more common in African-Americans. Men have a higher rate of heart failure than women. But, because women usually live longer, the condition affects more women in their 70s and 80s.

In normal hearts, veins bring oxygen-poor blood from the body to the right side of the heart. It is then pumped through the pulmonary artery to the lungs, picking up oxygen. From there, the blood...

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Rural water districts provide option for country homes

Written by Patty Decker Tuesday, 26 April 2011 15:46

When it comes to buying or selling a house in rural Marion County, officials offered a few tips on what to look for when it comes to water wells versus water lines, septic tanks or lagoons and electricity services.

Delores Dalke with The Real Estate Center and Kerry Shewey with Rural Water District 4 agreed that wells should be tested regularly and be free of nitrates and coliform bacteria.

“It’s a good idea to check on the water supply and an electric source,” Shewey said.

Dalke said whenever someone is selling a home in the country, the water well should be tested.

“Wells should be free of nitrates or coliform bacteria,” she said. “Before ever getting a home loan or even if someone is not getting a loan, they should...

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