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The Retirees' Newsletter

The Faculty and Librarian Retirees' Association, University of Windsor, Windsor, Canada

Issue # 21 -- February, 1997

HEALTH TIPS

By Joseph E.J. Habowsky

Is There A Remedy for Age/Liver Spots?

SO-CALLED AGE/LIVER SPOTS ARE NOT PRIMARILY RELATED TO AGE, but can also be the result of too much sun exposure. Although harmless, generally occurring on the face, backs of hands, forearms and occasionally on the back, they can be unsightly. These spots are caused by excess melanin pigment, produced by melanocytes, which occur in epidermal cells of the skin .

SEVERAL STRATEGIES FOR REMOVAL are suggested in the literature but none seems completely effective, except for laser treatment. I have found, however, that fresh lime juice is most successful in controlling those spots. I add to my drinks, (tea, water, fruit drinks, soft drinks etc.) freshly squeezed lime juice - a lime a day; cut the fruit in half and squeeze the juice directly into the drink. Before discarding the residue, I wipe the affected area with the fleshly part of the lime and let it air dry; in a couple of weeks the spots will fade - in my case disappeared.

I USE FRESH LIME JUICE ON A REGULAR BASIS, because it is rich in Vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant, blocks the formation of blood clots, protects against strokes and degenerative heart disease; fights the toxic effects of pollution, helps in healing, produces red blood cells and collagen, lowers risk of cataracts, reduces risks of certain cancers, especially stomach, larynx, oral cavity and pancreas. Caution: if taken in large doses, it may cause diarrhea, kidney stones or liver problems (K.H. Cooper, l994 Antioxidant Revolution, Thomas Nelson Publishers, in Canada by Word Communications Ltd. Richmond, B.C.; Wade, l994, Eat Away Illness, Parker Publishing Co. West Nayak, NY 10995).

Joseph Habowsky taught and did research in the Department of Biology, concentrating on cytology (cells), and electronic mycroscopy on animal and human cells. In addition to structure, his teaching also related to cellular functions.

by Aranka Kovacs

HAVE YOU EVER had the feeling when visiting your doctor with your aches and pains, that you should have trained for the Olympics, when you are faced with trying to climb onto an examining table, or when sent for an X-ray and the table is so high it seems like climbing Mount Olympus?

AT MOST PRIVATE FACILITIES the X-ray tables are immovable, and it is the patient who must manage the climb, with the assistance of the technician and a step-stool. Even at that, it is difficult, especially for people of short stature.

WELL, I DID SOME RESEARCH, and the results showed that there are some X-ray departments where you don't have to worry about not being an athletic superstar. These are at Windsor Western and Metropolitan Hospitals, and the X-ray Clinic at 700 Tecumseh East.

At Windsor Western and the Clinic, the X-ray table is a tilting one. You stand on a narrow ledge with your back to the table, and the technician slowly lowers you to a lying position. When the X-rays are completed, the bed is raised to the upright position and you just step off the ledge, which is the floor level. Since there is nothing to hold onto, you must be careful not to fall forward as it is a strange sensation. But the technician is there to help you keep your balance. It is still much easier than having to climb.

At Metropolitan Hospital the X-ray table is adjustable up and down. It can be lowered to your height so you can sit comfortably. It is then raised for taking X-rays. The X-ray table can be lowered even to wheel-chair height, so it is not difficult to transfer from a chair to the table.

IF CLIMBING IS A PROBLEM FOR YOU, call any one of these X-ray departments before you go.

Aranka Kovacs taught Economics. She has taken an active interest in the problems confronted by people with disabilities. In the next issue she will tell of a now-available map of Windsor streets, showing in detail those streets that provide curb ramps for wheel chairs. To learn how to obtain the map, call Aranka at 969-6405.

EDITOR'S NOTE: THE TILTING TABLES ARANKA DESCRIBES ARE BECOMING MORE COMMON, THANK GOODNESS. MY CHIROPRACTOR IN WINDSOR ­ BRAY/RUSSO CHIROPRACTIC ­ HAS SEVERAL OF THEM, AND THEY ARE A GREAT CONVENIENCE!

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