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Page 11 Clothmakers in the News HOUSTON W. LONG 3rd Shift Assistant Departmental Superintendent Houston W. Long has been promoted from loom technician to 3rd shift assistant departmental superintendent, Plant No. 2 weaving, department 44. Prior to joining Clinton Milts on July 7, 1986, Long was associated with Greenwood Mills. He and his family live in Laurens and attend the Atonement Lutheran Church. When away from work, Long enjoys gardening and cooking. HENRY T. JOHNSON JR. Asst. Departmental Superintendent, 5th Shift, Plant No. 2 Weaving Henry T. Johnson Jr. has been promoted to assistant departmental superintendent, 5th shift, Plant No. 2 weaving, department 43. He has been employed since May of 1970 and was a loom technician before assuming his present position. Johnson and his family live in Whitmire and attend the Central Avenue Baptist Church. Prior to joining Clinton Mills, he was associated with Milliken and Company in Union. He enjoys carpenter work as a hobby. HAROLD MADDEN Asst Departmental Superintendent, Plant No. 2 Weaving Harold Madden has assumed the position of assistant departmental superintendent, Plant No. 2 weaving, department 47. Madden and his family live in Ware Shoals where he operates a small cattle farm. He has been associated with Clinton Mills since 1977. He was previously associated with the company, left to join another company, and re turned in 1977. Living With High Blood Pressure THE SILENT KILLER There is a silent killer that stalks over 23 million Americans, 24 hours a day, everyday. And 11 million don’t even know it’s there. That killer doesn’t carry a gun or knife, but kills through stroke, heart failure and kidney failure. The killer’s name? High blood pressure, also known as hypertension. Often called the "silent” disease, hypertension has no symptoms at first. Because a person does not feel sick, high blood pressure can go undected for years. This is why regular medical checkups are important. COULD YOU BE A TARGET FOR THE DISEASE The cause of hypertension is not known in most cases, but heredity, overweight, too much salt in the diet and stress are known contributors to the disease. Hypertension usually begins at about 30, becoming more common with age. However, it can occur at any age in any person. People most likely to get the disease include: • Men more often and more severely than women. • Women who are taking birth control pills or are pregnant. • Blacks, especially men, and more severely than other races (more than twice as frequent in black females as in white females). • Short, heavy people and others who are overweight. • People whose blood pressure fluctuates widely. • Relatives of those with high blood pressure. Hypertension is not related to nervous tension. An easygoing way of life and a relaxed manner are not guarantees against high blood pressure. Theonly way to know if you have high blood pressure is to have it measured. CONTROL IS THE KEY The silent killer can be stopped in its tracks, though, by taking medications prescribed by the physician and by following his/her advice about other factors. Hypertension medications should be taken every day. Because high blood pressure has no symptoms, some people make a mistake and stop taking their medication. If the doctor tells you that your hypertension is now normal, it does not mean you have been cured. It means you have taken your medication, have followed his or her advice and are now controlling your high blood pressure. Don’t stop taking the medicine now. In most cases, high blood pressure is a lifelong disease. WHAT ELSE CAN HELP? Eating right can also help control high blood pressure. If you are overweight, losing weight may help your medicine work better. High blood pressure is twice as common among those who are overweight. Ask your doctor what weight control program he or she recommends. Cutting down on salt intake helps some people. Like losing weight, cutting the use of salt and other products that contain sodium can help patients reduce the amount of medication they need. Eliminating table salt is a good first step. But sodium is found in other things we eat, too, such as prepared or pre-packaged foods. Restaurant food, especially fast food, is often high in sodium. Many medications, such as antacids, cough medicines and laxatives are also high in sodium. To reduce the sodium you eat, use more fresh fruits, vegetables and meats. Don’t add salt in cooking and baking. Try seasoning with lemon juice, fresh and dried herbs and spices like curry powder, celery seed, pepper and paprika. Besides being linked to cancer and heart disease, cigarette smoking can further elevate blood pressure of some hypertensive patients. Drinking a moderate amount of alcohol may actually help release nervous tension and lower blood pressure, although a few people with hypertension may not tolerate alcohol well. Anxiety, frustration and anger aggravate hypertension. Modifications to your way of life may have to take place. A little relaxation and exercise can do wonders for the body and mind. (Reprinted with the permission of Provident Life and Accident Insurance Company.)