Snowbird Alert Source: www.newscanada.com Does the weather impact your arthritis? Is there truth to the idea that weather affects your joints, or is it an old wives’ tale? Scientists are not yet sure why, but studies do suggest that weather changes can increase pain. While controlling the weather isn’t an option, there are things that you can do to manage your pain. Start by tracking your symptoms. You can find a daily symptom tracker on the Arthritis Society’s website. Once you know what kind of weather affects you, follow these tips. If your symptoms are worse in warm weather: ▶ A cool shower or cold pack can help with pain and inflammation on hot days. ▶ It’s important to stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water and try to avoid caffeine, alcohol and sugary drinks that can contribute to dehydration. ▶ Try to avoid spending time in the sun during the hottest hours of the day. ▶ You can try a cooling ointment or spray that produces an icy feeling where it’s applied. If your symptoms are worse in colder weather: ▶ Take a warm bath or shower to help relieve the pain. ▶ Use a hot water bottle, warm pack or heating pad to soothe sore joints. ▶ Dress in multiple layers and cover exposed skin when outdoors. ▶ Try soaking your sore hands in warm water. Find more resources on heat or cold therapy at arthritis.ca. Did the Canada Revenue Agency really contact you? Last year, about 100 Canadians each day were victims of a scam! Many of these scams imitate the CRA’s programs and services to gain access to your personal and financial information. So, how can you avoid getting tricked? Here are three tips to avoid being scammed by someone pretending to be from the agency: 1. Know how to recognize a scam ▶ Scammers may insist that they need your personal or financial information, such as your SIN or credit card details, in order to send you a refund or collect a payment. Beware when you get any message requesting this information, whether it’s by telephone, mail, text or email. ▶ Callers may use threatening or coercive language to scare you into paying a phony debt. Know that the government will not demand immediate payment or threaten you with arrest. ▶ Fraudsters may urge you to visit a fake website, where you’re asked to verify your identity by entering personal information. The CRA will not email you a link asking you to fill in an online form with personal or financial details. 2. Protect yourself from identify theft ▶ Monitor your tax accounts by registering for My Account or My Business Account. Once registered, sign up for email notifications, which will notify you of changes made to your accounts, or if paper mail from the agency was returned. ▶ Use unique and complex passwords for your CRA and online banking accounts. You can set up a personal identification number (PIN) in My Account or with the help of one of the CRA call centre agents, to help confirm your identity for future calls. 3. When in doubt, check your online account ▶ If you receive a call, letter, email or text saying that you owe money or have received a refund, check your My Account or call the CRA at 1-800-959-8281. If you think that you may have been the victim of a scam or have been tricked into giving personal or financial information, contact your local police service. 6 | www.snowbirds.org
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