Dermatology, Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat, Infection
Tattoos and Piercings Still Come with Risks
Jack London, the American novelist who wrote Call of the Wild in 1903, said, “Show me a man with a tattoo and I’ll show you a man with an interesting past.” But in 2022, with tattoos found on more than a third of North Americans and on nearly one in two young people, what is the great allure? And what are the risks? According to the Wellcome Collection, a museum and library specializing in the connections between medicine, life and art, tattoos date from 5000 BCE. They permeated ancient societies, often representing battle valour or sacrificial rituals. Some tattoos seem to have resulted from scaring from medicinal treatments and others seem to have been purely decorative in purpose. Piercings have a long...Read More
Alternate Treatments, Dermatology, Infection, Pain
The Agony of Shingles: How to Decrease the Risk
“It was like going through hell,” he said. A friend had developed facial shingles, involving his ear, and despite medication the pain continued for weeks. So what is the best way to prevent an attack of shingles? Take action quickly. If you delay, you’ll wish you hadn’t when the pain from hell strikes. Today, most children are vaccinated against chickenpox. But it was not in the mix of common childhood shots until the mid-1990s. It’s a rare older person who escaped this childhood infection. Unlike other childhood diseases, the varicella zoster virus never leaves the body. Rather, it goes into hiding in nerve cells near the spinal cord. These cells transmit messages from skin to the central nervous system. The virus...Read More
Alternate Treatments, Dermatology, Pain
What You Should Know About Light Therapy
What could you do if you sprained your ankle during the COVID-19 pandemic? Or if you suffer a bad cut? You may feel that the last place you want to visit these days is a hospital. But do you have options? Maybe it’s time to learn more about light therapy. It’s sometimes called low-level laser therapy or low-intensity light therapy. And with one of the many portable devices available on the market, you can safely treat yourself at home. So, what should you know about this therapy as you get older and invariably develop various aches, pains, injuries and infections? Dr. Mary Dyson, Emeritus Professor at King’s College, University of London, England, is an international expert on wound healing. She reports...Read More
Dermatology, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous
It’s Time to Winterize Skin. It Doesn’t Tear Nylons!
My editor, namely my wife of 62 years, recently said to me, “I’m getting tired of reading about Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular problems, cancer and other dreadful ailments. Why don’t you, for one week, give us a break from depressing disease? I’m sure readers would like to learn how to protect skin during the coming winter season.” One thing I’ve learned over the years is you never say no to an editor, particularly one who is your wife! So I interviewed experts about winterizing skin so it doesn’t look like a dried prune. And are natural remedies available? Rule # one To show I’m not totally controlled by my editor, I’ll start with medical advice that’s good for all seasons. Stop smoking. Years ago...Read More
Cancer, Dermatology
For the Right Diagnosis, Consult a Dog
Skin cancer is one of the most preventable types of malignancy. But according to The Cancer Society, it is also one of the fastest increasing malignancies. For instance, the incidence of new cases is now greater than the combined number of new breast, lung, prostate and colon cancers. Ask most authorities why this is happening and they'll say it's because of too much exposure to the sun. Dr. Allan Halpern, Chief of Dermatology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, warns parents that children who get sunburns at an early age, the severe ones they never forget, are at greater risk. So are those who have worked outdoors for a number of years. Halpern adds that people who have 50...Read More
Cardiovascular, Dermatology, Vitamins
Did Jim Flaherty Have To Die?
Could the life of one of Canada's great Ministers of Finance have been saved by medical treatment? You did not have to be a doctor to see the change in his facial appearance and realize he was not well. But when he apparently died from a massive heart attack, was he denied a natural remedy that might have saved his life? And could his son, who suffered from a disability, have been saved by the same treatment? Jim Flaherty developed a rare skin disease called Bullous pemphigoid. It's an autoimmune disease in which a person's immune system produces antibodies that attack the body. In effect, it's as if soldiers suddenly decided to turn their guns on each other, rather than on...Read More
Dermatology, Infection
This Fall Think About Lyme Disease
Do you believe you must be in an infected area to get Lyme disease? If you do, think again. A 10 year study reports that you can catch this malady in your own backyard. And since spring and fall are prime times for this disease, being forewarned is forearmed. Particularly since a bite of the deer tick can have far-reaching health consequences. Lyme disease was first suspected in North America in 1975. In Lyme, Connecticut, an unusual number of children were developing what was initially thought to be juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. So a team of scientists from Yale University were sent to study this cluster of patients. These children all exhibited a "bull's–eye" rash. In addition, they also suffered from muscular,...Read More
Cancer, Dermatology
When In Doubt, Cut it Out
“Is it a benign mole or a malignant melanoma?” you wonder. This is an important question as the number of cases of melanoma continues to increase. It’s shocking that the incidence of new cases is now greater than the combined number of breast, lung, prostate and large bowel cancers. So how can you prevent dying from this disease? Rudyard Kipling, the English novelist, gave some sound advice when he wrote, “Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noonday sun”. Too much sun exposure is the cause of many melanomas. Remember that if your shadow is shorter than you, it’s time to get out of the sun. Dr. Allan Halpern, chief of dermatology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York...Read More
Dermatology, Miscellaneous
New Japanese Sponge Treats Acne and Damaged Skin
What comes to mind when someone mentions Japan? Most people envision Japanese superlative products such as cars and electronic devices. But North Americans must expand their vision of this country. The Japanese have now taken a Nobel Prize winning discovery and developed a dual action product to fight acne, brown spots, wrinkles and damaged skin. Acne has plagued the rich and the not so rich for years. Brad Pitt appears to be flawless, but look closer and you will see countless pock marks. Catherine Zeta-Jones and Leonardo Di Caprio have also suffered from acne as well as millions of the less celebrated. Acne affects up to 85 percent of young people and 11 percent of adults 25 and older. The...Read More
Dermatology, Gynecology, Women's Health
The Lies And Truths Of Mammography
Never before have women been more confused about breast mammography. A U.S panel of experts now reports that women under 40 years of age do not need mammograms, and those over 50 require them only every two years. So here are eight points women should know about mammography. One - During this debate no expert has mentioned one vital fact. Mammography is a "lump" diagnosis. This means that years have gone by before a cancer lump is large enough to be detected by X-rays. This provides time for a malignancy to spread. I've stressed for years it's a lie to tell women mammography diagnoses early cancer. It does not. Rather it diagnoses breast cancer as early as it can be diagnosed....Read More
Dermatology
Reversa :A New Eco-Friendly Skin Cream
What's the latest eco-friendly product? It's not a new discovery to run your car or get rid of your garbage. Rather, it's an eco-friendly skin cream that contains green tea extract. I thought green tea was for drinking. But a report in the American Academy of Dermatology claims that 150 studies prove green tree is beneficial to skin in several ways. Dr. Stephen Hsu at The Medical College of Georgia, says a five year study was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health. The purpose was to find a non-toxic method to prevent the increasing number of people developing skin cancer. Every year one million Americans are diagnosed with this disease. A shocking report from the U.S. National Cancer Institute indicates a...Read More
Dermatology
Onychomycosis: It Doesn’t Make You A Big Hit In The Bedroom
How often do we look at a person's nails? Not as often as we cast an eye at other parts of the anatomy. But nails reveal much about a person's general health. So the next time you're invited to a dinner party scan the nails. But if want to be invited back, wait for another time to annoyance a guest is suffering from onychomycosis. Is the person sitting next to you a bartender, lawyer, politician, nurse or homemaker? The clue may be brittle, split nails, the result of frequently having hands in water day after day. Water passes through nails 100 times faster than through skin. This causes swelling of nails and then when the hands are out of water, the...Read More
Dermatology
A Skin Cream That Prevents Cancer
I'd bet that 99 percent of readers have never heard of the name,"Actinic Keratosis", (AK). But thousands of people have this type of skin lesion that if left untreated can develop into skin cancer over time. Now there's a unique skin cream that can prevent or stop this from occurring. Since the primary cause of AK is excessive exposure to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays, this problem is often called "Solar Keratosis". Like an elephant, human skin never forgets all the UV radiation it gets during a lifetime. We forget the times when UV rays have bounced off snow and water, either tanning or burning our skin. And with today's thinning of the ozone layer, more ultraviolet rays are hitting the...Read More
Dermatology
Mayo Clinic’s Four Habits For A Healthy Skin Winter and Summer
"Please write more about how to keep skin looking young." Or, "What can I do to keep my skin from drying up like an old prune during the winter months." I receive many requests like these asking me to write about medical problems. But whenever I write about skin care the response dwarfs other mail. So what does a prestigious Clinic say about aging skin? Mayo Clinic doctors don't bother to soften the truth of how we gradually lose our baby-soft "body glove" in which we were born. Their studies show that our oil producing glands become less active and blood vessels decrease leaving us with thinner, fragile and finely wrinkled skin. But four habits will help to keep some of...Read More
Dermatology
Acne Scars Can Now Be Treated Successfully with ArteSense
"Would you like to be young again?" I ask. Many people would jump at the chance of getting back years. But when I ask, "would you want to revisit those acne years when you were the butt end of jokes from classmates?" many say "thanks, but no thanks." The psychological trauma of that time was a passing problem. But unsightly depressions and scars that remain are another matter. Fortunately, there's now a way to remove them. Acne affects up to 85 percent of young people and 11 percent of adults 25 and older. There are few diseases more aggravating for both parents and teenagers. It's a time when young people need acceptance and self-assurance. The daily embarrassment of a face and...Read More
Dermatology, Infection
Kiss Me But Please Don’t Shake My Hand
I've heard the question asked, "How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?" I have no idea. But I know that one million bacteria can fit on the point of a needle. So you don't have to be a genius at math to know that tens of millions can be present on door knobs, telephones and the hand you shake. Health authorities recently announced a crackdown on hand washing in hospitals to prevent fatal hospital infections. But will a snooping campaign work? And what is the greatest misconception about contracting infection? One hundred and fifty years ago, Semmelweiss, a doctor in Vienna, noticed that one in six women died of infection following childbirth. He decided it was because...Read More
Dermatology
Rosacea : An Overlooked Skin Condition
What did former President Bill Clinton have to blush about? We all know the answer to that delicate question! Like Princess Diana, Rosie O'Donnell and the comedian W.C. Fields also suffered from Rosacea. This April is designated Rosacea month, in an effort to alert people to the warning signs of this condition and the importance of early treatment. Red may be the colour of love, but this is one flush people would prefer not to show. The general public and sometimes doctors, confuse Rosacea with acne, seborrheic dermatitis or lupus. Fortunately, Rosacea is not life-threatening, but the flushing episodes are socially embarrassing and in some instances their psychological impact can be devastating. Some patients shy away from social contacts when pustules appear...Read More
Dermatology, Medicine
New Support Group For Psoriasis Patients
Sir William Osler, one of this country's greatest physicians, remarked that no doctor thoroughly understands a disease until he suffers from it. He could have added that this also applies to patients. The ones who find it hard to get information about their disease when doctor visits today are limited to 15 minutes or less. Now there's a way for patients with psoriasis to communicate with others who have this disease. It's a great way for patients to help each other. Psoriasis is a disease in which the patient's body literally shoots itself in the foot. What happens is the immune system that normally protects the body from disease, goes on a rampage and attacks the skin and other body organs....Read More
Dermatology
Collagen Producing Peptides For Wrinkled Skin
What made Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, so attractive? Certainly being born beautiful wasn't a hindrance for her seduction of Mark Anthony. But apart from having genetics on her side she knew that natural beauty could be preserved and augmented by the application of healthy emollients. Both Cleopatra and Poppea, wife of the Roman Emperor Nero, used a honey-and-milk lotion to keep them looking youthful. But what would Cleopatra and Poppea have done to get their hands on a new potion proven to reduce wrinkles up to 78 percent? These two women were not aware of the science of cosmetics at that time. Through today's science we know that lactic acid in milk is an alpha hydroxy acid which helps to cleanse...Read More
Dermatology
Do You Expect Me To Stand There Naked? – Melanoma Check
Who is a big supporter of my column? I would like to think my children as I e-mail them copies each week. But a recent e-mail response was, "Dad, you always have such cheery thoughts, like colonoscopy! What other forms of poking must you subject us to? Will it be root canals? How about some good news and something that's more dignified? So here's one that needs removal of clothing but no poking. Recently my wife asked me to check her body for suspicious moles. I didn't see any but it's never prudent to be your wife's doctor. If I missed diagnosing a melanoma my children might suspect I was after her insurance money. So I suggested we should both arrange...Read More
Cardiovascular, Dermatology, Orthopedics
Low Intensity Light Therapy Heals Chronic Wounds
Do patients receive ineffective treatment when they could be cured by a lesser-known technique? The answer? Probably tens of thousands. I recently spent a day at a Meditech Conference in Toronto listening to experts discuss dermatological and wound ulcers that were resistant to treatment. There I saw startling photos showing how Low Intensity Laser Therapy (LILT) can often cure these conditions. Today, there is something new under the sun. An old joke in the medical fraternity is that dermatology is the best specialty as patients never die nor get better. But it's not so funny if you suffer from a chronic skin condition that refuses to improve. Year after year these patients are prescribed a variety of pills, creams and other treatment...Read More
Dermatology
How To Rid the Skin of Barnacles with Reversa
"Vanity, thy name is woman", wrote the immortal bard William Shakespeare hundreds of years ago. He was right. I know, because two years ago I wrote a column dealing with "cosmeceuticals" and mentioned, Reversa, a cream that helps aging skin. The avalanche of mail from female readers stunned me and gave the postman a backache. So this week let's forget about cholesterol and other depressing problems and talk about another cosmeceutical that gets rid of aging spots. Let's hope it also alerts everyone to the dangers of excessive sun exposure and saves needless deaths from skin cancer. The way our skin ages depends on several factors. The most controllable factor of all is "photo-aging". Excessive exposure to the sun results in course,...Read More
Dermatology
Reversing Aging Skin With Reversa
G.P.R. James wrote in 1829, "Age is the most terrible misfortune that can happen to any man. Other evils will mend, but this is every day getting worse." Why he left out women I have no idea! Today, one could utter the same lament. After all, who wants to get old? But although we still haven't found the secret for eternal youth it is now possible to remove some of the wrinkles of aging. Today "Cosmeceuticals" are available to help restore aging skin. Baby boomers are lining up for plastic surgery, a radical way to treat aging. Others, even young women, are flocking to get Botox injections. But injecting Botox every few months to temporarily smooth out wrinkles is to me...Read More
Dermatology, Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat, Psychiatry
The Dangers of Tongue Piercing
Why in the name of Heaven do they do it? And the locations? One of the first rings I encountered in my office was in the belly button. The next one in a very intimate part of the female anatomy. That's the one that made my white hair stand on end. Then others began to appear in the lips, cheeks, nose and tongue. Now several reports indicate that placing a ring in the tongue can trigger life-threatening complications. Drs. Richard Martinet and Elizabeth Cooney are infectious disease specialists at Yale University. They recently reported on one 22-year-old woman who got more than she bargained for after tongue piercing. Following the procedure she developed pain and a foul discharge at the site of...Read More
