Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat
Is it a Floater, or a Medical Emergency?
People who tend to party too much on a Saturday night are apt to see pink elephants in their vision. But others who never misbehave may suddenly notice spots, threads or cob-web-like structures floating in front of their eyes. What causes these images and when are they a medical emergency? Eye floaters are those tiny flecks, spots or cob-web-like structures that appear to drift aimlessly around in your field of vision. A few people find them terribly annoying. Others fret that they may herald the onset of a serious eye problem. Or even end in blindness. What causes these floaters? The vitreous is a large chamber in the back part of the eye. Early in life it consists of a...Read More
Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous
Immuno-Care To Fight Seasonal Allergies
Why do so many people suffer from seasonal allergies? Some cough and wheeze, others fight joint pain and stiffness. Is it due to just too much pollen in the air? Or is it also the result of a badly stressed and depleted immune system? Studies show that a natural remedy, Immuno-Care, that contains plant sterols, can be the answer to seasonal allergies and other disorders when the immune system is running out of gas. Years ago, in my teens, I knew the exact day that watery itchy eyes, runny nose, and fatigue of hay fever would plague me. It was also the time that my summer job of picking peaches started. I had no idea at the time that my immune...Read More
Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat
Try the Kitchen Experiment to Protect Your Vision
It’s been said that, “In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king”. But wherever you are, good eyes are a priceless possession. Today, tens of thousands of North Americans are struggling to read fine print, worrying about driving at night, or suffering from dry eyes or eye fatigue. Now, there’s a natural remedy “Vision Essentials” to help prevent these degenerative problems of aging. Growing older is inevitable, but many of the adverse effects of aging are preventable. Dr. Denham Harman, at the University of Nebraska, College of Medicine, believes that free radicals are responsible for aging. Free radicals are formed when oxygen is burned in our cells for energy. To understand the importance of free radicals, Dr....Read More
Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat
Eye Damage From Laser Pointers
“Why isn’t he more careful when pointing that laser beam?” I wondered during a recent lecture. The speaker was careless with the red beam, casting it about before pointing it at the screen. I knew lasers could damage eyes. When used for treating medical problems, protective glasses must be worn. But I had no idea whether the use of a laser pointer was dangerous. Now I know. Dr. Martin K. Schmid, an ophthalmologist at Lucerne Cantonal Hospital in Lucerne, Switzerland, reports in the New England Journal of Medicine the case of a 15 year old boy who wanted to have a little fun. So he purchased a laser thinking he would burn a hole in his sister’s sneakers and pop...Read More
Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat
Trained Monkeys Should Attend Hockey Games
Do you know what I'd do if I owned a trained monkey? I'd give him my season tickets to hockey games at the Air Canada Center (ACC) in Toronto. It would save me from incessant, ear-splitting noise. Besides, it would also save me from repeatedly asking, "What did you say?" To combat noise and prevent deafness, the European Union recently announced it's capping the volume of iPods and other portable music players. The top level is to be 80 decibels. So how does 80 decibels compare with other routine levels of noise? Studies show normal talk is about 40, city traffic 80, subways emit 100 and rock concerts assault the ear with 130. I'm a long-standing hockey fan. But if anything were...Read More
Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat
What I Leaned About Coronary Disease in England – Vitamin C
Why would I travel to snowy England in January? I had the chance to spend a week studying with Dr. Sydney Bush, a distinguished English professor of optometry. This week why I believe his research on the cause of coronary artery disease deserves a Noble Prize and how you can benefit from this research. What causes coronary attack? Authorities say it's due to increased blood cholesterol. But I've always questioned this theory since interviewing to Dr. Linus Pauling (the only person to receive two Nobel Prizes). Years ago Pauling told me animals manufacture vitamin C, but humans do not. For instance, goats produce 13,000 milligrams of vitamin C daily! Humans lost this ability during the course of evolution and it's why cats...Read More
Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat, Nutrition
Eggs Decrease Risk of Macular Degeneration
"Don't you worry about cholesterol in eggs?" a friend recently asked me. I had ordered ham-and-eggs for breakfast which I often enjoy. But my friend was sure that eggs were a nutritional relic of the past, only good for a display at the Smithsonian Institution. I told him he was suffering from "cholesterolphobia", should upgrade his thinking about eggs, and that if he would order the same breakfast it would decrease his risk of heart disease and macular degeneration. I've written for years that we should trust farmers, hens and cows and cast a suspicious eye at manufactured processed foods. I have not changed my mind after many years of research. Blaming farmers and hens for the epidemic of heart disease is...Read More
Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat
Don’t Fire Until You See The Whites of Their Eyes – Macular Degeneration
What do people fear the most? It's often said that giving a speech tops the list. But a recent survey shows it's losing one's sight. Today, with an aging population, an increasing number of people face the ultimate fear, a condition called, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) that destroys vision and can even lead to blindness. For the first time a new medication, Lucentis, is available that stops and can even reverse vision loss caused by the most serious form of this debilitating disease. "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes" was a command given the British soldiers. But if these soldiers had AMD they wouldn't have fired a single shot. AMD destroys the macula, a tiny spot in...Read More
Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat, Surgery
LASIK Eye Surgery, Suppose the Parachute Fails To Open?
"Would you take the risk of jumping out of a plane with a parachute?" I asked the patient. She had just asked me if she should toss away her eye glasses and have her vision corrected by LASIK surgery. Millions of North Americans have had this procedure done and are happy with the result. But now the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) in the US wants stronger warnings of complications on patient information material. The problem is that just as some parachutes fail to open, there can be devastating surgical complications. LASIK surgery permanently changes the shape of the cornea, the clear covering at the front of the eyeball. A laser device is used to cut a flap in the cornea leaving...Read More
Cardiovascular, Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat, Vitamins
Your Heart Is Slowly Dying From Chronic Scurvy
Why is research that could save countless lives unknown to Canadian and U.S. doctors? This week, a report that Dr. Sydney Bush, an optometrist in Hull, England, has made an historic discovery. He claims that atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries) can be reversed. And his research, which could save millions from heart attack, should have made headlines around the world. It's been said that the eye is the window to the heart. It's the only part of the body through which doctors can see arteries and veins during an eye examination. This allows doctors to see changes in retinal vessels, the result of aging, hypertension, diabetes and atherosclerosis. And it's been believed for years that blockages in arteries due to cholesterol deposits...Read More
Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat
Why Didn’t That Idiot Turn off His High Beam? – Night Blindness
In 800 B.C. Homer wrote, "Now the night comes and it is wise to obey the night". In those times there were frequent muggings at night and home robberies. Not much has changed since then. But today we're even more vulnerable by being involved in a tragic car accident as the sun goes down. What happens to our eyesight as we age and how can you decrease the risk of death on the highway? A report from The Harvard Medical School states that, "Roadway crashes are the leading cause of on-the-job fatalities among older workers in the United States and that poor vision is partly to blame". Macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of these accidents. It's also the main...Read More
Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat
How iPods Can Make you Rich, Rich, Rich
Anyone interested in a hot tip on how to make a lot of money without any risk? It's not my job to pass along financial advice, but in this instance I can't resist the urge. Invest in a hearing aid company, because the next generation is going deaf and they don't know it. A French proverb says, "I do not like noise unless I make it myself". This proverb must have been uttered centuries ago when someone was enjoying a glass of chardonay in a sleepy French village. Today, we're running out of quiet places to hide and escape noise. And excessive sound from MP3 players such as the iPod is a gift from Heaven for those selling hearing aids. Today iPods...Read More
Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat
Socioacusis – The Case Speaks for Itself Against the ACC
Centuries ago, Diogenes Laertius wrote, "We have two ears and one tongue in order that we may hear more and speak less." Now an increasing number of people are having difficulty hearing more with either ear. Noise induced hearing loss (socioacusis) is primarily due to constant and excessive noise. And since it appears anyone can sue for anything these days why doesn't somebody start a class action suit against Toronto's Air Canada Centre (ACC). It's a prime example of needless, senseless and harmful noise. Today, according to the National Institutes of Health, one in three North Americans over age 60 has hearing loss. And the problem often starts during student days.The enjoyment of bread and wine along a French country road...Read More
Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat
The Tight Necktie Syndrome
A 55 year old businessman complained of headaches, blurring of vision and a tingling sensation in his right ear. Harvard professors failed to make a diagnosis. So he journeyed to the Mayo Clinic , then to a famous Harley Street doctor in London, England. But none could diagnose his problem. Several years later he was at a convention in Atlantic City still suffering from these annoying symptoms. Having forgotten to pack enough shirts, he walked into an unremarkable men's store and asked for a size 15 shirt. A young salesman suggested a size 16. Irritated, the man replied, "Look here, young man I've been buying shirts since you were in knee pants. I want a size 15". The salesman replied, "That's fine...Read More
Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat
The Do’s And Dont’s of Sinusitis
I must confess I've been putting off writing this column for a long time. Sinusitis seems to be such a dull, boring, uninteresting topic compared to most medical troubles. But nevertheless this condition affects millions of people and it's a damn annoying condition when it strikes. There are also some important do's and dont's in treating sinusitis. Dr. Ron Fenton, Otolaryngologist-in-Chief at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, reports in the University of Toronto Health News that one in 200 colds will be complicated by an attack of sinusitis. And the number of cases is increasing. Sinusitis normally starts as a viral infection which causes inflammation and blocks the sinusues. Patients then often get a bacterial infection on top of the viral infection.Dr...Read More
Cancer, Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat, Surgery
A Scotch and Soda And an Alarming Surgical Dilemma – Cancer of the Tongue
"Stick out your tongue", my dentist invariably requests during my regular dental checkup. I know that shortly he'll examine my teeth. But for the moment he's looking for any sign of cancer of either the tongue or the rest of the oral cavity. But what happens if your dentist or doctor detects a malignancy? What I learned over a scotch and soda should alarm all of us. Cancer of the tongue is one of the more common and serious types of mouth cancer. Every year 30,000 North Americans are diagnosed with this malignancy and it's curable in about 80 per cent of cases when diagnosed early. Malignancies of the tongue start as a small lump or a thick white patch. Over time...Read More
Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat, Vitamins
Lutein For Healthy Eyes
Today seven million North Americans Suffer from a devastating disease, macular degeneration. No longer can they enjoy the simple pleasures of reading or watching TV. These unfortunate people have lost their central vision. But there is a way to reduce the risk of this disabling problem. The retina acts like the film of a camera conveying images to the brain. The big picture is sent by sensitive detectors present throughout the retina. The small picture, namely central vision is sent by the macula. It's situated directly behind the lens, densely packed with visual detectors about the size of the "o". Stare someone in the eye at a distance of 20 feet and your looking at the macula. All the rest is peripheral...Read More
Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat
I’ve Fallen In Love With Flanagan, the Seeing Eye Dog
Remember that magic moment when you fell in love? How your eyes met and you instinctively knew this was the one. This happened to me a few nights ago. She was a beauty with black shining hair, loving eyes and I had never seen such regal bearing. I was irrevocably hooked on Flanagan, the black labrador seeing eye dog, that welcomed us to The Seeing Eye in Toronto, its 75th anniversary. And Flanagan proceeded to teach us that evening an important medical lesson that's desperately needed today. The Seeing Eye story started with a US woman, Dorothy Harrison Eustis. She began training Seeing Eye dogs after she saw German shepherds being trained to guide blinded veterans of World War I. It takes...Read More
Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat
Careless Use of Contact Lenses Can Cause Blindness
It's estimated that 38 million people in North America wear contact lenses (that's 76 million eyes). Owners love the benefits. They're great for sports. They don't break, fall off or steam up. Most people find them more comfortable than glasses and more flattering. And they're a great boon following cataract surgery. But placing foreign objects anywhere in the body has a dangerous downside. I was recently in Washington D.C to attend a research seminar on the prevention of blindness. One of the speakers, Dr. Dwight Cavanagh, Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Texas Southern Medical School, has been warning for years that users of contact lenses should use them the way porcupines make love, very, very carefully. And that failing...Read More
Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat
Glaucoma – The Sneak Thief of Sight
The statistics are frightening. Three million North Americans suffer from glaucoma. The National Eye Institute estimates that 120,000 are blind because of this disease. And half the people with glaucoma do not know they have it. Glaucoma is also the leading cause of blindness in African-Americans and the second leading cause of blindness in North Americans. The underlying cause of glaucoma is not known. For years doctors believed the primary problem was increased pressure within the eye. And that this pressure suddenly or slowly destroyed the optic nerve that carries images to the brain. However, 20 percent of patients with glaucoma have normal eye pressures yet the nerve cells still die. Dr. Martin B. Waxman is Professor of Ophthalmologist at Washington University...Read More
Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat
To Hear Or Not To Hear – Cochlear Implant
Why would a deaf person not want to hear? After all, I've never met a blind person who doesn't want to see. Or a paralyzed victim who doesn't want to walk. One would think this matter would be as clear as 2 +2 = 4. But life is never that simple. Some people who are deaf are vehemently opposed to the use of cochlear implants, an electronic device that introduces deaf people to the hearing world. Are they right? Cochlear implant surgery is in effect, another type of bypass surgery. An electrical device is inserted into the ear which allows sound to jump across the diseased part of the organ. But it does not cure deafness. Hearing is present only when...Read More
Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat
Floaters – Simple Test Predicts Health Risk
Some people are prone to see pink elephants now and then for good reason. But others who never misbehave on Saturday night may suddenly start to notice spots, threads or cob-web like structures floating in front of their eyes. A few people find them terribly annoying. Others fret that they may herald the onset of a serious eye problem. Or even end in blindness. What causes these floaters? And when do they indicate an eye emergency has happened? Many people are too embarrassed to admit they see floaters. The admission is more likely to set the stage for a joke than a helpful reply. Yet most people can see floaters, if they look for them, against a clear sky or a...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
