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
Endocrine, Genetics
Boy Frogs To Girl Frogs; But What About Us?
Where is “peace on earth” this holiday season? Problems continue in Iraq and Afghanistan. Senseless killings occur almost daily in our major cities. Women continue to be raped and physically abused all over the world. Daily newspapers and TV news shows repeat the indisputable fact underlying this trend. Most of these crimes are committed by men. So could a frog experiment help to end these senseless acts? Maurice Chevalier used to say “Vive La Difference” when talking about males and females. And the often quoted phrase that “girls are sugar and spice and everything nice” is, with rare exception, true. Like Chevalier, I too, have always been happy with “La Difference”. And pleased that, with some exceptions, females do not possess the...Read More
Lifestyle, Surgery
I Should Have Locked Up the Shotgun
Why was it so hard for me to have a good night’s sleep? It wasn’t the continuing uncertain state of the economy. Rather, every time I rolled over in bed my shoulder reminded me it wasn’t happy. This wouldn’t have happened if I’d been smarter and taken my own advice about prevention. But luckily Low Intensive Laser Therapy (LILT) has saved me from surgery a second time. Several years ago I became involved with trap shooting. I enjoyed the eye-to-hand coordination that’s required, but one day I got careless and shot too many rounds. That’s when the excessive recoil of the gun caused a rotator cuff tear (RCT) in my shoulder. I would have told anyone...Read More
Infection
How Safe is Double-Dipping?
How many times will you see this happen during the holiday season? I’d predict several times unless you’ve decided to say “no” to parties. My bet is that someone will walk up to the table, pick up a shrimp, dip it into the sauce, enjoy the taste, then dip again. And when I see this I wonder, “How safe is it to share the sauce in the communal bowl with them?” And “Why didn’t their Mother tell them not to do it?” Since research on double dipping won’t win anyone the Noble Prize, there’s not much science on this topic. But the question did catch the attention of Paul L. Dawson, Professor of Food Chemistry at Clemson University, South Carolina....Read More
Psychiatry
Please Throw Away Those Old Shoes!
“How can he live this way?” This thought always crossed my mind when I entered the office of my medical colleague. For years medical journals and other assorted material were stacked a foot or more high all over his desk. In fact, so high that he had to talk to patients in his examining room rather than his office. But it seems he was not alone. A study conducted in 2008 by Johns Hopkins Medical School revealed that hoarding may be more prevalent than previously thought. Researchers concluded that one in 20 people may suffer from some form of hoarding. In fact, it appears I’m one of the 20! My wife recently threatened, “If you don’t toss out those old...Read More
Pain
Two Words, Irresponsibly Permissive, Tell A Story
How did this country and the U.S. become such a drug-addicted society? A recent report states that the pain killer, Oxycontin is now the number one drug used by addicts. But whether it’s this drug, crack cocaine, crystal meth or others, the result is always the same, wasted lives, needless deaths, crime and tons of taxpayer’s money that should be used for productive purposes. It’s a cop-out when Ministers of Health claim there’s no easy answer. What’s appalling is how Oxycotin is being so ill used and easily available in Ontario alone. In 2008 provincial pharmacies dispensed prescriptions for Oxycontin that were more than double the national average. Then in 2009-10 the Ontario Drug plan processed 3.9 million opioid claims made...Read More
Surgery
Shock Therapy to Treat Fractured Bones
“How one error can have such a devastating effect on your life!” a friend said to me. She had spent summers in the same cottage for years and knew well the step from living room to kitchen. But one evening she forgot, fell, and sustained a severe fracture of the leg. I wrote several weeks ago that she had been taken to the local hospital and remained there for three days without treatment. Whether she will be in a wheel chair the rest of her life depends on a new way to heal broken bones. Dr. Rob Gordon is an orthopedic surgeon at the University Health Network in Toronto and an early pioneer in the use of shock wave therapy....Read More
Miscellaneous
Medical Myths That Should Die And A New Web Site
A sage African American once remarked, "It's not the things you don't know that gets you into trouble, it's the things you know for sure, that ain’t so". So here are some medical myths that just ain’t so. Myth # 1 - Wearing a copper bracelet cures arthritis. Those who promote copper bracelets say that copper is absorbed through the skin and helps cartilage regenerate. But this notion has never been proven. There’s no evidence that copper regenerates damaged cartilage to reduce pain. Our bodies need only small amounts of copper and we get this in our daily diet by eating vegetables such as potatoes, beans and peas. Copper is also present in nuts and grains such as wheat and...Read More
Nutrition
For Major League Eating Consult Your Funeral Director
I have a great admiration for the U.S.A. Not only am I indebted to the Harvard Medical School for my medical training but I have many friends and associates in that country. However, it's been aptly said that, "There's a stupid corner in the brain of every wise man". One could also say there are some stupid corners in this great nation. Nothing is more asinine than its annual eating contests and those who sponsor this hazardous nonsense. I recall as a kid at a county fair watching someone trying to eat the most pumpkin pie possible in five minutes. It was looked on as a game and no one made any money doing it. But this is now major business...Read More
Pain
Dying and Pain Is The Number One Fear
Woody Allen once joked, “I’m not afraid of death I just don’t want to be there when it happens.” A world-wide survey by the Lien Foundation in Singapore recently reported the prime worry of the elderly was dying in pain. It listed England as the best place to die. Canada and the U.S tied for 9th place. As a physician I’ve always known that pain was the overwhelming fear, particularly for cancer patients. I also knew that heroin has been available in Britain for 90 years to ease final agony. This triggered a visit years ago to England to witness its use and the question of why it wasn’t used for this purpose in Canada. I didn’t realize my probe would...Read More
Infection
Cholesterol Drugs and Antidepressants in Drinking Water?
What was in our drinking water? Our home at the time was supplied by a well along the Niagara River. The only protection was a dash of chlorine. Now, years later, I’m happy I didn’t know the contents. A report in the Canadian Medical Association Journal has some shocking news about water. For centuries it was always safer to drink beer than water. Contaminated water killed millions. It’s still a major threat as every year in the U.S. 20 million people suffer from water-borne illnesses. One reason is that 45 million people drink water from domestic wells. Domestic wells are not prime water. A 12- year U.S. study showed that 76 percent of documented outbreaks of illness occurred from groundwater. In England...Read More
Neurology
Brain Concussion; Like having Your Bell Rung
Do you know how much trauma the human brain sustains in contact sports? Unless you’re a concussion specialist, few parents, coaches, athletes or even doctors have much knowledge about the extent of this injury. Concussion is like sugar and salt. Few people are aware of the amount they’re receiving, and all three can be lethal. Recently, 28 million people watched as the Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Stewart Bradley collapsed on the field. Players frantically called for medical help. To everyone’s surprise Bradley, after a mere four minutes, was back in the game. At half-time, doctors diagnosed his condition as concussion. Later, critics asked why Bradley was not immediately removed from the game. The lame excuse was that a sideline examination showed...Read More
Cancer, Miscellaneous
xZubi Device Protects You and Your Children From Dirty Electricity
Last week I reported that “dirty electricity”, generated by computers and other electrical devices, has been linked to unexplained aches and pains, depression, sleepiness, ringing in the ears, headaches, and a foggy brain. And that an international group of scientists believes that electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from dirty electricity can cause an increase in brain malignancy. Dirty electricity is produced when transformers convert clean 60 Hertz household current into low voltage power for electronic devices. This creates micro surges of electricity that contain up to 2,500 X the energy of a conventional 60 Hertz system. This electrical pollution causes a negative effect on our health. Dirty electricity is bad for everyone, particularly children. A Swedish study reported that teens who use...Read More
Cancer, Miscellaneous
How Dirty Electricity Affects Your Health
Are you feeling tired, suffer from sleepiness, depression, increased irritability, unexplained aches and pains, headaches, skin rashes, ringing in the ears, numbness, an irregular heart beat, increased blood pressure or a foggy brain? If so, you may be suffering from “Electrosensitivity”. Dr. Magda Havas, a renowned international expert on elctromagnetic radiation (EMR), says “dirty electricity” is a growing worldwide health concern. Today, few of us would want to discard our electronic devices. But before researching this and the next column, I never realized how modern electrical gizmos generated so much dirty electricity. Dr. Havas says clean electricity originally powered our homes and workplace using a safe frequency of 60 Hertz (Hz). Today, transformers convert 60 Hz to low voltage...Read More
Nutrition
Lectin Lock For What Ails You
“Are you aware that lectins can affect your health?” I asked a group of friends. I wasn’t referring to the hormone leptin or an Irish Leprechaun. No one knew I was talking about a type of protein in food that can trigger faulty digestion and other chronic problems. Or that a new natural product, “Lectin Lock”, could help to minimize exposure to lectins. One hospital in 1988, advertised a “healthy eating” lunch for its staff. One item contained red kidney beans and 31 staff enjoyed this dish. But at 3 pm one of the surgeons vomited while operating. During the next four hours 10 more staff suffered severe vomiting and diarrhea. What had caused this reaction? Studies found no...Read More
Psychiatry
Why Would Princess Diana Want to Cut Herself?
“How did you cut your arm?” a parent asked her daughter. “It happened during a gym class at school”, her teenage daughter replied. But a report from the Mayo Clinic shows that “there are cuts, and there are cuts”, and many are self-inflicted. Why would teenage girls, even a royal princess, want to injure themselves? It’s called the “Cutting Disease” and experts say it has been on the rise for the last 10 years. Self-mutilation is not a new disorder. Dr. Amando Favazz, a psychiatrist at the University of Missouri, the guru on self-mutilation, refers to a reference from the gospel of St Mark, chapter 5, in which a man cries out and cuts himself with sharp stones....Read More
Cardiovascular
A Cholesterol-Lowering Drug For Healthy people?
Should healthy people with no heart symptoms take a cholesterol-lowering drug (CLD) to prevent heart disease? Federal regulators in the U.S. have recently given the green light to allow Crestor, one of the CLDs, to be sold for this purpose. So is this decision a scientific breakthrough or medical madness? Why should millions of healthy people be added to the millions already prescribed CLDs? The reason is a study of 17,800 people who had no heart disease, but did have high amounts of c-reactive protein (CRP) in the blood, which is linked to an inflammatory process in arteries. Those who took Crestor showed a decrease in the level of bad cholesterol and CRP, and fewer deaths...Read More
Sex
Sex While Sleeping?
“Do you know what I dreamed about last night?” is a remark often heard over breakfast. The dream may be a remembrance of a past trip, or a vision of a long-departed friend. But have you ever dreamed about sex? If you have, you may be smiling while enjoying your morning coffee, but it’s highly unlikely that your dream will be discussed around the table. So how often does “The Sleeping Beauty Syndrome” occur? And is it possible to experience the real McCoy while sleeping and not be aware it’s happened? Dr. Carlos Schenck, a psychiatrist at the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center, is an expert on behavioral disorders associated with sleep. He reports that there are...Read More
Vitamins
Vitamin C and Alzheimer’s Disease
What causes Alzheimer’s Disease? No one knows the answer. But a recent report in the journal, Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, claims there is an important link between heart disease and Alzheimer’s Disease. The link is atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries). What amazes me is that since it’s been shown that vitamin C can reverse atherosclerosis in coronary arteries, why isn’t any one advocating its use in trying to prevent Alzheimer’s Disease? Researchers at the Kaiser Permanente Center in Oakland, California, and the University of Kuopio in Finland, tracked 10,000 people for 40 years. They found that high blood cholesterol was associated with a 66 percent higher risk of Alzheimer’s Disease. More worrying was that those with borderline levels of blood cholesterol...Read More
Diabetes
Fight Aging and Diabetes With a Cup Of o’Joe
“Would you like another cup of coffee?” the waiter asks. Most likely you’ll say “Yes” and then wonder if you’re drinking too much of o’Joe for your health. Today over 110 million North Americans consume coffee. But how much is too much, and can it decrease the risk of Type 2 diabetes or slow down aging? A recent report from Sydney, Australia, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, analyzed data from 500,000 people. Researchers report that those who drank three to four cups of decaffeinated coffee per day had a 33 percent decreased risk of type 2 diabetes, compared to non-coffee drinkers. The same amount of tea dropped the risk of Type 2 diabetes by 20 percent. This isn’t the first...Read More
Psychiatry
Can The Pinocchio Syndrome Solve The Niqab Dilemma?
Can you tell if someone is lying if the face is covered with a niqab? It’s a current Canadian question as a law court attempts to decide whether or not a sexual assault complainant may be allowed to wear her niqab in court. Can the “Pinocchio Syndrome”, and two former U.S presidents help attorneys decide this issue? Several years ago I talked with Dr. Alan Hirsch, a psychiatrist associated with the Department of Neurology and Psychiatry at Rush Presbyterian St. Lukes Medical Centre in Chicago. Hirsch remarked, “The next time you believe you’re getting snow-balled by a person, think of the Pinocchio Syndrome”. Dr. Hirsch claimed that blood rushes to the nose of people who lie. This sudden increase in blood supply...Read More
Vitamins
A Natural Cure For Constipation
What's the only cure for alcoholics? Alcoholics Anonymous. It advises people to pour alcohol down the drain. What we need is another organization, called Constipation Anonymous, to preach the same message to those who cripple their bowels by the chronic use of laxatives. But there is a safe, cheap, natural cure, unknown to 99.9 percent of the population, that cures daily grunting on the John. Barnum and Bailey, the circus promoters, used to say, "There's a sucker born every day". They could be referring to people who fall prey to high-powered ads and spend millions of dollars treating constipation. Busy doctors usually have little time to discuss this common malady with patients. So all too often patients with constipation seek out their...Read More
Women's Health
Tests For Men And Women That Cause Huge Troubles – PSA and Mammogram Tests
It's been aptly said that, "All would be well if there were no "Buts". Today, 20th century medicine has provided us with many positive advantages. But it's also given us some minor and few major "Buts". Recently, two separate reports show why it's so difficult for medical consumers and doctors to make the right decisions due to conflicting evidence. A recent report in The British Medical Journal contained shocking news. Dr. Richard Ablin states that doctors should stop using the PSA (prostate specific antigen) test to diagnose early prostate cancer. At this point it's reasonable to ask, "What gives Dr. Ablin the right to make such a dramatic announcement in such a prestigious medical journal?" The answer? He discovered the PSA...Read More
Gynecology, Women's Health
My Wife Is Driving Me Crazy. She’s Menopausal.
A husband asks, "Can you provide advice on how to treat my wife's problem? It's now impossible to live with her due to menopause. Her doctor has suggested hormones, but she refuses to take them because her mother died of breast cancer. Do you have any suggestions?" Newspaper headlines linking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to cancer and heart disease have left an indelible mark on the minds of many women. Fortunately, there are other natural ways to ease menopausal problems. Some women sail through menopause without trouble. For others, it means sleepless nights, embarrassing hot flushes, decreased sex drive, painful intercourse, urinary incontinence, headaches and an urge to kick the cat, or their husband, for trivial reasons. One patient, a high school principal,...Read More
Medicine
New Short Needle Removes Fear of Diabetes Injections
Why would a 200 pound, tough, football player suddenly turn pale and develop circulatory collapse from such a trivial event? I'll never forget this scene at the Montreal General Hospital many years ago. A football playing friend, whom I had known for years, was visiting Montreal and required a needle injection due to a serious infection. A few seconds after this event his huge, hulking frame suddenly collapsed and he was lying semi-conscious on the floor. The diagnosis was Belonephobia (Needle Phobia) and although it's a relatively rare condition many people have needle anxiety and find injections intimidating. This can have a profound effect on the treatment of those with diabetes. Today, 247 million people worldwide have diabetes. In North America, a...Read More
