Philosophy, Psychiatry
Why Do You Laugh ,There Is No One With You?
What prescription could I write to ease this patient's trouble during the holiday season? I knew that Prozac or St. John's Wort was not the answer. Nor could any of the other drugs that I normally prescribe ease her suffering. Finally, I realized the best prescription was staring me right in the face. So as she left the office I wrote a few numbers down on my prescription pad. And I hope that some readers will do the same thing. What diagnosis did I write in her record? It was Loneliness. I've never seen it in the index of any medical textbook. But at this time of year, and at other times as well, it's one of the worst medical problems....Read More
Philosophy
Coping With The Mother Of Economic Disasters
Sheer chance had me aboard the Holland America Line in the middle of the Pacific Ocean when the stock market crashed with devastating results. If I'd been in Canada I could have cried on my financial investor shoulder's while asking why so much hard earned money was going down the drain. And as the news became progressively worse I wondered if I could even afford a canoe to return to Canada. So how did my psyche cope with this "mother" of all economic disasters? Hopefully it will help others who have seen their finances melt. One I knew that unless I could walk on water there was no way of getting off the ship until it reached Honolulu. I concluded that there...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
Gastroenterology, Nutrition
Detox Diet – It’s Like Sticking A Potato In The Car’s Exhaust Pipe!
"Do you think my daughter and me should agree to a "detox diet?" a reader asked me. She added that several friends had already undergone detoxification and had never felt better. So does it make sense to purify our body? After all, who doesn't want to feel healthier. Proponents of this therapy have a rationale that's appeals to medical consumers who are apprehensive about our polluted world. They contend were'e constantly accumulating toxins in the body from air, chemicals in the water, processed foods, perfumes, artificial drinks and a host of other things. And, that in today's society, it's virtually impossible not to have a polluted large bowel. And that if you think you're an exception, think again. Web sites provide detox...Read More
Nutrition
Milk Helps to Prevent Stroke
Dr. David Young, a Professor of Physiology at the University of Mississippi once remarked, "potassium is like sex and money, you can't get too much." Now a study conducted in Hawaii shows that potassium helps to circumvent the risk of stroke, one of the leading causes of death in this country. Dr. Deborah Green is a researcher associated with the Queen's Medical Centre in Honolulu, Hawaii. To determine the benefits of potassium she and her colleagues followed 5,888 men and women ages 65 and over for eight years. Their conclusion? Patients with low levels of potassium were twice as likely to suffer "ischemic stroke", the type of stroke in which a blood clot cuts off the supply of oxygen to the brain. But...Read More
Gastroenterology, Surgery
Napoleon Didn’t Have a Choice For Treating Hemorrhoids
Would Woodrow Wilson have negotiated a more lasting peace treaty following World War I if he had not complained about tight-fitting shoes? Would Napoleon have won the Battle of Waterloo if he had not been suffering from hemorrhoids (piles) while directing the battle on his horse? Small annoyances might have changed history? But unlike Napoleon patients today no longer have to endure the pain of hemorrhoids. Piles affect 90 percent of the population at some time in their life. And in spite of being a common condition little research has been done on this problem. After all, cancer and cardiovascular research is well respected, but what doctor wants to tell people he's a pile expert. It was due to this lack of...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
Cancer
Sorry Doctor, I’d Prefer An Opinion From The Dog
What do dogs have that's lacking in humans? Harry Truman, the straight-talking former president of the United States, remarked that, "If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog." But friendship is not the dog's, only virtue. A dog's nose has 220 million cells that detect odours compared to a mere five million in humans. And although none have yet graduated from The Harvard Medical School, they can often outsmart doctors in recognizing serious disease. In 1989 the British Journal 'Lancet" reported that a female half-Border Collie was indeed a woman's best friend. Her dog kept sniffing at a mole on her thigh, but ignored other moles. In fact, the dog had actually tried to bite off the mole when...Read More
Vitamins
Vitamin D Therapy: Course 101
A reader remarked, "I remember your column on vitamin D of several years ago. The one that said you could stand out naked all day in winter and never benefit from the sun. What is your current thinking about this vitamin?" Others ask, "how much vitamin should I take?" Here are the facts you should know about the sunshine vitamin. One In the 1900's researchers discovered that a lack of D caused rickets. The result was bow-legs and knock-knees. Today rickets is rare due to better nutrition. But reports from Boston show that rickets is on the rise again. For instance, in a study at The Harvard Medical School, 24 percent of teenagers of both sexes 11 and 18 years of age...Read More
Orthopedics, Pain
A Shock Absorber to Help Knee Pain
Is there any similarity between a car and the human body? We do have one thing in common, the need for efficient shock absorbers. Cars provide a rough ride when worn-out shock absorbers fail to cushion the blows of a pot-holed road. And for thousands of patients broken-down shock absorbers in the knee mean there's never a day free of debilitating pain. There is a way to ease this discomfort called "Viscosupplementation or joint fluid therapy" It's one of the best keep secrets among patients and many doctors. Osteoarthritis has become a major disability. More than four million people are affected with knee osteoarthritis in Canada, most are in their career prime ages 20-64.The World Health Organization claims that osteoarthritis is...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
Alcohol, Cardiovascular, Nutrition, Vitamins
The Red Wine Pill
How do the French differ from North Americans? They're noted for enjoying fat-rich, calorie-packed baked goodies which are not heart healthy. Yet they're less likely to die from cardiovascular disease than North Americans. It's called "The French Paradox", believed to be linked to resveratrol, a substance found in red wine. Now, a study shows that a red wine pill provides more health benefits than drinking hundreds of glasses of the sweet nectar of the gods. Dr. David Sinclair, a researcher at The Harvard Medical School, has developed a concentrated form of resveratrol. He's tested the effects on mice and believes it will help to offset the effect of high fat diets, decrease the chance of diabetes and slow down aging in...Read More
Medicine
What I Learned From Sitting in a Bar? – Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Where do I get ideas for this column? It's usually from long hours of reading medical reports, talking to researchers, searching the net and various sources. It can be tedious and tiring. But this week I got lucky. I was having a drink at my favourite watering hole when a friend said to me, "You should write about a problem I know that kills people. It also makes them ill and they don't realize the cause of their poor health". He then told me some tragic stories. He said, "A child vomited and appeared to be having a seizure. No one knew why. In another case two women, swimming in a cluster of boats, suddenly lost consciousness and nearly drowned. Two...Read More
Alternate Treatments, Gynecology
Don’t Laugh At These Old Wive’s Tales -Natural Remedies
Who hasn't heard an old wife's tale? "If you touch a toad, you get warts" has no scientific foundation. But in recent years researchers have shown that some tales are medically sound and safer than traditional drugs. Consumer Reports On Health lists several home remedies that work. For instance, The American Society for Microbiology Research says friendly bacteria, known as probiotics, found in yogurt, can ease stomach aches, improve digestive problems and help tame an irritable bowel. They're also of use in counteracting the damaging effects of antibiotics and beneficial in fighting vaginal and urinary tract infection. If you want to try probiotics for any of these troubles, search for a yogurt that contains live active cultures such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium,...Read More
Cardiovascular
Canadian Institute of CardioRetinometry
Why Should You Consider Retinal Photography? To analyze the current status of your retinal arteries and diagnose whether arterial blockages will lead to coronary artery attack. And to initiate therapy with vitamin C and Lysine to cause a regression of these lesions. Why Did I Become Involved in This Project? 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
Gynecology, Women's Health
A Good Way To Detect Submarines, But Babies? – Ultrasound
"Will repeated ultrasound examinations (US) harm my baby?" This is a question readers often ask. It's a timely question since millions of obstetrical diagnostic exams are done every year in North America. As well many expectant families want to record this historic moment by obtaining a high-resolution 3-D video of it. How safe are these procedure? Ultrasonography was invented during World War II to prevent German submarines from sinking Allied ships. Later, Dr. Ian Donald, a Scottish doctor, used this technique to diagnose abdominal tumours. Its use quickly spread to pregnancies. Ultrasound uses high frequency sound waves that create images on a screen. This can be extremely useful in helping doctors to determine the cause of bleeding in early pregnancy, or in...Read More
Infection
Suppose You Passed A Worm One Foot Long!
It was once written that, "That for want of a nail the shoe was lost, for want of a shoe the horse was lost, for want of a horse the rider was lost, and for want of a rider the war was lost". And Julius Cesar said much the same, "In war trivial causes produce momentous events". It might also be said, that in medicine, trivial decisions can cause needless deaths. The Canadian Medical Association Journal reports that a 22 year old woman who had been in good health, was examined due to a four day history of hemorrhagic lesions on both legs. During that time the lesions had been increasing in number. She stated that neither she nor her family had...Read More
Lifestyle, Obesity
Can You Be Hefty and Healthy?
For years this columnist and others have been screaming from the rooftops that excess pounds are unhealthy. Now several reports show that it's not that simple and it's possible to be both hefty and healthy. So how can you do it? A study of 2,600 people published in the Journal of The American Medical Association showed that physically active people had about the same mortality rate regardless of whether they were underweight, normal weight or overweight. In fact, the news was even better for those who were overweight. People who were obese, but fit and in good cardiovascular health, had a strong survival edge over those who were thin couch potatoes. I've told patients for years to buy a scale and step...Read More
Gynecology, Sex, Women's Health
Not Tonight Darling, I’m Pregnant – Sexual Myths During Pregnancy
Can the penis injure the fetus during pregnancy? Or can sexual intercourse result in premature labour and possibly fetal death? How will pregnancy affect sexual desire? And how soon after delivery is it safe to have sex? These are some of the many questions about pregnancy. There's one I'll never forget which should enter the Guinness Book of Records. Dr. Elias Bartellas, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, recently reported his findings on sex and pregnancy at the annual meeting of Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada. His report revealed that nine months is a long time to be ill-informed about sex. Today the majority of doctors are either too busy or embarrassed to bring...Read More
Neurology
When Is It Critical To Ask “Stick Out Your Tongue?”
Why did a 28 year friend of mine survive a stroke while stroke destines another to spend the rest of life disabled? The reason is that some people are "stroke smart". They know that speed often means the difference between walking again, or being confined to a wheelchair. And it's easy to be "stroke smart". You only need to remember the first three letters of stroke, STR. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in Canada and the U.S. But it's the # one cause of adult disability. Dying is not a good thing, but being severely disabled from stroke may be a worse fate. Unfortunately, only three percent of stroke victims are treated within the first crucial three hours...Read More
Pediatrics
Cholesterol Drugs For Eight Year Olds?
The American Academy of Pediatrics claims that children who are at high risk for developing heart disease should be prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs (CLDs) as early as eight years of age. This decision is either the ultimate in medical madness or a desperate and futile attempt to save obese children from early heart attack. We've known for years that atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries) starts early in life. Autopsies on young soldiers during the Korean war showed extensive evidence of this disease. And we know that obese children almost invariably become obese adults, perfect candidates for diabetes, atherosclerosis and heart attack. But if I had a young child with an elevated cholesterol level would I rush for CLDs? I would if there were a...Read More
Orthopedics
Suppose An ACL Tear Had Happened To A Young Tiger Woods
Three letters, ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), could end the golfing career of Tiger Woods. As much as he tried, it was impossible for Woods to keep his pain to himself as he held his left knee, and limped and grimaced through 91 holes of the U.S Open. But was it prudent for Woods to play with a wounded knee and risk further damage to this vulnerable joint? A British study shows that legs account for 75 percent of all sport injuries and one-third of them are knee disorders. Unfortunately, it's the complex anatomy of the knee that is the Waterloo of so many athletes. Just ask hockey legend Bobbie Orr how hard it was to play competitive sport following knee surgery....Read More
Gynecology, Women's Health
The Possible Hazards of Pill Substitution
A 22 year old student says, "I've been on the birth control pill (BCP) for several years. Now my pharmacist wants to give me a generic BCP rather than my regular one. What should I know about these other pills?" It's a good question, and parents should also be concerned about substitution. Brand name birth control pills are those produced by established pharmaceutical companies that have spent years of research and millions of dollars to develop the pill. But once their patent expires other companies can make a copycat version. The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada (SOGC) reports that it welcomes the increased choice of less expensive options. But adds that to qualify as an equivalent to existing brands generic...Read More
Miscellaneous
Viagra and Other Medical Tidbits
There are more uses for Viagra than meet the eye. You can get more than the Mother of All Hangovers after a night of binge drinking. Few parents give much thought to the fact that children face a hazard when urged to brush their teeth. And roller coaster rides this summer could provide more than thrills. All are topics worthy of concern. If you're depressed these days due to all the bad economic news perhaps a glass Cabernet Sauvignon could help to ease the tension. But a report in the British Medical Journal makes alarming reading for those who have a habit of binge drinking. Dr. Mohantha Dooldeniya is a urologist at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield, England. He reports on three women...Read More
