Vitamins
Vitamins: Too much or Too Little?
"Do you want Ford or Cadillac vitamins?", I asked readers in a previous column. It triggered many requests, revealing much confusion about vitamins. Some readers had stopped taking vitamin E due to scary headlines. Others had tossed out calcium as being ineffective. Still others wondered if it's possible to get too much of a good thing, and where to obtain more information on vitamins. An excess of anything can be poison to the human body. Too much vitamin A can cause fetal defects in pregnant women and in others, severe liver damage. Hunters who eat bear's liver which contains large amounts of vitamin A have suffered from liver failure. We need no more than 10,000 IU of A daily. You can also...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
Surgery
A Story of One Disaster After Another
Several weeks ago I wrote about needless, dangerous, delays due to flaws in our health care system that resulted in surgery after an appendix had ruptured. Since then I've received numerous letters from readers reporting similar happenings. This unbelievable story is a tribute to small town doctors, the backbone of our profession, who receive so little attention. How one helped to save the life of a desperately ill patient against great odds.. Charlie Godden, a 60 year old dairy farmer from Campbellford, Ontario suffered third degree burns to one third of his body, a life-threatening condition. His nightmare began when the 911 dispatcher could not determine the exact location of his farm. But finally the ambulance and fire department arrived at the...Read More
Philosophy
The Many Tragedies of Conjoined Twins
Six months ago Tatiana and Krista Hogan-Simms entered this world in British Columbia as conjoined twins. Now they and their parents have become international celebrities appearing on major television shows. In the press the conjoined twins are described as "little angels". But every time I see their pictures I wonder why anyone would allow this cruelty to happen. Do many readers agree with me? The tragedy of conjoined twins occurs in the early stages of pregnancy when the fertilized egg fails to divide completely. Few tragic newborns live long enough to be considered for surgery. Reports claim that Felicia Simms was advised by doctors that her pregnancy could be terminated, but she refused this option. I assume that she considers life of...Read More
Surgery
Unexpected Consequences of Joint Replacement Surgery
An English proverb cautions that "It is the unexpected that always happens". No doubt people looking back on their life can recall several of those unexpected and unpleasant events. But how often do these unexpected events happen in surgery? Today an increasing number of people face hip and knee replacement operations. They're often concerned about the pain following surgery and long sessions of physiotherapy to recover joint mobility. But how many consider a coronary attack after the operation? Dr. Justin de Beer is an orthopedic surgeon at the Henderson site of Hamilton Health Services in Hamilton, Ontario. He and his colleagues recently reported to the Canadian Orthopedic Association that a worrying number of hip and knee replacement patients suffered a heart attack following...Read More
Dental, Orthopedics
Are Osteoporosis Drugs Killing Your Jaw?
Several weeks ago I reported on a new revolutionary way to fight osteoporosis. This year astronauts will use it when they take to the space station the "Juvent Dynamic Motion Therapy Platform (DMT). It's a non-drug method of preventing astronauts from developing brittle bones in a weightless atmosphere. I didn't realize at the time it would also prevent osteonecrosis of the jaw which is now linked to current drugs for treatment of osteoporosis. Today millions of patients are taking drugs (bisphosphonates) to prevent osteoporosis. But it's ironic that bone drugs may cause harm to bones they're supposed to protect. As I've told readers often, "You never get anything for nothing". Reports of a possible link between the oral bisphosphonates (Fosamax, Actonel, Boniva)...Read More
Nutrition
Yellow Pickerel Will Cure My Depression
What would I order for my final meal on this planet? It would be a freshly caught Yellow Pickerel cooked over a roaring camp fire. Years ago I spent one magnificent summer doing fish research in northern Ontario. Since then no fancy white-tabled restaurant has provided me with a better fish meal. Besides, the fish were free of contamination in those long-ago days. So what should we know about the health benefits of eating fish today? We're often told we should eat fish as they're a great source of protein. But we're also warned of potential dangers. For instance, mercury accumulates in the lean tissue of some fish and it can cross the placental barrier so large doses can cause fetal...Read More
Orthopedics, Pain
Relieving Pain by Low Intensity Laser Therapy
What can you do if you've tried every conceivable way to relieve pain? You've been treated by anti-inflammatory drugs, cortisone, pain killers, physiotherapy, massage and finally surgery. Yet the pain continues unabated. A technique, known as "Low Intensity Laser Therapy" (LILT) could be the answer. Dr. Fred Kahn is Director of the Meditech Laser and Rehabilitation Centre in Toronto, and a specialist in pain control. He believes in curing the pain by curing the cause. And I've talked to several of his patients about how LILT had eased their pain and changed their lives. PC, a 43 year old jogger, collided with a glass door on returning to her hotel. When the door shattered, a large fragment of glass penetrated her knee....Read More
Alcohol
Alcohol in Pregnancy – Suppose This Woman Had Been My Mother
It's an ideal way to write a column. I'm attending a medical conference while cruising the Caribbean sea. But don't think I'm goofing off. I'm spending long days listening to a variety of international speakers. But as a former ship's surgeon I also love being at sea. One speaker, Dr. George Carson, Director of Fetal Medicine at the University of Regina, reported on the use of alcohol in pregnancy. Some authorities have a simple solution for the tragic habit of drinking alcohol during pregnancy. Dr. Christine Lock, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of British Columbia, says it's a myth that only irresponsible derelict mothers cause serious birth defects. Her blunt message, "If we drink in pregnancy we place our...Read More
Cancer
Cigars – Which Rattlesnake Would You Prefer To Step On?
What do former President Clinton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and many multi-millionaire sports celebrities have in common? They smoke cigars and for years they've sent the wrong message to teenagers. Now more teens are saying "Have a cigar". So what should we be telling them and others who decide to smoke a stogie? Some kids are getting smart. They've concluded that cigarette smoking is hazardous to health. A report in the Journal of Public Health says that cigarette consumption in the U.S. has decreased by 10 percent. But that cigar smoking has increased by 28 percent and some of this increase is due to teenagers. Today one in four college students smoke stogies and these are supposed to be enlightened individuals! Trying to...Read More
Vitamins
Do You Want Ford Or Cadillac Vitamins
"What brand of vitamins should I buy?" is a question readers often ask when I write about them. I've never been able to provide any good answer with so many brands available. But I recently read "A Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements" written by Lyle MacWilliam. I was shocked to learn that some well known brands I'd often purchased failed to make the grade. As a Scot, wanting to get value for the dollar, I interviewed MacWilliam who gave me course 101 on how to buy vitamins. MacWilliam, a biochemist, used the published recommendations of seven nutritional authorities to determine what vitamins, minerals and other nutrients should be present in a multivitamin pill considering our state of scientific knowledge. He then...Read More
Surgery
How Would You Like To Be This Patient?
If such inefficiency of this medical kind happened in a corporation it would not survive this competitive world. Any business executive consultant would look at these needless delays and fire those responsible. A 40 year old man noted the onset of upper abdominal discomfort early in the morning. By late afternoon his pain had shifted to the lower right side of his abdomen and he complained of nausea. Since he had no family physician, he arrived at 6:00 pm at the hospital's emergency department. Due to abdominal pain he was seen quickly by the emergency doctor. The diagnosis was possible appendicitis. But in spite of a quick assessment by the doctor, this patient's luck for speedy treatment began to run out. A surgeon...Read More
Infection
Course “101”: Treating and Preventing Colds
"How do you treat a cold?" Sir William Osler was once asked by a colleague. He was one of this country's greatest physicians. "I tell them to go to bed, hang their hat on the bedpost, start drinking whiskey and stop when they see two hats", he replied. This facetious remark had some merit years ago. But today there's less chance of a hangover and greater chance of relief if you use a more modern therapy. It's hard to escape the cold virus. Consider the number of times a friend blew his nose, then had no hesitation in shaking your hand. Every day we also touch door handles, telephones and other objects infected with the virus. And studies show the virus...Read More
Cancer
Dad, How About Some Good News? – Melanoma
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 one 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 for a molar checkup. Several...Read More
Infection
How NHL Players And Olympic Athletes Fight Colds
How would you like to be a NHL hockey player, reach the Stanley Cup playoffs, then suddenly develop a severe cold? Or train for the Olympics and then be knocked out of competition by a cold? It's a fear that never leaves athletes. Now Canadian scientists have finally developed a pill that fights this common problem. In fact, and this is hard to believe, Cold-fX is even good enough to make Don Cherry, hockey's outspoken personality, a believer! Don Cherry, whom we either love or hate during NHL intermission crossfire with Ron Maclean, told me that as a young boy he suffered from bronchial asthma and every winter had several colds. The colds continued during his hockey career. Later, when he...Read More
Gastroenterology, Infection
Travelling Without Montezuma’s Revenge – Dukoral
Friends frequently ask me, "What antibiotics and other drugs are you taking with you for Montezuma's Revenge when you travel to foreign countries?" They are surprised when I tell them I don't carry any medication. I add that recently I visited Egypt and cruised up the Nile River to the Aswan dam without packing any medication. My son and I didn't lose one minute from an attack of travellers' diarrhea during the trip. Was this just luck, or did I have a secret weapon to counter this terror-inducing disorder? On some other trips I've lifted my eyes to Heaven and prayed, "Dear Lord, above all other worldly benefits please quickly grant me the sight of a bathroom". I'm sure other travellers...Read More
Philosophy
The Mathematics Of Living To 85+
What's the chance of living to 85 years and beyond? Dr. Bradley J. Wilcox is the lead author of a longevity study carried out by the Pacific Health Research Institute in Hawaii. It's one of the longest studies on aging and it followed the health of 5,820 Japanese-American men for 40 years. At the start of the study their average age was 45 and they were all healthy. What happened to them depended on nine key factors. You can calculate your longevity with simple arithmetic. One - How good is your grip strength which is measured by how hard you can grasp an object? So the next time you squeeze a lemon estimate your strength. If your grip strength is strong...Read More
Infection, Nutrition
Picky Eaters: The Terror Of Being Invited To Dinner
What's the worst fear for some people? It's not standing before a crowd and giving a major speech. Nor is it the apprehension of being crushed in a crowded elevator or flying. It's the terror of being invited to dinner at a friend's home. A report in the Washington Post outlines the overwhelming fears of picky eaters. Billy Shore is founder and chief executive of the anti-hunger charity Share Our Strength in Washington. So surely he has no hang-ups about food. But that's not the case. Shore hates the "taste and texture" of all vegetables except spinach and corn on the cob. So how picky can you get? The next time you're at a dinner party do a little detective work and...Read More
Nutrition
Anyone Want To Own a Ranch? – Anorexia Nervosa
"But how did you pay for the $250,000 treatment" I asked one of my patients? To my surprise she replied, "I applied and received a grant from the Canadian government". This huge sum of money shocked me. What amazed me more as a taxpayer was the money's destination, Arizona. I decided to find out what treatment is worth $250,000 in the U.S. And who says our government is so stingy with medical care! My patient's teenage daughter was suffering from Anorexia Nervosa and various treatments, including those at the Hospital For Sick Children (HSC) in Toronto, had failed to cure this psychological disease. Now, doctors at HSC had referred her to The Remuda Ranch in Arizona, a live-in facility where she...Read More
Philosophy
The Dangers of 80 Percent
Would you like to be connected to tubes for months to sustain life when doctors know there's no hope of your survival? Or have family members feud because none are aware of your wishes when faced with your imminent death. If you've left such an important decision to chance then there's a good chance this could happen. A study shows that 80 percent of North Americans haven't signed a Living Will. I can understand it if you're one of the 80 percent who because of religious, moral or ethical reasons, want fate to decide your final outcome it's your right to do so. But if that's not the case, overlooking a living will is a terrible risk. And it places a...Read More
Dental, Orthopedics
New Space-Age Way To Treat Osteoporosis
In 2007 what will astronauts take to the space station? I'm sure we would name the things necessary to sustain life in outer space. But I doubt if many would know they will be packing the "Juvent 1000 Dynamic Motion Therapy (DMT) Platform" in the space shuttle. And how many are aware of Wolff's Law? Now, through the space research of NASA, patients have an alternative non-drug way to fight the ravages of osteoporosis (brittle bones). Astronauts face major problems during space travel. One of the most severe is the loss of bone tissue. In a weightless atmosphere, without the earth's gravitational pressure, astronauts lose two percent of their bone mass every month. Here on earth our bones fare much better. But...Read More
Dental
Fluoridation And Why Montreal Males Are Better Lovers
"Doctor, I'd suggest fluoride treatment to protect your teeth". I agreed with my dentist. After all, I'd been told since I was knee-high that fluoride prevents cavities. I've also used fluoride toothpaste for years. But I recently decided to research this topic to see if there was a downside to this treatment. Now I know why Montreal males are better lovers than those in Toronto. William, a three year old Brooklyn boy, had his first dental checkup in 1974. Fluoride gel was spread over the teeth. Following that he was handed a glass of water by the hygienist who failed to inform him to swish the solution in his mouth and spit it out. Instead, he drank the water and a...Read More
Psychiatry
The Dog Is Not For Sale
Why do I carry dog biscuits to work? I admit they're healthier than the occasional hamburger I have for lunch! But the biscuits are for a magnificent German Shepherd dog. He's always with his master, one of the many homeless people begging for money on the streets of Toronto. But why the dog, when his master is unable to feed himself? Several studies attest to the healing power of pets. A 45 year old quadriplegic who used a mouth stick to operate a computer often dropped it. The problem was solved by a Capuchin monkey who retrieved the stick for her. It also brings her magazines, opens refrigerator doors, puts cassettes on the CD and while perched on the arm of...Read More
Nutrition
How To Be A Smart Drinker
"Aren't you being a bit inconsistent? You're always advising others to cut down on sugar. Then before dinner you have a rum and coke? Don't you realize that rum is made from sugar?" I feel like I've been caught with my hand in the cookie jar when my wife scolds me for bring so righteous. And since she's also my editor I try to tread lightly when it comes to offering advice. I wouldn't dare question where she places a comma. But how illogical am I? Today we're often told what to eat, but what to drink doesn't get top billing. Dr. Barry M. Popkin, a nutritional epidemiologist at the University of North Carolina, reports in Nutrition Action that in the...Read More
Lifestyle, Philosophy
Pogo Was Right – Consumer Responsibility
How long should we be our brother's keeper? A report in the British newspaper, The Guardian, claims that being a Samaritan is coming to an end in England. Smokers and overweight people will soon be asked to sign contracts with their doctors. They will have to agree to a program to quit smoking and lose weight under a radical medical plan drawn up by the Labour government. Health secretary, Alan Milburn says it's an attempt to remind people of their own responsibilities. The document will not deny medical care to those who refuse to sign the agreement. But the government wants to make it clear that smokers and overweight people must play a role in caring for themselves by stopping smoking,...Read More
