Genitourinary, Gynecology, Infection
A Condom In The Mail? – Chlamydia
"What a unique way to get attention" I thought as I opened the morning's mail. What usually arrives on my desk is a host of medical reports. So I was surprised when two condoms fell out of one envelope. I wondered what was expected of me at 10:00am? And have I since put these condoms to good use? Eventually I discovered that Toronto Public Health had initiated a communication campaign for doctors to alert young people to the dangers of sexually transmitted infections (STI), particularly chlamydia. To see the whole campaign visit www.gettested.ca The package also contained informative posters about STI for examining rooms and an offer to doctors of a free supply of condoms for patients. It was hoped this would...Read More
Surgery
How To Prevent Unusual Hazards in 2007
Of course you all know how to keep healthy this year. Keep active, eat healthy foods, don't smoke, drink alcohol moderately, have regular medical, dental and eye checkups, buy a bathroom scale so there's no burying your head in the sand about obesity, etc, etc, etc. But here are some precautions you may not have considered. Are you scheduled for surgery in 2007? If so, there's a sure way to circumvent a horrendous surgical error. We've all heard stories about surgeons amputating the wrong leg. Or fixing a hernia on the side that didn't need it and neglecting the one that did. If you think this is past history, you had better think again. The Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA) says that...Read More
Cardiovascular
Tortilla Chips To Lower Blood Cholesterol?
What's one of the most important rules in medicine today? It's "Never take a drug if a natural and safer remedy provides the same relief". Today millions of people are taking cholesterol-lowering drugs to prevent heart attack. But this therapy comes with a price. Some patients develop muscle cramps, liver and kidney problems and some have died. Good sense dictates that it's prudent to first try other ways to lower blood cholesterol. Linus Pauling, two time Nobel Prize winner, says a high dose of vitamin C before breakfast is a smart way to start the day. How much you take depends on your tolerance of C. Too much may cause diarrhea. But most people can tolerate 2,000 milligrams (mg). Ascorbic acid...Read More
Philosophy
Terminal Sedation Is Not Death With Dignity
How much will you endure when you're dying? Many patients say, "I want enough painkiller to prevent all pain." Others add "When there's no further hope of survival give me sufficient medication to end my misery". Recently the University of Toronto Joint Centre For Bioethics issued new guidelines for doctors who treat pain. But how much pain will they stop? The new guidelines were developed by physicians, intensive care program directors, and coroners. The guidelines state that there is no limit to the amount of painkiller that can be given to relieve pain. In fact, they say that doctors should not hesitate to increase the dose of painkillers even if it hastens death. Another section of this outline states that patients may be...Read More
Miscellaneous
What You Should Know About “Holy Smoke”
This holiday season millions of people around the world will be going to church. And many will be lighting candles and offering prayers to the Almighty. But how healthy is holy smoke? And how hazardous is the Christmas tree? We're all cautioned to take special care it doesn't catch on fire. But I wonder how many readers have heard about "Evergreen tree abscess"? Dr. Jim McDaid, an Irish family doctor and Minister of State, has raised a holy stink about holy candles. He warned that burning incense in churches could be harmful to alter boys and girls who help Roman Catholic priests celebrate mass. McDaid says, "Here you have quite a thick billowing type of smoke. Sometimes you see children with this...Read More
Endocrine
What You Should Know About DHEA
"Should I take DHEA to help me lose weight?" Or "Does DHEA slow down aging and increase bone strength". These are two of the many questions I've received from readers about this hormone. So what is fact and what s fiction about dehydroepiandrosterone? Little wonder it's known by its initials! DHEA is one of the hormones produced by the adrenal glands perched on top of the kidneys. The body converts DHEA into the female hormone estrogen and the male hormone testosterone and many other less known ones. DHEA reaches peak production around 25 years of age and then decreases every year. By age 70 there's little or none produced. DHEA has had a checkered past. For years it was marketed in the...Read More
Cardiovascular
Think Twice Before Arranging a Surprise Party
Are you considering a surprise party for a loved one or an old friend? It's normally a generous thought and an enjoyable gathering. But a report in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that sudden surprises can have unexpected consequences. There's a scene that happens many times a day in this country. A patient arrives at the hospital emergency in acute distress. He's complaining of constricting chest pain and shortness of breath. Suspected diagnosis is an acute coronary attack. But doctor's jumping quickly to this conclusion can be wrong. Johns Hopkins doctors faced a dilemma in 19 patients admitted to emergency. Outwardly the signs and symptoms were a textbook account of coronary attack. But the electrocardiogram was normal. Blood tests showed...Read More
Alternate Treatments, Psychiatry
Mind Aerobics – A Revolutionary Way To Beat Stress Without Drugs
Who wouldn't want to be less stressed these days when each day brings more frightening economic news? But before you reach for Prozac, make note of a new breakthrough non-drug way to shrug off stress, sharpen your mind, enhance memory, sleep like a baby and improve emotional health. The science behind this exciting breakthrough is called "Mind Aerobics", based on powerful sound technology called "Holosync", and used by 300,000 people in 55 countries. The original research, done at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York, and published in the journal Scientific American showed that different brain waves can trigger different mental states. Further research revealed that soothing music creates remarkable, permanent and positive effects on our outlook on life by affecting...Read More
Cancer, Radiation
Mammography – “I’m Sorry I Don’t Know How Much Radiation Is Given”
I have previously reported on a study conducted by Peter Gotzsche, a leading Danish researcher. His study claimed there's no convincing evidence that annual mammograms decrease the risk of dying from breast cancer. But can repeated exposure to radiation cause breast cancer? Three decades ago I reported a shocking discovery. Some x-ray machines were exposing patients up to 60 X the amount of radiation necessary for some procedures. X-ray equipment was often old, others rarely calculated for radiation exposure, and some technologists were incompetent. This column did not win me friends. But it resulted in a crack down by the government. However, regulation of equipment still didn't teach radiologists enough to know you don't mess around with nuclear engineers. A few years...Read More
Diabetes, Endocrine, Neurology
The Twin Epidemics – Diabetes & Alzheimer’s Disease
I experienced a terrible tragedy upon visiting an old friend. He failed to recognize me. All the past history of our years together vanished into the night. And as I drove home the question recurred; what had caused this mental disaster. Could he be victim to what's been called the "Twin Epidemic"? Had his long-standing diabetes played a factor in this condition? Marilyn Albert, an expert on Alzheimer's Disease at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, says that "when it comes to keeping the brain healthy adding extra pounds may be a double-edged sword. That it's not only a risk factor for developing Type 2 diabetes, but also a trigger for Alzheimer's Disease." Dr Zoe Arvanitakis, a neurologist at Rush University Medical...Read More
Alcohol
Health Ad Forbidden in Beer Case
What's in a bottle of beer? 99.9 per cent of my beer-drinking friends didn't realize that beer contains health benefits. A Canadian brewer agreed that distributing information about the contents of this popular drink in beer cases would be beneficial. He also agreed that it must be stressed that excessive alcohol consumption causes serious health problems. But he soon learned the government forbids beer companies to claim any health benefits of any kind. It's an asinine law. The government allows food companies to promote all sorts of junk foods that trigger a variety of degenerative diseases. It does nothing to stop pharmaceutical companies from advertising medications that are often not needed and that can kill. I agree that excessive alcohol can destroy...Read More
Orthopedics
Baby Bommers: Medical Problems Waiting To Happen
Interested in another sure way to make money? Several months ago I suggested investing in hearing aids. I predicted that today's teenagers would be tomorrow's deaf from the excessive noise created by I Pods and rock bands. Now there's another sure-fire way to become rich, rich, rich. Dr. Nicholas DiNubile, a Philadelphia orthopedic surgeon, has added a new word to the English language. Baby boomers, he said, are the first generation to preach the virtues of staying active and also to practice what they preach. But being obsessed with exercise has come at a price. Large numbers have developed "Boomeritis". They've become banged up baby boomers. The U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics reports that baby boomer injuries provided 488 million hours of...Read More
Miscellaneous
What’s Your Grade? A or an F?
What have you learned from this column during the past year? I hope I've been a good teacher and you pass this test by getting at least 50 percent of the questions right. But don't get depressed if you flunk the test as I'm not going to tell anyone! And it may even help you when playing Trivia Pursuit. 1. Men who don't shave daily enjoy less sex and are more likely to suffer a stroke and heart attack. 2. Abdominal hernias are repaired to decrease the risk of strangulation of the bowel. But recent studies show that there is no need to operate on all of these hernias. 3. A waistline of more than 100 centimeters (40 inches) for a man and...Read More
Alcohol
We Need A Boar’s Head Pub In Every Hospital
How about opening an English style pub in your local hospital? Just mention this idea to a hospital board and it will question your sanity. Readers may also conclude that I've gotten into the sauce while writing this column. But 25 years ago I visited the Boar's Head in Toronto's Sunnybrook Veteran's Hospital and left convinced that it helped patients cope with medical problems better than most medications. Today hardly a week goes by without hearing that a common drug is causing heart attack, stroke or some other serious complication. Look at any medication and its literature lists potential complications as long as your arm. Alcohol, on the other hand, is one of the oldest drugs known to man and a...Read More
Genitourinary
Cranberry Women’s Formula For Improved Health
"How can I rid myself of recurrent urinary infections?" a distraught patient asked me. Several courses of antibiotics had failed to end her discomfort. Now, with Cranberry Women's Formula, there's a natural treatment that helps to prevent frequent bladder infections, improve general health and, in the bargain, fights obesity. Every year an estimated 30 to 50 million North American women suffer from cystitis. And they're tired of hearing, "We know where you're going!" Few women ever forget the first attack of cystitis, the severe pain of urination, increased frequency and fear of seeing blood in the urine. Antibiotics will often cure the initial attack. But overuse has made many antibiotics ineffective. Moreover, they are often associated with troublesome side effects. Women should have listened...Read More
Orthopedics
Sharks Take A Bite Out of Joint Pain
Every year in coastal regions of the U.S. 1,500 people are killed by lightning and only 12 by sharks. During that same time worldwide, more people are killed by elephants, crocodiles and insect stings than sharks. Yet, sharks get the scary headlines. So it's time to give sharks some credit when they're responsible for a medication that's taking a big bite out of bone and joint pain. Today it's refreshing to see a Canadian company surviving when many are lost to international corporations. But Technologies Inc of Edmonton has bucked this trend by innovative research. Now, they've developed a new remedy CELL-fx" to help fight the onset of osteoarthritis and relieving symptoms of bone and joint pain. CELLl-fx is an extract of...Read More
Infection
0157:H7 Is Not the Number Of A Car License
"I'd prefer to have the red snapper without the spinach" my wife said to the waiter. Like many people she was concerned about the recent outbreak of infection resulting from contaminated California spinach. But if you think the "all-clear" has been given to eat spinach and other greens, you had better think again. Bacteria such as E.Coli 0157:H7 always win when you toss caution to the wind. And can organic foods protect you from this disease as some believe? This recent outbreak of E. Coli 0157:H7 is not the first. The bacterium was first identified in 1982 when some people ate uncooked beef. The spinach implicated in the current outbreak was grown in three California counties, Monterey, San Benito and Santa Clara....Read More
Infection
What’s So Important About “5,230” ?
"Yes, we will start publishing your column on October 9, 1975". Clark Davey, managing editor of The Globe and Mail added, "You realize your life will never be the same again". How true. Now 30 years later I've written a column 52 weeks a year for a total of 5,230 articles. But what an experience and one I would not have missed. But have I learned anything" First of all I've become more skeptical of some medical procedures and drugs. I realize some medication is life-saving, but more and more we hear about drug reactions. I believe you could toss most medication in the ocean and so much the better for humans, so much the worse for the fish. I wonder...Read More
Miscellaneous
The Lord Said, “Let There Be Light”
I recently addressed the 4th International Low Intensity Laser Therapy (LILT) Conference in Toronto. I planned to talk about the life of a syndicated medical journalist, how it had changed my life, and leave. Fortunately, I stayed and heard international experts discuss this type of light therapy. The majority of patients treated with LILT are suffering from arthritis, back, hip and knee pain that has failed to respond to other types of treatment. But I was surprised to hear of the variety of other problems helped by this therapy. Dr. Fred Kahn, founder of Meditech International in Toronto, reported that LILT can heal diabetic leg ulcers due to hardening of arteries and decreased blood supply. In view of today's epidemic of diabetes...Read More
Cancer, Gynecology, Women's Health
Ovarian Cancer, Scaring Women Half-To-Death
It's been said that, "A little knowledge is an dangerous thing." A report from the Mayo Clinic shows that this is particularly true when the subject is ovarian cancer. And it illustrates how easy it is to both inform women and worry them at the same time. Mayo researchers have claimed recently that there are early symptoms of ovarian cancer. To prove this they reviewed the symptoms of 107 women, aged 38 to 96, in the two years prior to being diagnosed with this disease. The most common complaints were crampy abdominal pain, increased frequency, urgency or leakage of urine. And they urged women with these symptoms to seek medical attention. But there's a major problem. Doctors see hundreds of women...Read More
Gynecology, Philosophy, Sex
Congratulations, You Should Be Proud At Your Age!
It was not a good day at the office. My morning was just ending, when two female investigators from the College of Physicians and Surgeons, arrived without notice and asked to see me. I was handed an envelope and one woman immediately started to take notes. This was not a good sign. So I asked the reason for the sudden visit and was shocked to hear I had been accused of sexual misconduct. That same day I was meeting my wife for lunch so I told her with trepidation what had just occurred. She immediately laughed and said, "Congratulations! At your age you should be proud of yourself!" But I didn't share her sense of humour at the time. As a medical...Read More
Surgery
Unfortunately, I Cannot Guarantee Your Survival
"What's the worst thing that can happen if I agree to surgery?" a patient recently asked me. Unfortunately, the only honest answer was that "some patients die". It's hardly the positive way to discuss surgical complications, but it does get quickly to the heart of the issue. Today, patients have every right to be informed about risk, but to do so effectively is easier said than done. For instance, it could be cynically said that the only truly informed patient would be a brain surgeon informing another brain surgeon about potential complications. There are no ifs, ands or buts in this case. In a similar vein I could talk to a nuclear physicist for days without ever understanding the complexities of his...Read More
Cardiovascular
What Women and Husbands Don’t Know About Heart Attack
"Vive le Difference". We all know what Maurice Chevalier was thinking when he uttered these words about boys and girls. But there's a "difference" between the sexes that Chevalier wasn't referring to and that few women or their husbands know. When heart attack is mentioned most of us invariably think of men. Now, a report from the Cleveland Clinic in the U.S. shows that coronary attack can be an even more ominous event for women. And ignorance of the reason means the outcome can be more deadly. Women have always appeared to be the stronger sex since they live longer and heart attack strikes them 10 years later than men. This gives them the appearance of invincibility, but in effect the coronary...Read More
Miscellaneous
We’re Crazy, Not The South Americans
Have you ever had the desire to say, "The hell with it. I'm tired and I don't give a tinker's damn what the boss thinks. I'm closing the door and taking a nap." In our North American society what we want to do, and can do, without getting fired are two different things. But is it time for employers to agree that South Americans are not crazy for shutting their doors and having an afternoon siesta? Dr. Scott Campbell, a sleep expert at Weill Medical College, in White Plains N.Y., says that "napping is a healthy habit if your schedule permits it. I don't see why you would try to overcome what your body is trying to tell you". I'd agree,...Read More
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
