Dermatology, Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat, Infection
Tattoos and Piercings Still Come with Risks
Jack London, the American novelist who wrote Call of the Wild in 1903, said, “Show me a man with a tattoo and I’ll show you a man with an interesting past.” But in 2022, with tattoos found on more than a third of North Americans and on nearly one in two young people, what is the great allure? And what are the risks? According to the Wellcome Collection, a museum and library specializing in the connections between medicine, life and art, tattoos date from 5000 BCE. They permeated ancient societies, often representing battle valour or sacrificial rituals. Some tattoos seem to have resulted from scaring from medicinal treatments and others seem to have been purely decorative in purpose. Piercings have a long...Read More
Cardiovascular
Know and Love a Woman? Protect Her Heart
How many people realize women’s coronary arteries are understudied, underdiagnosed, and undertreated? The Cleveland Clinic, a leading cardiology centre, says heart disease is seven times deadlier for women than breast cancer. Build up of plaque in the heart’s arteries contributes to the death of one in every three women, more than all cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and accidents combined. But heart disease kills even more men. This fact and the historical focus on heart disease in men means most people are unaware of the risk factors for heart disease in women. A report from the American Heart Association (AHA) says there have been stunning improvements in death rates of both sexes from coronary heart disease (CHD) since 1980. But women have not...Read More
Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat
When Is the Right Time to Hang Up the Car Keys?
Helen Keller, the disability rights advocate who lost her sight and hearing at 19 months of age, famously warned of “having sight but no vision”. Hers was a metaphor on living. But what happens to our eyesight as we age? And how common is it to have sight, but poor vision? More specifically, how do we know when we need to make changes in our lives because we are not seeing as well as we used to? Driving, for example, is an intensive visual undertaking. But glare sensitivity and reductions in visual field are significant predictors of involvement in a crash. No amount of wisdom will help in the seconds before an accident you did not see coming. Macular degeneration is a...Read More
Miscellaneous
Fainting Frightens, But Is Usually Benign
People have been swooning for joy since at least the 13th Century when the earliest recorded use of the word can be found. By the 20th Century, losing consciousness for love and rapture was a necessary attribute of a Southern belle. Even today, swooning has a positive connotation, defined as, “a few steps beyond being happy, but not so over the top that you scare children.” But change the language describing the same loss of consciousness and "blacking out like a light" is not so glamourous. Parents fainting with a thud on the floor most certainly gives the kids a fright. But how dangerous is fainting? And how common a problem is it? There have been some famous faints. Most recently, the 74-year-old...Read More
Diabetes, Lifestyle, Nutrition, Obesity
Online Grocery Shopping a Cause for Concern
Food products in stores are changing. Shoppers easily find more processed, attractively packaged, and conveniently prepared meals. With online shopping, the way these products are now selected and put in the cart has changed too. For that, consumers may be paying more than just the price of inflation. Online food shopping has become the norm for many people. Home delivery of groceries may be a convenience, but consumers are losing their moment of discernment. Even if online customers take the time to click through product pages checking nutritional information, in-store shopping assistants frequently turn to substitute products and don’t take notice when ingredients in products have changed. Food deliveries arrive with frequent surprises. “That’s not what I ordered,” must be among the...Read More
Miscellaneous, Pain
No Guff – Swearing Eases Pain
A taboo forbids a practice that is deemed unacceptable. Swearing, especially in polite company, is an example. But here’s good news for the foul-mouthed. Swearing can have surprising benefits – including a remarkable effect in reducing pain! Dr. Emma Byrne knows a lot about letting the filth fly. She published “Swearing is Good for You”, a book presenting research that may change the way you behave when you next stub your toe. For the well-mannered, silent fortitude is the response when something hurts. Studies show, however, swearing like a sailor can ease the pain. One study by psychologist Richard Stephens compared the pain tolerance of people holding their hands in ice-cold water. As compared to yelling a neutral word, they endured the freezing...Read More
Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat, Infection, Vitamins
Viruses Love a Weak Immune System
Justin Bieber, the mega-successful pop icon, has had better days. His mental health and addiction issues are common to many superstars. He’s had Lyme disease and infectious mononucleosis. COVID infections interrupted concert dates. Now, he is suffering from a viral disease that has affected his speech and made him cancel more concerts. At only 28-years of age and all the wealth one could want, what’s going wrong? Doctors have determined his latest problem, a condition known as Ramsay Hunt syndrome. It occurs when the same virus that causes chickenpox activates in the ear and facial nerves causing facial paralysis and hearing loss in the affected ear. He is being treated and will be back on the stage soon. But Ramsay Hunt syndrome is...Read More
Alternate Treatments, Cancer, Diabetes, Infection, Medicine, Philosophy
The Original Medicine of Stingless Bees
The American poet Emily Dickinson understood the profound gifts of nature. She wrote, “The lovely flowers embarrass me, They make me regret I am not a bee –” If bees could speak, they might add, “Let me do my work, so that you may live.” Bees are vital pollinators, ensuring the success of a wide variety of the world’s most nutritious agricultural crops grown for human consumption. Most people associate bees with painful stings and the tasty product of the Western honeybee. Being “busy as a bee” is a homage to the industrious nature of this pollinating insect that collects nectar in a dozen or more foraging trips each day. A small percentage of people who are stung by a bee or other insect...Read More
Alternate Treatments
Ease Arthritis Pain Naturally
“Why shoot a mouse with an elephant gun?” It’s a good question to ask those suffering from osteoarthritis (the wear-and-tear type of arthritis). Why is it that so many of these people have never been advised to try natural approaches before using strong drugs which can cause major side effects and complications? High Dose Vitamin C This vitamin is the most overlooked natural remedy in treating aging joints. Vitamin C is needed to produce healthy collagen, a vital component of cartilage. Deteriorated cartilage leads to bones grinding against one another causing pain. Researchers at Boston University Medical Center studied the vitamin C intake of 640 people. They discovered that those with a higher intake of vitamin C were protected against progression of...Read More
Philosophy
Québec Set to Assist Alzheimer’s Patients
How ironic that Québec, the most Roman Catholic province in Canada, is proposing progressive legislation for Alzheimer’s patients. It’s time for other Canadian provinces and American states to show similar humanity. Québec’s Health Minister, Christian Dubé, has tabled Bill 38 that would allow patients with severe Alzheimer’s disease to receive an assisted death by allowing written consent to be given before they are mentally and physically incapable of doing so. Under the proposed rules, a doctor would have to be certain that the patient was requesting death without pressure from any other people. Moreover, patients would be able to reverse this request at any time including at the time of the procedure. To provide extra precaution, the patient must choose a trusted third party...Read More
Cancer, Medicine, Miscellaneous
Can AI Help Fight Cancer?
The short answer is yes – cancer and other health problems too. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a game-changer. Not only can this rapidly advancing technology improve the speed and accuracy of disease diagnosis and treatment, it has enormous potential to predict health problems, allowing for far more effective prevention programs that target at-risk populations. Take, for example, children born with congenital heart defects. This fate currently falls to about 40,000 babies born in the U.S. each year, and about 1.35 million newborns worldwide. What causes defective heart structures in the developing embryo is open to debate. But genetics, diet, environment, medications, and smoking are all on the list. But what if AI could analyse vast quantities of data and learn from patterns...Read More
Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Philosophy
Bend So You Don’t Break
Getting older takes a toll. Weakening bones, increasing aches and pains, and failing balance, flexibility and strength can make the body feel like worn-out baggage. But there’s a curious truth in an ancient Hindu text that states, “Everyone else is conquered by the body, but the body is conquered by yogis.” For centuries, yoga has been practiced by people all over the world for religious, spiritual rehabilitation or fitness reasons. The older set may see the neighbourhood yoga studio as a place for the young and nimble, but there is ample evidence that aging seniors benefit physically and mentally from instruction in the “sun salutation”, “tree pose”, or amusingly named positions like the “chair pigeon” or “cat-cow pose”. Yoga combines movement (asana)...Read More
Vitamins
How Do You Know You’re Deficient in Vitamin C?
Vitamin C is an essential nutrient found in citrus fruits and as a dietary supplement. Now, a reader asks, “How do I know if I have a deficiency of vitamin C?” It’s a good question, as studies show that 14 percent of North Americans aren’t getting even the meagre recommended daily dose. Many more aren’t getting the high doses needed to decrease the risk of heart attack, stroke, and chronic inflammation. What are symptoms of vitamin C deficiency? Bleeding Gums, Tooth Loss, and Easy Bruising Vitamin C is needed to produce collagen, the glue that holds cells together. If there’s too little C, weakened blood vessels bleed when brushing teeth. The tragedy is teeth are lost not just by tooth decay. Many teeth...Read More
Infection, Miscellaneous, Pediatrics
Flashy Marketing Deceives New Mothers
The global formula milk industry is huge and growing rapidly, at about US$55 billion and projected to reach US$110B by 2026. Aggressive and deceptive marketing by manufacturers is driving this growth. The World Health Organization (WHO) is ringing alarms. It charges the industry with using new digital marketing tactics to target pregnant women and new mothers with “personalized social media content that is often not recognizable as advertising.” The Internet and smart phones are wonderful tools. But they can also be dangerous. Women have breastfed babies since the beginning of time. Animals thrive without Big Pharma. Human babies do too. The WHO says the digital onslaught by industry reaches 2.47 billion people. The intention is to plant concerns in the minds of...Read More
Cardiovascular
Watch Out for Warm Summer Nights
John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John sang about romance in “Summer Nights”, the opening song in the hit movie, Grease. But now, at 68, he, more so than she, may want to watch out for a different kind of summer heat. New research shows that warm summer nights increase the risk of heart-related death among men in their 60s. The study involved analysis of 39,912 deaths due to cardiovascular disease in England and Wales between 2001 and 2015. After controlling for other factors, a rise of 1° Celsius (1.8° Fahrenheit) in summer nighttime temperature was associated with a 3.1% increase in the risk of death due to cardiovascular disease among men aged 60 to 64 years. Replicating research results helps validate findings, and...Read More
Alternate Treatments, Miscellaneous, Psychiatry
A Little Nostalgia Goes a Long Way
Tracing the medical history of nostalgia involves a sharp U-turn. Centuries ago, it was considered a psychopathological disorder. Still today, nostalgia can be associated with negative feelings and sadness. But researchers are reaching new conclusions about the health benefits of wistful affection for the past. We recently witnessed the medicinal effects firsthand on a special family trip. A full seventy years later, we returned to the majestic Manoir Richelieu, a historic hotel northeast of Quebec City on the shores of the St. Lawrence River. As the former hotel doctor-in-residence, and the accompanying story-seeking family, we were treated to a wonderful walk down memory lane. It was hard not to notice the spring in our steps, the smiles, and the upbeat mood. Nostalgia comes...Read More
Cardiovascular, Sex
Boosting Nitric Oxide the Antidote to Getting Older
The French existentialist, Gabriel Marcel, asserted “Life is not a problem to be solved but a mystery to be experienced.” Nevertheless, scientists remain intent on figuring it out. The cells in our bodies are susceptible to damage. A sunburn is a visible example. Ultraviolet rays scorch skin cells, causing rapid death. Damage occurs at a slower pace from poor diet, excessive alcohol, smoking, and all kinds of physical and mental stress. Over time, the biological process of replacing damaged cells through replication involves compounding errors, and cells die completely. When too many cells die, biological systems start to falter. This, in short, is aging. Researchers are exploring experimental drugs, essential trace minerals, and even calorie restriction as avenues to longer lives. What is the...Read More
Nutrition
Is Cholesterol the Enemy?
The headline of a prestigious health and nutrition publication reads, “Do we need to limit dietary cholesterol?” For decades, the answer was yes. We were told to limit our intake of cholesterol to 300 milligrams (mg) or less daily to decrease the risk of heart attack. Was it just a catchy headline? Cholesterol is not the devil incarnate. We would die without it. Cholesterol is a part of all cell membranes, needed to make vitamin D, bile acids and some hormones. Some medical specialists have long cautioned that cholesterol is not the culprit in cardiovascular disease. One of the world’s most famous cardiac surgeons remarked that many of his heart attack patients had normal blood cholesterol levels. We know that if we consume...Read More
Cancer, Medicine, Obesity
For Men, Don’t Disregard a Lump in the Breast
Few findings cause women as much fear as discovering a breast lump and wondering if it’s cancer. But what about men who notice a mass and pain in the breast? Male breast lumps are not commonly discussed in the locker room. But confusion and embarrassment can delay diagnosis of a malignancy. Breast cancer is not entirely a woman’s disease. Although it occurs in males in less than one percent of cases, diagnosis tends to be late. In 2022, of the 2,710 American men expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer, about 530 will die. But male breast lumps are not always dangerous. There’s a condition called “gynecomastia” derived from the Greek root for female and “mastos” for breast. In fact, studies of...Read More
Genitourinary
Urinary Incontinence in Women
Some women say, “You only know a place well if you know where the restrooms are located.” They’re suffering from urinary incontinence (UI). They know if they delay too long, there’ll be an accident. But there are ways to correct this nerve-racking problem. A report from the University of California claims that only one in four women with this trouble seeks help. This is due to embarrassment and the common but illogical notion that it is part of aging. Another account from the Journal of the American Medical Association is hard to believe. It says that 17 percent of women ages 20 and older have moderate or severe UI. This number doubles for women over 60 years of age! There are two main...Read More
Alternate Treatments, Pain, Philosophy
Common Sense in End-of-Life Choices
Few want to think about it. But there are choices to make about death. Doing nothing is one option. Life will, inevitably, one way or another, come to an end. But making common sense decisions about personal preferences for end-of-life should not be taboo or disallowed. And politicians should get out of the way. In Canada, the would-be “just society”, the vast majority of citizens, about 80%, have repeatedly affirmed support for people who wish it to have the option of medical assistance in dying. In the U.S., over the past decade, polls have ranged from 55-75% in support. But why are there still restrictions on who is eligible? In the U.S., there is a hodgepodge legislation, as only some states have...Read More
Nutrition, Orthopedics, Pediatrics
Building Up Bones for a Lifetime
What’s one of the worst errors that young people make early in life? It’s the failure to practice preventive medicine. So, let’s have a talk with young people about how to protect their bones for a lifetime. We know that kids of all ages break bones playing sports. It’s annoying when this happens, leaving them sidelined from sports and play with friends for a few weeks. But breaking a bone becomes more than an inconvenience for adults, as full recovery becomes less likely. The older one is, the more breaking a bone may have life-changing consequences, including being forever consigned to a wheelchair. But why do bones become brittle with age, and can it be avoided? Many people think bones are hard and...Read More
Alternate Treatments, Neurology
Music for the Mind
Music may be the world’s greatest medicine. From infants to centenarians, people love music and the way it makes them feel good. In tribute to its universal qualities, Hans Christian Andersen said, “Where words fail, music speaks.” Even without lyrics, songs certainly convey feelings. Among healthy people, researchers have shown that across cultural divides, people can readily place vastly different types of music into emotional categories ranging from sad to heroic, annoying to beautiful, and desirous to indignant. But the miracle of music is in its healing qualities. Scientists studying people with brain injuries and neurological conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are making remarkable discoveries. Music, for example, can improve the gait of people relearning to walk after a brain injury....Read More
Miscellaneous, Philosophy
Decarbonizing Healthcare
Last week we wrote about the environmental disaster of plastics choking the world’s oceans and the consequences for human health through the food chain. This week let’s look through a different lens at another environmental disaster of our own making – the carbon footprint of healthcare itself. Here’s something you may not know. If the global healthcare sector were a country, it would be the fifth-largest greenhouse gas emitter! A report from Health Care Without Harm calculated that the environmental impact of healthcare amounts to 4.4% of global net emissions – the equivalent of 514 coal-fired power plants. So far, North Americans are among the main culprits. By way of example, the report notes, “The United States health sector, the world’s number one...Read More
Miscellaneous, Philosophy
Plastic Soup a Disastrous Meal
Why is humankind so bent on destruction? Why so apathetic in the face of annihilating warfare, repeated massive oil spills and choking urban smog? Equally awful is the “Plastic Soup” in our oceans. A picture of a Hawaiian beach reveals the folly of humans. It shows a huge amount of plastic washed ashore – an insult to a beautiful beach. Such ocean garbage is a serious hazard for sea life. Don’t believe the rest us are immune to this environmental disaster. Our lives, too, depend on our oceans. Small planktonic organisms, through photosynthesis, transform carbon in air and seawater into organic compounds, an essential element of Earth's carbon cycle. They generate about half the atmosphere's oxygen, as much per year as all...Read More
