Emergency room physicians have to make sense of and care for complete strangers every day. A recently retired ER doctor looks back at lessons he’s learned that are applicable to everyone’s life.
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Rural Maternity Units Closing
A large number of hospitals in rural areas have closed, and many more have closed their maternity units, leaving many rural mothers-to-be with no nearby place to deliver their babies or even get prenatal care. Experts discuss the financial and demographic reasons behind these closures, the danger it presents to mothers and children, and some ways to counter the risk.
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Eczema In Infants: A Starting Point For Allergies and Asthma
Doctors have learned that childhood allergies and asthma may have their start in dry, dysfunctional skin in infancy, when allergens such as food particles enter the body through cracks in the skin. A noted pediatric allergist discusses this ”atopic march” and ways to combat it.
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Does Prenatal Fluoride Lower IQ?
Fluoride in community drinking water has been controversial since its introduction nearly 75 years ago. A new study adds to this with evidence that pregnant women who drink fluoridated water may produce children with slightly lowered IQ. The study author and two other experts discuss what’s known and what the ramifications of the study could be for communities, for oral health, and for children.
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Trypophobia: The Fear of Clustered Holes
As much as 16 percent of the population suffers from Trypophobia, which makes them uneasy at the sight of holes clustered together, as in a honeycomb. Two experts and a sufferer discuss this phobia, which can be remarkably debilitating.
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Genetic Testing and Family Secrets
The availability of consumer DNA tests and databases has allowed long-hidden family secrets to be revealed, including mistaken paternity and unknown siblings. It has also taken the anonymity away from some cases of sperm donation. Two experts discuss the ethics of overturning this promised secrecy and the impact that the revelation of secrets can have on entire families.
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Mirror Touch Synesthesia
Dr. Joel Salinas has mirror touch synesthesia, a condition involving cross-wiring in the brain. The result is that visual stimuli prompt a response in his touch system. He literally feels it when people experience pain. Salinas discusses how this strange condition works and how he is able to use it in diagnosis.
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Heat and Violence
Violence increases as temperatures rise in the summer, but are higher temperatures a cause of aggression? New research shows that the answer is yes, especially in family conflict, and that poor neighborhoods bear the brunt of the relationship. Researchers discuss the synergy between poverty, heat, and aggression, and speculate that a warmer world in the future could be a more violent one.
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Nail Biting
Nail biting is an extremely common habit, but some people bite their nails so badly and so often that they suffer damage to their hands. Experts discuss why so many of us are driven to bite our nails, what can be done to stop it, and the damage that can occur when we can’t stop.
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Importing Canadian Drugs
The Trump Administration has proposed wholesale import of drugs from Canada to ease high US prescription drug prices. But since Canada is 1/10 th the size of the US, could it supply enough drugs to make a difference? What’s more, it appears Canadians are opposed to the plan and are devising rules to stop it. Experts discuss pro’s and con’s.
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Primary Care And Medical Cost
The US spends more on medical care than other nations while quality still lags behind. A health industry expert explains how increased use of primary care and increased engagement with providers could reverse both trends.
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Fighting Off Stress at College
College students are facing more stress than ever, but may be less prepared to handle it. As students head back to campus, two experts discuss how students can reduce stress.
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Sudden Unexplained Death of a Child
Each year, some 400 US children over age 1, most of them toddlers, die overnight for no known reason. Families, longing for answers, often find that their families, friends, and even pediatricians are unfamiliar with this classification of death, or that they even occur. Family members who have lost a child, a medical examiner, and a research expert who has lost a child discuss SUDC.
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Tonsil Stones
Some people find that small “stones” are growing on their tonsils. They’re an accumulation of skin cells, food, and other debris. While they are not medically dangerous or painful, they often produce bad breath or sometimes pain. Two expert physicians discuss tonsil stones’ formation and treatment.
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