Sound Body

Oral health is intricately connected to the rest of the body. Not just a conduit for food and drink - what goes on in the mouth affects the heart, joints, gastrointestinal system and the immune system. A guide to coping with mouth symptoms such as bad breath, canker sores, oral thrush and gum disease. Also, a personal essay on living with the painful condition called Burning Mouth Syndrome.

The Blackwell sisters were the first (Elizabeth) and third (Emily) female doctors to practice medicine in the United States. Rejected by more than a dozen medical schools, Elizabeth was accepted at Geneva Medical College in New York state only as the result of a prank. The sisters went on to help establish the New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children in 1857.

Many of those who beat Covid-19 are now experiencing a range of troubling chronic symptoms - not just lung issues from the respiratory effects of the virus. Long term medical problems can affect any organ system or part of the body, from neurological to cardiovascular to gastrointestinal.

Getting hooked on gambling, sex, shopping, video games and other behavioral vices is every bit as overwhelming and life-destroying as getting hooked on alcohol and drugs. Compulsion Without the Chemicals looks at the latest brain research, and offers ideas for how to get help with any compulsion that stopped being fun long ago.

Once only the concern of royalty and privilege - A New Yorker article looks at the importance of correct posture for everyone, and reviews retail "posture correctors".

For a species wired for survival, we have an odd habit of getting addicted to things that can kill us. New research is revealing why - and opening the door to desperately needed cures.

Ancient wisdom and recent research show that we can breathe better - enhancing our athletic performance and overall well-being along the way. Many exercises for different types of breathing are highlighted, as well as the importance of learning to breathe mostly through the nose instead of mouth breathing.

Why aren’t dentists a separate branch of medicine - like cardiology or dermatology? Bad oral health has been linked to heart problems, diabetes and cancer. Also, is Covid-19 causing teeth to fall out in some long haul survivors? Also, copying with dental anxiety.

42% of the American population is obese, yet fat bias continues to create negative outcomes at the doctors office. Patients put off going to a health care provider when they fear being shamed for their weight. Doctors misdiagnose patients because of their bias and ignore symptoms that may have nothing to do with obesity. Public health initiatives, and medical research continue to suggest that losing weight will create better health outcomes, while ignoring the long-term failure of this approach.

O, the Oprah Magazine, describes fear as inevitable. “Life gets scary sometimes. But although you can’t escape fear, you can manage it, conquer it, and even befriend it with this wise advice”. Articles on how to fear less and live more.

The fecal immunochemical test (FIT) is an at-home test for colon cancer is a pleasant alternative to colonoscopy for lower-risk patients. FIT is safer than a colonoscopy, with a lower risk of complications and Covid-19 exposure, and does as good a job. Colon and rectal cancer is on the rise in younger people - prompting the American Cancer Society to lower the screening age for colorectal cancer to 45 for people with average risk. Also, Dr. Mike ranks the most and least accurate Medical TV shows.

Experience L!fe magazine has the stated mission of “empowering people to become their healthiest, happiest, most authentic selves, and supporting a balanced, deeply satisfying way of life”. Readings from the January/February 2021 issue include articles on how exercise may prevent or slow vision loss; how fear is an expression of our love of life, and embracing vulnerability can help us face fear; how giving up sugar for a year provided one man with many health benefits, including weight loss.

A personal essay written for the New Yorker about living with a spouse who experiences hallucinations due to Lewy Body Dementia. Poet John Matthias cares for his wife of 50 years as she hallucinates more and more, sleeps and eats less, and ultimately arrives at an assisted living facility during Covid-19.

Our lungs are fragile organs open to the outside world that guard us against pathogens, allergens and pollutants. But even with their ultimate importance to provide the breath of life - it is still public health initiatives that protect our lungs more than any medicine or treatment yet available. The novel coronavirus is only the latest challenge after many outbreaks of tuberculosis.

With better pain relief, customized ball-and-socket joints, refined scanning tools and increased use of robotic surgery - replacing a hip is not the fearsome thing it was once, or even what it was 10 years ago. Also, an article outlining what happens on the day of hip replacement surgery, and in the recovery period after surgery.

The elderly aren’t the people who feel the most isolated, especially during a pandemic. Five myths about loneliness, tips on how to stay connected while social distancing, and how social isolation is very hard on people with dementia.

As the COVID-19 vaccine rollout begins, adults need to be aware of other vaccinations to keep up to date. Herd immunity protects those who aren’t able to take a vaccine for health reasons, but only when the vaccination rate is at or above 95%. Also, a surprising link between tattoos and immunity.

While 2020 exposed plenty of cracks in our national health care system, there were lots of other medical breakthroughs to recognize that may pave the way for a healthier future for all of us. AARP Magazine looks at a number of breakthroughs in treating diabetes, breast cancer, prostate cancer, vision loss, heart disease and lung disease.

Constant noise in the head - such as a ringing in the ears not associated with any external source, is called tinnitus. This my be caused by loud noise, medications that damage the nerves in the ear, impacted earwax, middle ear problems, and aging. There are strategies for managing tinnitus, but there are not drugs or herbal supplements to treat it. A new device that applies a technique known as bimodal neuromodulation is available in Ireland and Germany

The Coronavirus can cause insomnia, nightmares, and long-term changes in our nervous systems. But, an article in The Atlantic magazine suggests, sleep could also be a key to ending the pandemic.

Researchers are discovering why many people with Covid-SARS-2 lose their sense of smell - some for the duration of symptoms, while others experience this loss for 6 months or more. Also, the Mayo Clinic offers advice on how to care for yourself or a loved one at home while recovering from Covid-19 symptoms, and what symptoms suggest the need for hospitalization.

Toxic positivity, or the idea that we should only focus on positive emotions and the positive aspects of life can be detrimental to our mental health. Toxic positivity can encourage people to stay silent about their struggles, and foster more loneliness by preventing someone from connecting authentically about the ups and downs of their life. Ignoring our collective trauma from the coronavirus pandemic, does not take away the anxiety and loneliness, it just prevents us from creating meaningful actions to help deal with our isolation and fear. Also, how to deal with quarantine-induced social anxiety.

Once thought to be a disease only for gluttonous aristocrats, gout is now tormenting the masses. A historical context of the diagnosis and treatment of gout, as well as the role it has played in some notable historical events. Also, what to eat, and what not to eat if you suffer from gout.

Decades into his fight with Parkinson’s disease, Michael J. Fox has been doing the magazine and talk show rounds talking about his newest memoir “No Time Like The Future”. In it he writes about how he lost his usual hope and optimism a couple of years ago during his “darkest moment”. In a People magazine he article he talks about this dark time, and what his life is like living with Parkinson’s. Also, a medical mystery from the Washington Post about a woman who fell 30 times in three years.

The Essential Guide to Medicare is a consumer guide to Medicare. It includes sections on the history of this single-payer government program, how and when to apply for Medicare, what is included in the different parts of Medicare, decisions for choosing the correct plans, how Medicare compares to other plans around the world, and links to government help services.

Artificial Intelligence applications are creating algorithms for detecting eye diseases, detecting a cough from someone who has Covid-19 but is asymptomatic, and for other health-related diagnosis. Smart health devices have come a long way from just counting steps - they now can track sleep cycles, monitor EKG, oxygen saturation, and blood glucose levels, as well as providing many other fitness and health related data. Also, an article on the veracity and usefulness of Covid-19 testing.

Researchers are finding that Autism Spectrum Disorder may be linked to - or even cause by - irregularities in the microbiome found in the human digestive tract. The microbiome may also play a role in all kinds of brain disorders, including schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and depression.

The human immune system might be better at fighting off Covid-19 than some studies may lead us to believe. Also, a look at how nanoscopic pathogens other than the coronavirus can make you sick.

The Bill of the Month is an ongoing collaboration between Kaiser Health News and NPR. This crowdsourced investigation dissects and explains medical bills every month in order to shed light on U.S. health care prices and to help patients learn how to be more active in managing costs.

Medieval Europeans didn’t understand how the plague spread. Their response to this threat wasn’t so different from our response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Also, an article from Scientific American on how Covid-19 death counts are tabulated.

Soap and water are good at destroying the coronavirus, but also destroy microorganisms that are beneficial to humans. In this book review from the New Yorker magazine, two books about the living and permeable ecosystem of our skin are explored in a way that could make some people a little squeamish.

People with poorly controlled diabetes are more susceptible to more severe infection, whether it’s Covid-19, influenza, or tuberculosis. Elevated blood sugar directly impairs immune function. Also, going for regular eye exams is important for people with diabetes. Articles from the October 2020 issue of Diabetes Self-Management magazine.

Human behavior, including the wearing or shunning of masks, will determine the Covid-19 pandemic’s ultimate toll. To understand different behavioral choices a New England Journal of Medicine article looks at scientific mistrust and free-market principles, the polluted information environment, how beliefs shape our personal identity, the health fallout of economic devastation, and tribal norms. Also, an article on how the pandemic has changed our beauty habits in ways that can be better for skin, hair and nails.

Mushrooms have been used medicinally for centuries, and now they may provide us with innovative environmental solutions as well. Fungi including Reishi, lion’s mane and Chaga are gaining popularity in the wellness world

Real Simple magazine offers tips on how to relax and find ways to keep calm during these turbulent times. Also, a quick look at the difference between Covid-19 symptoms and seasonal influenza.

Consumers hope dietary supplements will keep them healthy, and they also believe they’re protected from unsafe products. A Consumer Reports special investigation, however, shows that the FDA’s oversight of the industry is dangerously insufficient.

A personal essay written for Time magazine that describes why kindness toward people with disabilities is complicated. Also, the pandemic has made work and social life more accessible for people with disabilities.

A former corporate propagandist for a large health insurance company admits that he sold Americans a lie about Canadian medicine, in order to prevent the formation of a single-payer system. He believes that his lies are responsible for thousands of Covid-19 deaths already.

ALS, or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. The conclusion to the Wired magazine article “My Friend Was Struck by ALS. To Fight Back He Built a Movement”. Also, an article about Stephen Hawking and how he was able to live for over 50 years with ALS.

ALS, or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Wired magazine profiled one particular man who used his lifetime of experience and connections to give help and hope to fellow sufferers after getting his own diagnosis of ALS.

Restless Legs Sydrome is commonly known as a sleep disorder, but it is characterized as a neurological sensory disorder. A look at the symptoms, causes and treatments for Restless Legs Syndrome. Also, four non-arthritic conditions that can cause leg pain while walking.

Lyme disease, like Covid-19, has mushroomed into a global epidemic. It is the most common vector-borne illness in the United States, with 30,000 cases reported to the CDC each year. Experts believe that the real number of cases is more likely 300,000.

Some studies have shown that Type O blood has a protective effect, while another suggested that people with Type A blood may have a higher risk of catching Covid-19. Other studies do not show any significant differences related to blood type. Also, the American Red Cross is in critical need of blood donations. A look at different types of blood donation. Also, how to stop “doomscrolling” or over-focusing on doom and gloom news.

Confronted by rare illnesses that most scientists overlook, four families create their own extraordinary approaches to finding treatments. The New York Times reports on the overwhelming toll of caring for individuals with rare diseases while trying to connect with other families and create cures. Also, how toxic positivity can make it harder instead of easier to cope during a pandemic.

Good Health and a healthy gut go hand in hand. When all goes well our digestive system transforms food into nutrients that develop, repair and maintain our bodies. Researchers have found an association between an unhealthy gut microbiome and many digestive disorders.

Digestive problems appear to be more common than they were years ago. Digestion is a critical function the body must perform in order to survive and thrive. Also, making the decision to see a doctor for non-critical appointments or elective procedures during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Skin is our largest organ - we each have approximately 8 pounds and 22 feet of it. Skin is a conduit to your bloodstream, and acts as a waterproof shield for the rest of the body. Readings include: how sweat affects skin health, what it is like to have a skin disease known as “Butterfly Skin”, health risks from using sunscreen, what are skin tags, and, do detox foot pads really work

While most are focused on the mysteries of the novel coronavirus, both the New York Times and the Washington Post publish “medical mystery” columns. The Washington Post explores why a family had continuous strep throat infections. The New York Times solves the problem of gastrointestinal distress in an immune-suppressed patient. Also, how to re-enter society without anxiety after being under coronavirus lockdown .

: A New York Times article comparing the risk of dying from Covid-19 to the risk of dying from driving to work every day, skydiving, or being a soldier in a war. Also, Consumer Reports looks at paying for healthcare during the coronavirus pandemic - assessing health care plans available to people who have lost employment, and offering suggestions on how to get help if you receive a surprise medical bill.

Consumer Reports suggests that we may be ingesting as much as a credit card’s worth of plastic every week. Also, of all the plastic ever produced, more than 10 billion tons of it - less than 10 percent has been recycled.

Anne Boyer, a poet and essayist, writes an unflinching personal essay on becoming a cancer patient.