The People's Pharmacy

Hearing loss is a common problem, but many people with difficulties don’t know how to address it. Not everyone who has trouble hearing in noisy spots like restaurants or busy workplaces needs hearing aids. However, they need ways to manage a situation when they can’t hear what people are saying. Reducing background noise–which might be tricky in a busy space–can help a great deal. Overcoming Heari...

Last year, just when more people than ever needed the help of a therapist, stay-at-home restrictions made it difficult or impossible to get face-to-face counseling. Moreover, most therapists were completely booked and couldn’t accept new patients. As a result, people increasingly turned to online therapy, either with apps, online support groups or one on one. How well does online therapy work? Wha...

Cases of Parkinson’s disease have been rising steeply, but what we see now could be just the tip of the iceberg. The accumulation of certain chemicals in the environment may be contributing to an increased risk of this neuromuscular disorder. Pesticides such as chlorpyrifos appear to increase the risk for farmers and farm workers, while a compound called trichloroethylene has contaminated wells ar...

Integrative gastroenterology combines the perspective of conventional allopathic medicine with a holistic approach to patients and their lives–mind, body and soul. Sometimes adjusting diet or lifestyle can be even more effective than using medications, especially when it comes to establishing a healthy gut balance. COVID-19 and the Digestive Tract: Although we think of SARS-CoV-2 as a respiratory...

During the pandemic, fewer people by far have been making ordinary appointments with the dermatologist to have their skin checked. However, some skin conditions can become much worse if they are neglected. Summer-stressed skin may also need attention. In general, people should consult a dermatologist if there is a persistent change in a spot on the skin. People with darker skin should make sure th...

Dr. Peter Hotez has been working on vaccine development and the treatment of neglected tropical diseases for decades. Now that vaccines are the key to returning to something like normal life, his expertise is greatly sought after. A History of Vaccines: Dr. Hotez describes the first vaccines that were useful in Western society. In fact, this is where we get the name “vaccine,” as this was a cowpox...

In the middle of a pandemic, it’s important to know how to stay healthy. Sleep, stress management, handwashing, exercise and a healthful diet (cutting back on refined flour and sugar) are all crucial. In addition, supplements and herbs might help maintain a robust immune response. The Value of Vitamin D: There is significant evidence that people with low levels of vitamin D are more susceptible to...

The experience of COVID is highly variable, as we have all learned by now. For some people, the infection is so mild they may not even notice the symptoms, while for others the virus wreaks devastating havoc. The post-COVID syndrome may afflict even those who had mild infections initially, and it can make life very difficult. What Do We Know About POTS? Among the possible complications that can af...

Over the past year, the world has faced a global pandemic due to a previously unknown virus. People wanted and needed to know how the virus spread from person to person. At first, the focus was on fomites. Consequently, people spent a lot of time wiping down groceries and sanitizing surfaces. Gradually, it became clear that SARS-CoV-2 is far more likely to float through the air to find its next vi...

Have you ever had horrible heartburn or a really bad bellyache? Most of us have experienced digestive distress at one time or another. When do you need to seek medical attention for your problem? What Causes Digestive Distress? When the gastrointestinal tract is working as it should, you chew your food and swallow it. Then it traverses the esophagus and goes into the stomach through a valve (the l...

Over the last year, hospitals and their intensive care units have been stretched to the breaking point caring for the huge number of people desperately ill with the coronavirus. What is the impact of COVID-19 on American health care? Will the changes we have seen to date continue? Who Pays for COVID Care? Days and weeks in the hospital add up to some mighty big bills. Who is paying? Many of those...

Hand sanitizers have become ubiquitous in homes, doctors’ offices, supermarkets, banks and dozens of other establishments. There have been problems with some products that were contaminated with methanol, also known as wood alcohol. Read about this known problem here . Now a new impurity has surfaced. A surprising number of hand sanitizers are contaminated with the carcinogen benzene. Valisure Unc...

Sperm counts have been falling for decades. In fact, they’re down 50 percent over the last four decades. Should we worry about young men’s health and fertility? How can we explain this trend? Threats to Health and Fertility: Sperm counts are not alone in their decline. Men’s levels of testosterone have also been dropping steadily, about 1 percent per year since 1982. Research suggest that some of...

COVID-19 restrictions have interfered with the way many of us exercise. Yet the benefits of moving, for both our physical and mental health, are more important than ever. How can we keep moving to feel better, despite the pandemic? Moving at Home to Feel Better: You may not have a home gym, but there are still things you can do to tap the benefits of physical activity. Hand weights, resistance ban...

After a year of COVID-19, the country (and the world) is in a race to get people vaccinated before the new, more transmissible variants of the coronavirus can gain the upper hand. We talk with two experts on these COVID-19 vaccines and variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to get you the information you need. New COVID-19 Vaccines Are on the Way: Health departments and healthcare systems have been admi...

Adequate sleep is essential to good health. That is not a news flash; your grandmother and great-grandmother knew it. It’s simply become more difficult to get the sleep you need in these anxious times. An ongoing pandemic and all the disruptions it has caused to work, school and other aspects of life could keep millions of people awake. Getting the Sleep You Need in Anxious Times: Although we can’...

The COVID-19 pandemic has been raging through the world for more than a year. More than 455,000 people have died in the US, but the vast majority of people who become infected survive. Unfortunately, for a significant proportion, symptoms associated with COVID-19 may last for weeks or months. Physicians have dubbed this post-COVID syndrome, or PCS. Patients are more likely to call it Long COVID an...

There’s an old saying that a lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its boots. This possibility is especially noticeable and potentially harmful when it comes to health claims. How do medical myths get such widespread credence? Why We Fall for Medical Myths: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the problem of medical myths into the spotlight. A year ago, when very...

Imagine a dental diet designed to keep your teeth and gums in good health. What does it look like? Does it have any impact on your health beyond the limit of your tongue? A Dentist Champions the Dental Diet for Overall Health: Few people realize that there is a strong connection between gum infection (periodontitis) and systemic conditions like diabetes and heart disease. Even fewer might consider...

Whoever said growing old isn’t for sissies really got it right. But not everyone has the same experience with aging. Why do some people do well up to and into their 90s, while others are over the hill in their 70s? Genetics certainly plays a role, but it is not the whole story by any means. How can you age better? Starting to Age Better Before You Get Old: If you wait until you already feel old, w...

Do your New Year’s resolutions include getting more exercise? By now, everybody knows exercise is good for us. But a lot of people view it as a chore or a bore instead of a delight. How can you experience the joy of movement? Humans are built to move, and anthropologists have offered a hypothesis that the “runners high” helped our species survive at a time when hunting and gathering both required...

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has dominated life around the world this year. Now, the FDA has granted Emergency Use Authorization for two vaccines, one from Pfizer/BioNTech and one from Moderna. How will they alter the course of the pandemic? We offer listeners a coronavirus update for the close of this pandemic year of 2020. A Coronavirus Update from the Coronavirus H...

Scientists have long suspected that vitamin D is crucial for the immune system to function properly. Presumably, that is why cod liver oil was utilized as a tonic to ward off colds and flu in northern climes. After all, as you get farther from the equator, you get less sunshine during the winter. Consequently, you make less vitamin D. How does this simple fact connect vitamin D and COVID-19? Vitam...

It seems obvious that to provide the proper treatment, a doctor first needs to know what is wrong. However, although medical experts have been focusing on improving diagnosis in medicine for more than a decade, people still suffer from delayed or incorrect diagnoses. In some cases, these result in diagnostic disasters. We hear from a retired specialist about his own experience as a patient. If the...

These are stressful times. Many people are grieving the death of a loved one, while others are struggling with working or studying from home. Being separated from loved ones can be emotionally draining. How are you dealing with the mental health challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic? Trauma and Kids’ Mental Health: Trauma, like that experienced on 9/11, can have a profound impact on children’s menta...