What is in our Vitamins? Featuring Avenleigh (5 yo)
The Pharmacist Answers Podcast
Avenleigh wants to know what is in our vitamins and why do we take them, so she asks the pharmacist!
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Episode 117 - Voice Troubles
The Pharmacist Answers Podcast
Laryngitis, known as inflammation of the larynx, is the most common cause of hoarseness and voice loss. It is very common in viral infections, such as a cold, flu, or adenovirus. Acute laryngitis is caused by an illness, while chronic laryngitis may be a secondary symptom of another problem.
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Episode 116 - Voice
The Pharmacist Answers Podcast
Notes coming soon!
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Episode 115 - Gag Reflex
The Pharmacist Answers Podcast
The gag reflex, as well as other pharyngeal reflexes, protect you from choking and ingesting improper things. If it does not follow the proper swallowing procedure, rarely does it get permission to enter.
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Episode 114 - Bad Breath
The Pharmacist Answers Podcast
Halitosis, aka bad breath, can have many causes. Some bad breath you can prevent with the choices you make, but some bad breath can be a sign of a more serious issue or disease.
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Episode 113 - Dysphagia
The Pharmacist Answers Podcast
While dysphagia can be very uncomfortable and lead to some unwanted side effects, the biggest concern is with the risk of aspiration, or breathing food or drink into the lungs, that leads to pneumonia.
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Episode 112 - Swallowing
The Pharmacist Answers Podcast
You never think to swallow until you start talking about swallowing. The voluntary swallowing process must be initiated before the involuntary swallowing reflexes take over. This includes when you go to the dentist and while you are sleeping!
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Episode 111 - Tonsillectomy
The Pharmacist Answers Podcast
The what, why, and how of a tonsillectomy. While a tonsillectomy is a frequent surgery for kids and adults, it is still surgery and requires preparation and care before during and after.
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Episode 110 - Tonsils
The Pharmacist Answers Podcast
Your tonsils are in the back of your throat. You can see them, you can feel them. They help protect you but can be a big pain while they do it.
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Episode 109 - Metallic Taste
The Pharmacist Answers Podcast
Over 250 medications can causes changes in taste. A metallic taste is the most common. Some are secreted in the saliva, others disrupt receptors or signals.
info_outlineSmell Basics
Air goes in your nose and flows over the smell sensors.
Your nose and sinus cavities act as a resonating chamber for your voice. That's why you sound funny when you hold your nose or when your nose is stopped up from a cold or allergies. This is important in talking and singing.
What makes something smell?
Volatile molecules evaporate at normal temperatures and pressures, so actually molecules of the thing are in the air and available to go in your nose. Don't think about this too hard....
The smelling sensors are on the roof of the nasal cavity --> olfactory receptors (olfactory is the fancy word for smelling). The molecules fit into the receptors like a key in a key hole. Our brain likes to categorize things, and so certain compounds have similar structures and get lumped together ("smells like eggs" but you know it's not real eggs).
The olfactory receptors send the signals to the olfactory bulb (which is the area in the brain that translates all the smells and allows you to identify a smell). It's not a very long trip....
The olfactory bulb is a part of the limbic system (the emotion center). this is why smell is more strongly connected to emotions and memory - even stronger than sight and sound.
Smell Tidbits
If you go to the perfume counter at a department stores, you'll find that they all start smelling the same. The perfume department will have coffee beans because it helps clean out the receptors.
Coffee-scented, caffeinated perfume <-- free idea!!
Inflammation and mucus congestion blocked off the receptors.
No concrete evidence of why pregnant women get a "super smeller" during pregnancy.
One rogue molecule won't make you smell something.
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Music Credits: “Radio Martini” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/