Waste Water Monitoring
PodcastDX
Wastewater monitoring is a valuable, efficient, and robust tool that public health officials can use to guide public health decision making across the nation. When we turn on the tap or flush the toilet, we often don’t think about where all that water goes. Wastewater, the used water from our homes, schools, and businesses, holds valuable information about the health of our community. Wastewater monitoring can help cities manage wastewater effectively and also creates a safer, healthier, and more responsive living environment for their communities. This blog takes a closer look at five...
info_outline
Health & Human Services
PodcastDX
The Public Health Agencies are created to deliver on the Government's commitment to help protect the health and safety of all people and communities in whatever country they live in. For example: Canada's activities focus on: promoting health, well-being and equity protecting against threats to public health preventing and reducing diseases and injury Health Canada is responsible for helping Canadians maintain and improve their health. It ensures that high-quality health services are accessible, and works to reduce health risks. The UK supports ministers in leading the nation’s...
info_outline
Fluoride and Healthy Teeth
PodcastDX
Fluoride has been in the news recently with some people questioning the worth of adding this vital mineral to the water supplies in the United States. Fluoride repairs and prevents damage to teeth caused by bacteria in the mouth. Bacteria in the mouth produce acid when a person eats or drinks. The acid dissolves minerals in a tooth's surface, making the tooth weaker and open to cavities. Fluoride replaces the minerals lost from a tooth due to acid breakdown. Some fluoride can replace minerals in the tooth surface, making the outer enamel layer harder to dissolve. Fluoride also may...
info_outline
Cannabis and the Heart
PodcastDX
Many people assume that ingesting cannabis — whether through edibles, oils, or tinctures — eliminates the cardiovascular risks associated with smoking it. While it's true that edibles avoid the harmful byproducts of combustion (such as carbon monoxide and tar), ingested cannabis still carries significant heart health risks due to the effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), its main psychoactive compound. When THC is absorbed through the digestive system, it can cause substantial increases in heart rate and blood pressure — sometimes more dramatically than when cannabis is smoked or...
info_outline
Stress and the Immune System re-run
PodcastDX
This week we have re-posting a brief insight to the fact that stress can play havoc on the immune system and we hope to have a new guest soon to discuss this weighty problem. If you are a member of the health care community and would like to be a guest on our show to discuss how stress affects the immune system, please drop us a line at . Remember chronic stress = excessive cortisol and too much cortisol = a host of medical ailments. Poor sleep Cortisol levels are supposed to drop at nighttime, allowing your body to relax and recharge. But if your...
info_outline
Navigating the VA
PodcastDX
This week's episode is very special for all of the veterans out there... We welcome back three previous guests to discuss receiving healthcare at the Veteran Health Administration (VHA) a component of the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA). Our main guest (from left to right above) is Mark Frerichs, a Navy veteran who was held captive by the Taliban while working as a government contractor in Afghanistan. His battle didn't end with his eventual release and he was home trying to get the health care services he deserved. Supporting him are: Kristal Kent, an Army veteran...
info_outline
Dangers of Nitrous Oxide
PodcastDX
Nitrous oxide, also sometimes known as “laughing gas,” is used in medicine for its sedative and anesthetic (pain prevention) properties. Joseph Priestley, an English chemist, and multidisciplinary scholar, first synthesized nitrous oxide, which has the chemical formula N2O, in 1772. After Priestley’s initial discovery of this substance, fellow chemist Humphry Davy performed various tests on the substance, including breathing the gas alone, with oxygen, and with air. Through this testing, it became clear that nitrous oxide had psychogenic properties, including as a sedative and...
info_outline
Vaccine Safety
PodcastDX
Vaccination is one of the best ways to prevent diseases. Over the past 50 years, essential vaccines saved at least 154 million lives (1). During the same period, vaccination has reduced infant deaths by 40%. Together with governments, vaccine manufacturers, scientists and medical experts, WHO's vaccine safety program is constantly helping monitor the safety of vaccines. This helps ensure that vaccines are safe for you and your family. In the United States, a number of safeguards are required by law to help ensure that the vaccines we receive are safe. Because vaccines are given to millions...
info_outline
Whooping Cough or Pertussis
PodcastDX
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis. It's characterized by severe, persistent coughing fits, often ending with a high-pitched "whoop" sound. The disease can be very serious, especially for infants, and is preventable through vaccination. Whooping cough is an illness that can spread easily. It's also called pertussis. An infection with bacteria causes it. Many people with the illness get a serious hacking cough. Breathing in after coughing often causes a high-pitched noise that sounds like a...
info_outline
Summer Health and Safety
PodcastDX
What’s your plan for this summer? Enjoying the water? Going camping? Firing up the grill? Whatever you prefer, we have safety steps to follow. And don’t forget your furry friends. There are steps you can take to help keep them safe too. Skin safety Children's skin is more susceptible to sunburns and UV damage from the sun than adults. Before going outside, and dress your kids in protective clothing like rash guards and hats. Choose a sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 30 with broad-spectrum protection that blocks both UVA and UVB rays. Sunscreen is only safe for children over 6 months...
info_outline
Bleeding Disorders, also known as Hemophilia, von Willebrand Disease, Coagulation Disorders, Blood Clotting Disorders, Clotting Factor Deficiencies
Bleeding disorders are rare disorders affecting the way the body controls blood clotting. If your blood does not clot normally, you may experience problems with bleeding too much after an injury or surgery. This health topic will focus on bleeding disorders that are caused by problems with clotting factors, including hemophilia and von Willebrand disease.
Clotting factors, also called coagulation factors, are proteins in the blood that work with small cells, called platelets, to form blood clots. Any problem that affects the function or number of clotting factors or platelets can lead to a bleeding disorder.
A bleeding disorder can be inherited, meaning that you are born with the disorder, or it can be acquired, meaning it develops during your life. Signs and symptoms can include easy bruising, heavy menstrual periods, and nosebleeds that happen often. Your doctor will review your symptoms, risk factors, medical history, and blood test results to diagnose a bleeding disorder.
Your doctor may recommend medicines or clotting factor replacement therapy to treat the bleeding disorder. Some bleeding disorders are lifelong conditions, and some can lead to complications. Even if you do not need medicine to treat the bleeding disorder, your doctor may recommend taking precautions before a medical procedure or during a pregnancy to prevent bleeding problems in the future.
(credits to NIH)
TRANSCRIPT
Lita T 00:07 Hello and welcome to another episode of PodcastDX. The show that brings you interviews with people just like you whose lives were forever changed by a medical diagnosis. I'm Lita.
Ron 00:18 I'm Ron
Jean 00:19 and I'm moving to Hawaii.
Lita T 00:21 No, she's not
Jean 00:22 it snowed again last night.
Lita T 00:23 I know but
Ron 00:24 and today
Jean 00:25 and today
Lita T 00:26 still not moving to Hawaii.
Jean 00:27 ohhh moving to Hawaii
Lita T 00:28 Remember when you said you cannot shovel lava?
Jean 00:30 Lava
Lita T 00:31 Okay,
Jean 00:31 this is true.
Lita T 00:32 We're staying here.
Jean 00:33 Okay.
Lita T 00:33 Collectively we're the host of podcast dx. March is bleeding disorders Awareness Month, although bleeding disorders may be acquired. On today's show, we're going to be talking about the most common inherited bleeding disorder, von Willebrand disease,
Jean 00:53 someone with (unitelligable) the blah...blah
Lita T 00:55 What?
Jean 00:56 Someone living with a bleeding disorder has blood, which does not clot properly.
Ron 01:02 When someone is injured and bleeding, a blood clot forms to hopefully...to hopefully stop that person from losing too much blood. This process requires both blood platelets and clotting factors which clump together to form something like a dam to stop the bleeding.
Lita T 01:20 Right? I remember watching Grey's Anatomy.
Ron 01:22 (Chuckle)
Lita T 01:23 Okay, we need more platelets, right?
Jean 01:26 I don't watch Grey's Anatomy...but sure I could see them saying that.
Lita T 01:28 Yeah, cuz you know, somebody is bleeding. They need more platelets!
Jean 01:31 Right
Ron 01:31 That's not scripted.
Lita T 01:33 No, it's not.
Jean 01:33 No.
Lita T 01:35 Someone with a bleeding disorder may notice that they bruise easily bleed; excessively during medical or dental procedures or when cut; have unexplained nosebleeds and bleeding gums and internal bleeding. And when I was on blood thinners...no
Jean 01:54 Here we go...
Lita T 01:54 Right? Wait was I am blood thinners or aspirin? I was either on blood thinners or a baby aspirin at one time. And I was outside gardening. And I grabbed a thorn bush. Right? I was clipping and the thorn punctured something on my wrist. And I'm watching it and it's going: squirt, squirt, squirt, and I'm just watching it. I like Isn't that interesting? As it squirting like a squirt gun every you know it would like with my pulse. Squirt, squirt, squirt. And then finally I said: "Okay, better stop this." So, I put pressure on it to stop it. But um, yeah.
Jean 02:24 We're all surprised she's still here. (Chuckle)
Lita T 02:36 (Boisturious laughter)
Ron 02:36 But you definitely painted a picture.
Lita T 02:38 Yeah. Right. So that's what it would be like, if you have a bleeding disorder.
Jean 02:41 I don't know if that's exactly what it would be like, that sounds like an arterial spray that squirting in very, very dangerous.
Lita T 02:47 Okay, that's a bleeding disorder.
Jean 02:49 Bleeding problem.
Ron 02:50 So
Lita T 02:51 yeah.
Ron 02:52 In addition to obtaining a complete medical history, your healthcare provider may order a complete blood count, a bleeding time test and or a platelet aggregation test to help diagnose your condition.
Jean 03:07 And have you guys ever had a bleeding time test?
Ron 03:10 Me personally? No.
Jean 03:11 Oh, they like cut your, nick, your ear and then stand there and wait to see when it stops bleeding.
Lita T 03:18 (chuckling)
Jean 03:19 That's what I remember.
Lita T 03:19 like watching. paint dry?
Ron 03:20 I don't like your doctor's.
Jean 03:21 Yeah, well, that wasn't my doctor. That was my mom. Oh, no, just kidding. Okay. Um, treatment for bleeding disorders will likely depend on the severity and cause of the specific bleeding disorder an individual has.
Lita T 03:33 Right. And although I had never heard of it before, today, the most commonly inherited bleeding disorder is von Willebrand disease.
Ron 03:45 Well I can say that approximately 1% of the population here in the US are affected by von Villa brain disease. And it's characterized by an insufficient amount of a protein. Ironically, the von Willebrand factor or VFW
Jean 04:03 VWF
Lita T 04:04 The VFW hopefully doesn't. It's causing you to bleed you're going to the wrong VWF
Ron 04:11 Did I say I do glasses. I'm sorry, the von Willebrand factor or v w F, which aids in the clotting,
Lita T 04:18 right? There are three forms of von Willebrand disease.
Jean 04:24 We're gonna say it differently every time you say
Lita T 04:26 Yes, okay. Individuals with type one have less VWF than average and may have associated bleeding issues.
Jean 04:37 Were and those living with type two von Willebrand disease have enough v wF in their system, but their Vidya wF does not function correctly or is incorrectly formed. And
Ron 04:49 type three, v w.f
Jean 04:52 Vwd willen brand disease Oh, tight as opposed to von Willebrand factor. Oh, Okay,
Lita T 05:00 okay. So type three v WD.
Ron 05:03 Okay? So type three v WD is very serious individuals with this form of von Willebrand disease, do not make v w f at all. Oh, yeah, right. And their platelets cannot clot and this is very This is a very serious condition which makes bleeding difficult to control.
Lita T 05:23 That sounds terrible. Individuals with von Willebrand disease should typically avoid taking medications which may increase their risk of bleeding such as aspirin, or non steroidal anti inflammatories.
Jean 05:37 And if you have a bleeding disorder, it is vital that you inform your health care providers, including your doctors and dentists. And I would suggest if you know if it's a very serious form, that you have an ID bracelet that states that
Lita T 05:50 Oh, yeah, for sure. And carry a lot of gauze.
Jean 05:54 I don't get a tourniquet. I don't think you should be able to carry a tourniquet, no band aids. I think people that carry Okay, tourniquets are very serious,
Lita T 06:02 right. Okay. If you would like to know more about bleeding disorder awareness, check out the link to the national hemophilia foundation Foundation's website which will be on our web page, or you may want to donate to a red tie fundraiser.
Jean 06:21 And I think Haemophilia is what we've all associated with writing disorders. That's what I've heard, right? But it's very, very rare. It just gets a lot of publicity, because you hear about, you know, like Royals hat being haemophiliac and or being haemophiliacs because,
Lita T 06:34 you know, that's, that's where it came from.
Jean 06:37 No, it's just inbreeding, and the those, you know, because then you're passing the factor on and you're increasing the chance, or likelihood that two people with the same factor will pass it on. But
Ron 06:47 that's the most common, right. No,
Jean 06:49 no, no, it's not. It's very rare. von Willebrand disease is the most common. Isn't that weird? And we've never heard of that. Yeah, right. That's Yeah, it's very counterintuitive. It is very counterintuitive. But that's what the internet says, and we believe everything on the internet.
Lita T 07:07 And gene would like you to know about a blood parfait recipe in case you wanted to share this with your friends.
Jean 07:17 Well, the National hemophilia foundation does try to utilize different techniques to help people understand more about their blood and clotting. And to help illustrate that, they suggest that you could try to make a blood purvey, you could use a cream colored substance like vanilla ice cream, or maybe a yogurt as your base use Cheerios. And that will represent your platelets, although they're nice and round, which I don't understand. And you kind of want something like awkwardly shaped but red m&ms or red Hots, and those could be the red blood cells, white chocolate chips, or mini marshmallows. And these can be the white blood cells, pretzels. And these can be the fibrin which is the kind of the stuff that joins with platelets to form that your clot, okay. Gummy worms in the eye can actually represent the V WD. And to top it off, put on some rainbow sprinkles, and that'll represent the 13 other blood factors.
Lita T 08:14 Yeah, we'll be doing that.
Ron 08:18 I gotta tell you, I learned quite a bit on this. This morning.
Lita 08:21 Oh well, that's
Jean 08:22 that's good.
Lita T 08:23 Yeah, I'm glad somebody did. Yeah, I
Jean 08:24 learned we're not moving to Hawaii.
Lita T 08:26 No, we're not moving to Hawaii.
Ron 08:28 Well, for our listeners, if you have any questions or comments related to today's show, you can drop us a line at podcast [email protected] through our website, podcast, dx comm on Facebook pitter pitter pitter patter pitter patter on
Jean 08:47 his own app. Wow. Have you heard from somebody on Twitter? I hear they have a lot of patter.
Ron 08:54 Let's try this again. Okay, through our website, podcast, dx.com on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram,
Jean 09:02 I can appear as a combination of Twitter and Pinterest. I like it.
Lita T 09:05 Yeah. Okay. And if you have a moment to spare, please give us a review wherever you get your podcast. As always, please keep in mind that this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regime. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay of seeking it because of something you have heard on this podcast till next week.