Elderly Fade
PodcastDX
This week's episode has the cohosts talking about social isolation and earlier death among the elderly population. Studies have shown that loneliness is associated with a higher risk of mortality in older adults. For example, one study found that individuals experiencing loneliness at one or more points in time had a higher hazard for mortality compared to those who never experienced loneliness. Loneliness can trigger physiological stress responses, potentially leading to chronic inflammation and reduced immunity. These factors can contribute to the development of...
info_outline
Tularemia or Rabbit Fever
PodcastDX
Tularemia is a highly infectious disease you get from the bacterium F. tularensis. You can get it from bug bites, infected animals, contaminated water or food, and particles of bacteria in the air. Tularemia can affect your skin, eyes, throat, lungs and intestines. Tularemia should be treated as soon as possible with antibiotics. We will not have a guest for this week, but would love to invite anyone who has been diagnosed with Tularemia to be a guest on a future show. Tularemia causes your lymph nodes to painfully swell and other symptoms in your lungs, eyes, throat and intestines,...
info_outline
Blastomycosis
PodcastDX
Our guest for this week is Sara Olson. Sara (her TikTok name is ) is from the Wolf River area of Wisconsin which just happens to hold the highest concentration of the fungus that causes Blastomycosis. When Sara got Blastomycosis in January 2024, she thought it was 'just the flu'. With a chest xray, she was diagnosed with pneumonia. Several rounds of antibiotics didn't help so she did a CT scan where they found an embolism. Still not knowing anything else, they continued treating her for bacterial pneumonia. They did a swab of her sputum in which her health...
info_outline
Cruising to Disaster
PodcastDX
When people ask about getting sick on a cruise ship, they’re often worried about . But what happens if you catch a nasty cold, sprain your ankle, or (even worse) have a serious medical emergency like a heart attack? Rest assured, because cruise ships are well prepared. Are there doctors on cruise ships? Of course! Cruise ships will always have at least one doctor along with a staff of nurses. Larger ships will have more personnel with larger infirmaries. What kind of medications do they have? If you you’re looking for aspirin, seasickness meds or other basic over-the-counter meds, you...
info_outline
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_outlineWhooping 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 "whoop."
Before the vaccine for pertussis came out, whooping cough was thought of as a childhood disease. Today, whooping cough mainly affects children too young to have gotten all their shots of the vaccine. The illness also tends to affect teenagers and adults whose protection from the vaccine has faded.
Deaths linked with whooping cough are rare. Most often, they occur in infants. But pregnant people can help protect their babies by getting a booster shot of the vaccine during pregnancy. Vaccination also is recommended for other people who will have close contact with an infant.
Once you become infected with whooping cough, it takes about 5 to 10 days for symptoms to start. Sometimes it takes up to three weeks. The symptoms often are mild at first. They may seem like those of a common cold. They can include:
-
Runny or stuffy nose.
-
Red, watery eyes.
-
Fever.
-
Cough.
After a week or two, the symptoms become worse. Thick mucus builds up inside the airways. This causes rapid coughing that can't be controlled. The cough can last for weeks or months, and it may be worse at night. Intense coughing attacks may cause:
-
Vomiting.
-
A red or blue face.
-
Extreme tiredness.
-
A high-pitched "whoop" sound during the next breath of air.
People with mild illnesses often don't make the whooping sound. Sometimes, an ongoing hacking cough is the only symptom of whooping cough in teens and adults.
Many babies with the illness don't cough at all. Some babies and young children might.
-
Gag or struggle to breathe.
-
Have skin, lips or nails that turn blue or purple.
-
Have life-threatening pauses in breathing called apnea.