By: Daniel Pearce, D.O., FCOI, AAHIVMS
DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO HAS EXPLOSIVE ANGER?
One out of 25 people have intermittent explosive disorder and only 5 are getting treatment. Minor disagreements can blow up quickly to a major shouting and cursing event, sometimes involving violence. The lifetime property damage bill for these people averages $1,600. Sometimes these outbursts result in injuries to the angry person needing medical care, like putting their fist through a door. Some of the risk for this condition is genetic. Common mental medications and psychological therapy are a great help for many. We should offer help to them like we would with any other disorder, e.g. depression. But it is difficult to be honest for them to admit it, seek help, and risk an outburst.
To see if you may have this, ask yourself these questions:
1. Do you routinely get into two or more heated arguments a week?
2. Have you been so angry in the past year that you hit something or someone?
Do you look back and think you overreacted, or someone has suggested that?
3. Does your aggression or anger cause a strain on your relationships at work or home?
1 IN 5 MEN CARRY CANCER CAUSED BY HPV
HPV, human papilloma (wart) virus, affects many, many people. Certain varieties cause cancer of the cervix, mouth, penis, throat, anus. These cancer-inducing warts may not be visible. That is why it is important to have an oral exam, female pap smears, and anal exams periodically. Vaccination up to age 45 is a great way to prevent this cancer, but wearing condoms is the next best prevention there is, but still some skin touches the other person’s skin and HPV can be transmitted. Start your HPV vaccination series if you are under 45 and haven’t done so already.
MENTIONING MOUTH AND THROAT CANCER INCREASES HPV VACCINATION RATES
Many are not aware that HPV can cause throat and mouth cancer in addition to anal, penile, and cervical cancer. Mentioning this caused more people to ask for the vaccination.
PSILOCYBIN STUDIES HELP DEPRESSION
A company (Ursona) makes a pharmaceutical grade psilocybin and funded a study in many large US universities. They found that a single dose lasted a long time during the 6 week study. The first session lasted up to 8 hours.
LAWS REQUIRE GENDER-AFFIRMING SURGERIES
So the number of procedures has about tripled from 2016 before the laws to 2019 when the government required these surgeries be offered. Top surgeries were about twice as common as bottom surgeries. These surgeries along with hormones and gender diverse physical and mental health care are critical in matching a person’s body to their own self (who they are) and results in less stress and mental illness.
LOWER YOUR COVID RISK
These people have lower risk: Immunized, recent infection, not near someone who is infected. A prison study in Connecticut found that those who shared a cell with an infected person were more likely to come down with Covid, compared to those outside that cell but on the same cell block. The more time and the closer the distance you spend with an infected person, the more chance of Covid transmission. My wife caught it going to a pharmacy without a mask for 15 minutes and then gave it to me.
AMATEUR ATHLETES HAVE CHRONIC TRAUMATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY
Usually we think of boxers losing their ability to think and reason after a lot of punches and concussions. But brain autopsies of amateur athletes showed brain changes in those who died under age 30. This includes students from high schools, college, and youth leagues. So no more heading of the ball in futbol and try to avoid punches, falls, collisions.
MORE UNCLAIMED BODIES
There has been a rise in unclaimed bodies in the last few years. No next of kin found; the person did not have enough money for burial, or the relatives didn’t have the money either. The cost of mortuary and funeral services has gone up fast over the last 20 years; this may explain the rise in unclaimed bodies.
EXERCISE HELPS ASTHMA
Even though some people’s asthma is triggered by exercise, performing exercise can reduce the symptoms of future asthma attacks. But when starting exercise, make sure you have taken your inhaler dose if you need it before exercise and start low and slow—don’t overdo the exercise on the first few sessions. Also be aware of bad days of pollen, pollution, and fire smoke in the air.
MIGRAINES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
Migraine headaches are associated with strokes and heart attacks. And those with an aura (warning) are associated with stroke risk.
RITE AIDE PHARMACIES: OXYCONTIN DEATH AND DESTRUCTION
As part of the settlement of Rite Aide staff participating in filling prescriptions of opiates without appreciating red flags, the news says Rite Aide is going bankrupt and Walgreens will be buying many stores at a discount and many Rite Aide locations will close. I had to transfer a patient the other day since his Rite Aide closed.
Keep those questions coming and be safe!
dpearce@western.edu
Daniel Pearce, D.O.,
FACOI, AAHIVMS
Associate Professor of Medicine, Loma Linda University School of Medicine HIV, Hepatitis B,C, Transgender, Suboxone Specialist, Neighborhood Health (Riverside, Hemet), Loma Linda SACH (San Bernardino) Member, Coachella Valley Clinical Research Initiative
REFERENCES: Medscape®