By: Daniel Pearce, D.O., FCOI, AAHIVMS
It seems like the government is in denial and does the exact opposite of what needs to be done. Their ignoring climate change only speeds up the rising ocean and extreme Florida weather. Their anti LGBT orders, said to “protect the health” of children actually will drive many to suicide.
My clinics (Borrego) follow international guidelines to screen before hormone therapy, especially minors, with a mental health professional specializing in these issues before proceeding to medications or surgeries. This safeguard of having two providers screen the patient gives me assurance that we are not throwing hormones at people who are at risk of changing their minds.
If you wish away the evidence/science, you can’t wish away the harmful effects. The fire will still burn whether you believe it will or not.
CHRONIC PAIN
About 1 in 5 people in the USA suffer from chronic pain. If not relieved enough, people seek street drugs and sometimes get fentanyl in their street meth, oxys, “Norcos,” or heroin and then they don’t wake up.
Types of chronic pain may involve cancer pain, musculoskeletal pain, neuropathic pain, and idiopathic — for example, phantom pains post amputation, widespread burns, or pain that lacks a specific origin. Headaches are also a common cause of chronic pain.
The pain may be described as burning, throbbing, shooting, stabbing, radiating, like “pins and needles,” or all of the above. Chronic pain may lead to sleepless nights, fatigue, anxiety, and depression. Unresolved, chronic pain may lead to changes in functionality, with sufferers feeling isolated and alone.
Why doesn’t the healthcare system take care of these people well?
1. It is hard to measure and the symptoms are vague, not visible, and the sufferer can look normal at times.
2. Sometimes it is the cause of depression or the patient already has mental illness and can’t communicate well with the providers.
3. It is difficult to treat with inferior medications that have a high likelihood of not working. Opiates work well but should only be used for the short term since they cause dependence and addiction.
Chronic pain can damage the person on top of the pain which feed onto each other and cause more pain:
1. Lower hormone level
2. Lower brain volume
3. Plasticity (ability to adjust) is poor in the brain and nerves
30% GET LONG-TERM COVID?
A survey in Denmark found that symptoms from Covid were still lingering up to a year later in 30%. The most common symptom was fatigue—for which we do not have medicine for.
PREVENT FATTY LIVER BY AVOIDING HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP?
This is a common and cheap sweetener in many sweet products and high intake seems to be associated with fatty liver, especially if added to a high fat diet. High sugars do seem to cross through the digestive system and become stored as fat. These ideas are from studying diets and people but haven’t been studied in high quality studies since. Remember that any hepatitis including fatty liver, alcoholic, hepatitis B and C can lead to cirrhosis and death.
ARMS TOO SMALL OR LARGE FOR THAT BLOOD PRESSURE CUFF?
A new study shows that the wrong cuff size results in over or undertreatment of blood pressure. If you wonder about the cuff being the wrong size, ask the person putting on the cuff. The most common problem is the regular cuff being applied to a very thick arm.
A PRESCRIPTION VIDEO GAME HELPS ADHD KIDS FOCUS
A new video game designed to help children with ADHD focus better has been shown to be helpful. They measured their brainwaves to judge whether the child was focusing well.
BLOOD TESTS FOR FOOD ALLERGIES HELPFUL?
There is a test for the level of antibodies against certain foods. This is helpful if the reaction is the typical allergy that you have to mosquito bites or bee stings or poison ivy caused by IgE (a class of antibodies). Food “allergies” can be from sensitivities that don’t involve antibodies and can be due to fads too. E.g. keep proving to yourself if milk or cheese bother you by rechallenging occasionally with a small dose. Sometimes Lactose intolerance shows symptoms only if you go over a certain amount of milk containing products. Same for gluten, a protein in wheat. I’ve known many patients who are certain they have these sensitivities, but later find out they do not after rechallenging. They wasted much time, effort, worry, and money on something that wasn’t true.
dpearce@western.edu
Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, Loma Linda University School of Medicine Adjunct Professor of Internal Medicine and HIV, Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine and Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine HIV, Hepatitis B,C, Transgender, Suboxone Specialist, Borrego Health (Riverside, San Bernardino, San Jacinto) Member, Coachella Valley Clinical Research Initiative
REFERENCES: Medscape®