Browsing Month December, 2012
Smaller Incisions Are Not Always Better
By wisequack at December 30, 2012 | 2:17 am | 0 Comment
Did you know that when it comes to hernia repairs, having a smaller surgical incision is not necessarily better? One of the most exciting challenges that face surgeons nowadays (besides determining which tax shelters to use) is how to operate with the smallest incision possible. Since 1990, laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair with the use of a camera has been the more...
Shingles Are A Stroke of Bad Luck
By wisequack at December 30, 2012 | 2:16 am | 0 Comment
Although we often believe that getting shingles comes from either your immune system being worn down allowing the reactivation of the dormant chickenpox virus or perhaps simply a stroke of bad luck, it turns out that having shingles may also lead to a stroke of bad luck. According to research published in 2010, a person who suffers a case of shingles is 30% more likely more...
Toddlers Can Get Heart Disease
By wisequack at December 23, 2012 | 1:03 pm | 0 Comment
Unfortunately it is true that kids can get heart disease since scientists have known that cardiovascular disease actually starts silently in childhood and progresses throughout our lifetime. However, how or why it starts has not been clearly identified until a recent study out of Columbus, Ohio which studied the effects of second hand smoke on children of different ages more...
Sunshine May Benefit Kids
By wisequack at December 23, 2012 | 1:02 pm | 0 Comment
Did you know that when it comes to possible ways to prevent the development of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), sunshine may actually be beneficial for kids? Of course we shouldn’t leave them unattended outside and I know there’s dozens of dermatologists screaming at this computer monitor right now when you consider the possibility of sun damage on the skin, but recent more...
Can Snakes Cure Us?
By wisequack at December 23, 2012 | 1:01 pm | 0 Comment
While New Mexicoing it recently in New Mexico I narrowly missed running over and squashing a monster sunning itself on the road, a Gila monster. Had I hit this loathsome leathery lizard and created this monster mash I could have once again destroyed one of the secrets that could save mankind. “Gila” pronounced “heela” as in healing, is a less than sexy more...
School Daze
By wisequack at December 23, 2012 | 12:59 pm | 0 Comment
When my sons’ school report cards finally end up in my hands, often courtesy of a neighbour who has discovered the “allowance-canceller” smoldering in a culvert, I note that my sons are “Eh” students. “Eh? What kind of marks are these, Eh?” So each year, after the first week of school I pull them aside and attempt a little motivational pick-me-up. more...
Vaccine For Your Heart
By wisequack at December 16, 2012 | 12:06 pm | 0 Comment
Did you know that a vaccine used in adults to prevent pneumonia has been shown to have other important benefits for your heart? According to a study out of Quebec which was published in the Canadian Medical Journal, those people with risk factors for heart disease that were subsequently immunized with Pneumovax were ½ as likely to suffer a heart attack than other more...
Rodeo Cowboys Suffer More Whiplash
By wisequack at December 16, 2012 | 12:05 pm | 0 Comment
Believe it or not, this is actually a myth because although bronco riders are more likely to get a whiplash injury given the nature of their occupation, they are less likely to suffer from the condition. According to research out of the University of Alberta, rodeo athletes exhibit a different expectation of recovery versus other people who experience a similar type of more...
What does the caduceus represent?
By wisequack at December 16, 2012 | 12:04 pm | 0 Comment
A few miles out of foggy soggy Seattle is the tiny rural town of Gold Bar, Washington. While it turns out that most of the gold is buried deep within the molars of the bar patrons, the town has another claim to fame, the slimy Washington Serpentarium, home of the world’s 10 deadliest snakes. This cozy shanty, with a large leering lizard lunging from its signage, more...
It’s Never Too Late
By wisequack at December 16, 2012 | 12:02 pm | 0 Comment
Each spring 450 eager doctors meet together in the forgiving town of Vernon, BC to study the medical implications of playing hockey with 449 doctors. It is not a pretty site nor is it a good idea to attend such an event if you prefer to deify your doctor as a dignified diagnoser of diseases, dispenser of drugs or deliverer of diaperdudes. Whoopee cushions, Jello and more...
