The Dr. Oz show recently featured a scary show about deadly arsenic in apple juice. On his own web site, he trumpets "Dr. Oz’s Extensive National Investigation," and claims "After testing dozens of samples from three different cities in America, Dr. Oz discovered that some of the nation’s best known brands of apple juice contain arsenic."His show further claimed that based on his independent testing, many brands of apple juice ...
Roy Benaroch, MD
The cumulative effect of viruses in day care
Tracy has a good question: "My 4 year old is not in day care – he stays with Granny. I heard that once you get a cold, you never get that cold again, and I am worried he isn’t exposed to enough germs now to keep him healthy later. Should we be trying to infect him with more colds now that he has the luxury of staying in PJs all ...
Taking zinc for the common cold
The Cochrane Collaboration is a very well-respected international non-profit whose 28,000 volunteers review the best, solid evidence to help determine if medications or other health interventions really work. They are, in short, da bomb.When Cochrane speaks, people listen.Cochrane recently released a review of studies examining the effectiveness of zinc supplementation on preventing and treating the common cold.They found that there was ...
Should the HPV vaccine be given to boys?
Beth wrote, “I plan on having my daughter vaccinated against HPV when she’s the right age (which is what by the way?). Recently, some friends were saying they were planning to have their sons receive the vaccine as well because although males obviously don’t get cervical cancer, they can spread HPV and put their future partners ...
If you want good pediatric care, stay away from retail clinics
They’re everywhere, all of a sudden: little medical kiosks tucked into the back of drug stores, grocery stores, and big box outlets.With names like “Minute Clinic” or “RediClinic,” they stress speedy, in-and-out service. And of course, you’re already there in the store, ready to buy whatever has been prescribed. A win-win, no?No.Everyone knows that if you’re ...
How to become a licensed, board certified doctor
I am licensed to practice medicine and surgery in Georgia. But that doesn’t mean I should, or that you ought to let me—at least not the surgery part. I’m actually pretty good at carving a turkey, but that’s pretty much the only kind of surgery that I’m qualified to do.Don’t let the license fool ya, I’m no surgeon. So what, exactly, does a doctor have ...
How to find and treat lice in children
“Dr. Roy, you’ve got to help me!”The most heartfelt pleas I ever hear from parents are for three things:
- The three year old who won’t use the potty—so can’t register for school.
- The 15 month old who still isn’t sleeping through the night.
- The school-aged girl(s) with recurrent lice.
Price influences patient acceptance of generic medication
A simple study from the March, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association illustrates something important about the way we perceive the effectiveness of medication.82 adult volunteers were recruited. They were told they were taking part in a trial of a new pain medication, testing its effectiveness using a standardized, well-established protocol using low-voltage shocks as a painful stimulus.All ...
Why you need the pertussis vaccine, especially if you have children
A reader wrote, “A friend sent me a link to information regarding the pertussis vaccine for adults. I have a 6 month old. What are your thoughts?”I wrote about vaccines for parents of newborns last year, but recent news about several outbreaks of pertussis make this question especially important. It’s time for an update.Pertussis, also called “whooping cough,” is bad news. For children and ...
How to prevent and treat mosquito bites in children
Summer has already begun, and LeeAnn has already had enough of mosquitoes. She wants to know, “Does taking Vitamin B1 really help keep mosquitoes from biting? How much is safe for children?”I remember a trip to the Florida Everglades as a child with school—surrounded by mosquitoes, alligators, and miles of swamp, our teachers told us that mosquitoes are a vital part of the food chain, and ...
How to treat slouching in children
“I’m worried about my daughter’s posture. What can I do about it other than constantly nagging her to stand up straight?”You’re probably talking about “kyphosis,” which is the rounded-shoulders, hunched forward kind of posture common in children and many adults. It’s often called “postural kyphosis” because it can be corrected if the child tries to stand straight up. Rarely, there’s a genuine spinal deformity, called Scheuermann’s Kyphosis or Scheuermann’s Disease, ...
Prescription drugs and its copycats contribute to health waste
I’ve recently posted about the insane costs of health care, and about how defensive medicine is a big contributor. Prescription drugs are another huge cost, accounting for about 11% of the 2 trillion spent each year on health care in The United States. And it turns out that the marketplace for prescriptions is also rife with bizarre sources of waste and sneakery.First, some good news: prescription medications ...
Radiation and whether cell phone towers are dangerous
Radiation. Powerful enough to turn Dr. Bruce Banner (Bill Bixby) into The Incredible Hulk (Lou Ferrigno), or meek Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) into The Amazing Spider-Man (still Tobey Maguire, but more buff and spandexed). It also obliterated two cities in Japan, and continues to contribute to cancers near Chernobyl. It’s sciency, strong, and scary. No wonder it creates so much apprehension.We’re all living every day surrounded by radiation sources, and ...
Defensive medicine worsens patient care and raises costs
Health care in the United States costs too much, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change. Recent health care reform legislation doesn’t take any meaningful steps towards reducing or controlling costs. In fact, it explicitly forbids states from trying to curtail the costs of malpractice litigation in any way that would reduce lawyers’ fees.How does a fear of lawsuits increase costs? ...
