Doctor Game: How much did you learn in 2019?
By Gifford Jones on January 6, 2020.
info@docgiff.com@giffordjonesmd Another year has come and gone. I wonder how much readers learned about lifestyle in 2019? Here are 20 statements, true or false. 1. 17 million North Americans take a daily heartburn drug, such as Nexium, Prilosec or Prevacid every day. Taking them for a year or longer increases the risk of heart attack and bone fractures. 2. Dr. Sydney Bush, an English optometrist, proved that high doses of vitamin C could prevent and reverse hardening of arteries. 3. The first Gifford-Jones Prize for Service to Humanity was awarded to a seeing eye dog. 4. The risk of a fatal car accident is five-times greater with alcohol use and 40-times greater when both alcohol and marijuana are consumed. 5. The U.S Center for Injury Prevention and Control reports, among 120,000 patients with chronic and sizable pain, one in ten decided to end their life by suicide. 6. In Canada there are 300,000 children diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disease due to mothers who drink alcohol during pregnancy. There is no treatment to reverse this disease. 7. One handful of almonds a day can decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease by 18%. 8. Weighted blankets can be helpful to those who suffer from insomnia. 9. Some studies show that up to 23% of patients treated in intensive care areas develop a urinary infection. This jumps to 30% for those having cardiac surgery. 10. Rectal bleeding is a sure sign to see a doctor quickly. Never assume it’s due to hemorrhoids. If you haven’t had a colonoscopy by age 35, and it is available to you, have it done to rule out a potential cancerous polyp. 11. 60% of North Americans are obese, a fact not receiving the attention deserved. Health authorities say this will be the second leading cause of cancer. behind tobacco. 12. Louis Pasteur’s discovery of bacteria and vaccination has saved millions of lives. His tomb is located at the Pasteur Institute in Paris where children can read of his great accomplishments. 13. Low intensity light therapy is a useful and effective treatment for injuries, back pain, diabetic ulcers, and many skin diseases such as eczema. 14. It’s a myth that more men die of cardiovascular disease than women. According to several authorities, since 1984, more women now die of this disease. 15. A 33-year-old banker’s X-ray showed cancer lesions. He refused treatment and the cancer disappeared. A year later the lesions reappeared. Lung specialists diagnosed hypersensitivity pneumonia from dust laden fungi and spores in the air ducts of his office. 16. When taking medicine that requires a drink, it is safer to take it with orange juice, rather than grapefruit juice. Grapefruit juice contains an enzyme that can increase the amount of the drug over a period of time which can result in complications. 17. Today 20% of the North American diet is wheat, and 80% of that is refined. We are also consuming 9 grams daily of polyunsaturated vegetable oils and this amount is increasing. Dr. Chris Knobbe’s book on macular degeneration reports that this means fewer North Americans will develop this disease in the future. 18. Super bugs will kill an increasing number of patients who develop an infection. But these germs will have no effect in hip and other operations which are carried out in operating rooms where there are strict antiseptic controls. 19. Major League Baseball players have a high suicide rate, but doctors are not sure why this is the case. 20. Canada’s star tennis player, Bianca Andreescu, wears high heel shoes. They stretch and strengthen her calf muscles, making it less likely for her to suffer injury in the future. I wish you all a happy, healthy, and safe 2020. The first 16 questions are all true, The last 4 all false. Sign-up at http://www.docgiff.com to receive a weekly e-newsletter. Follow on Facebook and Twitter @giffordjonesmd. Comments welcome at info@docgiff.com. 26-25
