Healthy Talk

Recently, the European Environment Agency (EEA) stated that air pollution was the leading environmental cause of death in urban Europe.Many years ago, doctors believed that if you lived in highly populated and condensed areas (like a city) the air quality was more likely to be worse than in rural areas. However, that is just a myth. No matter where you live, the quality of the air you breathe impacts you every single day. Air pollution is the contamination of air by smoke and harmful gases; mainly oxides of carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen. The longer you're exposed, the greater risk you have of developing some serious health complications. In fact, according to EurActiv France, air pollution is responsible for 400,000 deaths each year globally; yet this problem hasn't been addressed by the world's governments. Recently, the European Environment Agency (EEA) stated that air pollution was the leading environmental cause of death in urban Europe. In the study, cardiovascular disease and heart attacks are the main causes of death due to air pollution (80 percent). Is there a way to keep your heart protected from the polluted air? Dr. Mike shares how bad air can negatively impact your health and how you can protect yourself from developing health complications.

Listen in as Dr. Mike provides the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions.Here you'll find the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions posed by Healthy Talk fans. Listen in because what you know helps ensure healthy choices you can live with. Today on Healthy Talk, you wanted to know: In a previous "Ask Dr. Mike" segment, you forgot to mention growth factors like IGF for wound healing. Can you cover these please? Depending on how deep you cut yourself, you should start to see your wound heal slowly as the days pass. However, if it's not, you may have to reevaluate your approach to wound healing. For example, recently Dr. Mike discussed the the most important things to help wound healing. These included calories, carbohydrates, fats, vitamin A, vitamin C, proteins, zinc, and water. However, there are also hormones and growth factors like IGF that also play a role in helping your body regenerate. There are so many different types that you can check out in supplement form. I have acne inversa. I read that there's a new drug to help; have you heard of this? Acne inversa is an inverted pimple on the inside of your skin that is extremely painful. Usually, these occur under the armpits and groin, and there isn't that much you can do to treat them. Dr. Mike hasn't heard much about a drug to help treat this condition. However, he did find a company, Cellceutix, that is meeting with the FDA on the new drug for acne inversa, but nothing on the drug itself. Is there anything on the rise for treating CIDP? Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIPD) causes a lot of pain due to trauma or infection. Dr. Mike recommends anything with phosphocholine. If you have a health question or concern, Dr. Mike encourages you to write him at askdrmikesmith@radiomd.com or call in, toll-free, to the LIVE radio show (1.844.305.7800) so he can provide you with support and helpful advice.

How can you balance working and caregiving?A caregiver is someone who helps assist and care for a person who may have trouble with daily activities or daily living. Some families choose to hire an outside individual to give care to an elderly parent, but oftentimes you might have to take on the caregiver role yourself. This may be because you're following your parents' wishes, you want to save money, or you don't know where to turn. How can you balance working and caregiving? Clinical social worker, Stephanie Erickson, joins Dr. Mike to discuss caregiving and how you can help support the person who took on the role of a caregiver.

How do you know the right time for an aging relative to move?As your parents start to age, one of the most important decisions you can make is whether or not it's time to seek home care or assisted living. Even though your parent(s) may wish to stay in their home for as long as they can, sometimes it's just not possible if they are unable to fully take care of themselves. This might raise questions like, what is the difference between an assisted residence and a full care facility? How do you know when it's the right time for an aging relative to move? How do you find a reputable home care company, or should you use a private caregiver? Listen in as clinical social worker, Stephanie Erickson, shares everything you need to know about home care and assisted living.

A constant back-and-forth debate may have left you wondering if you should skip that glass of vino at dinner.Wine has been caught in a huge health debate on whether or not it's actually healthy for you. It seems every few years, doctors are changing their minds and saying you should (or shouldn't) be consuming this drink. An analysis conducted in July 2014 looked at 380,395 men and women and found an increased risk of death over an average 13-year period among heavy drinkers compared to those who drank moderately. However, a different study of 128,934 Californians found that frequent wine drinking was linked to a lower death risk over a 20-year period. So, which is it: should or shouldn't you be drinking wine? Listen in as Dr. Mike discusses the findings of these two studies and if you should be drinking wine or if it's best left alone.

Listen in as Dr. Mike provides the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions.Here you'll find the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions posed by Healthy Talk fans. Listen in because what you know helps ensure healthy choices you can live with. Today on Healthy Talk, you wanted to know: There are a few commercials promoting the shingles vaccine. I'm in my 60s and am healthy, but did have chicken pox as a kid. Do I need the vaccine or are there other alternatives? Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a viral infection (varicella-zoster virus) causing a painful inflammation of the nerve ganglia that erupts the skin around the middle part of your body. This is the same virus that causes chicken pox. If you've already had chicken pox, you're not safe. In fact, the virus remains in your body. The risk of a shingles outbreak increases as you age. Shingles causes a burning and painful sensation, and can last up to 30 days. You can use nonsteroidal creams, like capsaicin to help with the pain. As far as the vaccine, Dr. Mike wants you to know that it does decrease your risk of developing shingles by 55 percent. Personally, Dr. Mike thinks this is a great vaccine and it's something you may want to consider. However, there are natural things you can do like take vitamin C, seaweed extract, zinc, and reishi mushroom extract. If you have a health question or concern, Dr. Mike encourages you to write him at askdrmikesmith@radiomd.com or call in, toll-free, to the LIVE radio show (1.844.305.7800) so he can provide you with support and helpful advice.

Listen in as Dr. Mike provides the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions.Here you'll find the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions posed by Healthy Talk fans. Listen in because what you know helps ensure healthy choices you can live with. Today on Healthy Talk, you wanted to know: I'm recovering from a dog bite. There's no rabies present, just a slow-healing wound. I read that certain amino acids are critical for wound healing. Can you please review some of these? Dr. Mike wants you to know that there are two specific amino acids that are really important for wound healing. One amino acid is Arginine. The second amino acid you should consider supplementing is glutamine. If you have a health question or concern, Dr. Mike encourages you to write him at askdrmikesmith@radiomd.com or call in, toll-free, to the LIVE radio show (1.844.305.7800) so he can provide you with support and helpful advice.

Listen in as Dr. Mike provides the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions.Here you'll find the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions posed by Healthy Talk fans. Listen in because what you know helps ensure healthy choices you can live with. Today on Healthy Talk, you wanted to know: I have a wound that won't heal, and I don't have diabetes. What should I be taking (or not taking) to speed up healing? A non-healing wound is a wound that does not heal, even though it's been given proper time and care to do so. People who are immunosuppressed (e.g., diabetics or other chronic disease sufferers) are more likely to have a non-healing wound. In this case, this person doesn't have diabetes and wants to know what he/she can take. Dr. Mike first wants to read off the most important things to help wound healing. First is calories, carbohydrates, fats, vitamin A, vitamin C, proteins, zinc, and water. If you have a health question or concern, Dr. Mike encourages you to write him at askdrmikesmith@radiomd.com or call in, toll-free, to the LIVE radio show (1.844.305.7800) so he can provide you with support and helpful advice.

Why is preventing C. diff (clostridium difficile) important?Clostridium difficile, also known as C. diff, is a bacteria infection that commonly affects elderly patients at hospitals all over the country. This infection can cause wide-ranging symptoms, varying from diarrhea to inflammation of your colon. What is currently being done to prevent the condition? If you or someone you love is in the hospital it is absolutely crucial that you're washing your hands constantly before eating, after going to the bathroom, or touching surfaces. You should also keep an eye on doctors, nurses, and other visitors to make sure they wash their hands before checking blood pressure, IVs, or any other exam. You also want to ensure the hospital room is clean and disinfected. What are the latest findings on how to prevent C.diff? Dr. Stephen J. Schrantz joins Dr. Mike to discuss the latest in C. diff prevention.

C. diff (clostridium difficile) commonly affects older patients in the hospitals or those placed in long-term care facilities like a nursing home.Clostridium Difficile (C. diff) is a well-known hospital infection and one of the most urgent antibiotic-resistant threats in U.S. hospitals. C. diff commonly affects older patients in the hospitals or those placed in long-term care facilities like a nursing home. What are the symptoms of C.diff? C. diff has a variety of symptoms, including diarrhea, abdominal cramping and pain, blood in your stool, weight loss, nausea, dehydration, and kidney failure. Recently there was a CDC study published in NEJM regarding the rising burden of C. diff in our country. C. diff bacteria causes a potentially life-threatening intestinal disease that accounts for more than 15,000 deaths each year. Older adults and people who have had antibiotic treatment or spent time in hospitals or nursing homes are at the highest risk. The goal of a vaccine is to prevent at-risk individuals from becoming infected with C. diff, as the the strains have become more frequent, more challenging and more severe to treat in recent years. Stephen J. Schrantz, Jr., MD, MA, joins Dr. Mike to discuss C. diff and if you could be at risk of developing this infection.

Listen in to hear the latest research on AMPK.Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is found in every cell in your body. It acts as a crucial source of cellular energy. AMPK is known for its anti-aging benefits, as well as its ability to boost your metabolism and protect against obesity and diabetes. Recent research is now suggesting it could potentially be the new activator for metformin, a medication used to treat high blood sugar levels. How can AMPK help activate metformin? Listen in as Dr. Mike shares the research on this new-found possibility, as well as what this means for those suffering from diabetes.

Listen in as Dr. Mike provides the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions.Here you'll find the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions posed by Healthy Talk fans. Listen in because what you know helps ensure healthy choices you can live with. Today on Healthy Talk, you wanted to know: What is leaky gut? Intestinal permeability happens when the junctions in your gut that control the lining in your small intestine don't work properly. This causes metabolic toxins and undigested food to enter into your blood stream. This can result in numerous unpleasant and vague symptoms like bloating, fatigue, hair loss, heartburn, brittle nails, mood swings, muscle pain and a handful of others. Leaky gut can lead to a variety of other health issues, such as asthma, arthritis, eczema and even obesity. If you're having gut issues, you should speak to your doctor first to rule out certain autoimmune disorders that affect your gut, like Celiac disease and IBS. There are some ways you can address your leaky gut, including: Zinc Liquorish extract Milk thistle B vitamins Artichoke extract Fish oils Tart cherry extract Boswellia extract If you have a health question or concern, Dr. Mike encourages you to write him at askdrmikesmith@radiomd.com or call in, toll-free, to the LIVE radio show (1.844.305.7800) so he can provide you with support and helpful advice.

Listen in as Dr. Mike provides the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions.Here you'll find the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions posed by Healthy Talk fans. Listen in because what you know helps ensure healthy choices you can live with. Today on Healthy Talk, you wanted to know: How important is magnesium to a diabetes protocol? The simple answer is VERY. However, Dr. Mike wants you to fully understand why magnesium is so important for diabetics. Magnesium is a nutrient you simply can't live without. Magnesium is essential to every cell in your body, because it helps generate cell function. It helps regulate your heartbeat and the functioning of your muscles, bones and nerves. Many studies have been conducted to prove how important magnesium is for everyone, especially for diabetics. Magnesium helps improve insulin resistance, fasting glucose levels and hemoglobin A1C. If you have a health question or concern, Dr. Mike encourages you to write him at askdrmikesmith@radiomd.com or call in, toll-free, to the LIVE radio show (1.844.305.7800) so he can provide you with support and helpful advice.

How can you lose weight without feeling hungry all the time?If you've decided to make a lifestyle change so you're healthier and happier, the first step you might take is to change your eating habits. Unfortunately, fast food establishments have grown to exist on every street corner, offering unlimited options of processed and unhealthy meals. This has made it easier for you (and everyone else who's constantly running around each day) to get things done. However, fast food has the power to create faux cravings. On top of that, it doesn't satisfy your hunger and can cost a lot of money. Making a few small changes to your lifestyle and eating habits can prevent some of the most dangerous diseases in the world. How can you break away from the fast food cycle and lose weight without feeling hungry all the time? Eddie Fatakhov, MD, shares how you can lose weight without feeling hungry throughout your day.

How is eating like a toddler different from how adults eat?Losing weight can be a challenging process with a bunch of ups and downs. What if there was an easier way to lose weight and all you had to do was change your eating style? For example, have you ever heard of the phrase, "eat like a toddler"? You may have noticed how picky parents can be when it comes to nutrition for their children, as they want the best for their child. A toddler is also on a strict eating schedule, where it always seems like they are crying for food. This is because when a baby is born, their organs (like the stomach) are still growing. What are the five tips on how eating like a toddler may aid in weight loss? Never skip breakfast Eat every three hours Eat the food you would feed your toddler Don't eat or drink anything a toddler can't Adapt a toddler behavior Eddie Fatakhov, MD, joins Dr. Mike to explain why eating like a baby can help you lose weight and keep the weight off.