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The People's Pharmacy

The People's Pharmacy

De : Joe and Terry Graedon
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Empowering you to make wise decisions about your own health, by providing you with essential health information about both medical and alternative treatment options. 921997Copyright 2018 Joe and Terry Graedon Hygiène et vie saine Maladie et pathologies physiques Médecine alternative et complémentaire
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  • Show 1492: What Really Works Against Winter Infections

    Show 1492: What Really Works Against Winter Infections
    Oct 23 2026
    We are only about a month into fall, but flu season is already underway. Today we are considering the best actions to take against winter infections. First, however, we asked our guest expert about measles. There have been large outbreaks in so many places this year. Why is measles such a big deal? One reason is that measles induces “immune amnesia,” so that our bodies forget how to fight off infections they have previously overcome. The MMR vaccine for measles, which prevents infection extremely well, does not have the same deleterious effect on the immune system. Consequently, vaccinated people maintain their protection not only against measles but also against polio or diphtheria if they have gotten those immunizations. At The People’s Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up‑to‑date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies and health systems. While these conversations intend to offer insight and perspective, the content is provided solely for informational and educational purposes. Please consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your medical care or treatment. How You Can Listen You could listen through your local public radio station or get the live stream at 7 am EST on Saturday, October 24, 2026, through your computer or smart phone (wunc.org). Here is a link so you can find which stations carry our broadcast. If you can’t listen to the broadcast, you may wish to hear the podcast later. You can subscribe through your favorite podcast provider, download the mp3 using the link at the bottom of the page, or listen to the stream on this post starting on Oct. 26, 2026. What Really Works Against Winter Infections? Our guest, Dr. Roger Seheult, is certified in pulmonary and critical care medicine, as well as internal medicine and sleep medicine. So he is eminently qualified to tell us how to prevent and treat respiratory infections that are so common in the wintertime. We asked him why these problems are so prevalent in winter. He suggested that lower levels of humidity, temperature and sunlight might all play a role. When we asked whether the phenomenon of people gathering from across the country for Thanksgiving and Christmas might be important, he pointed out that Australians also gather for Christmas and New Year’s. Yet their flu season does not coincide with those holidays, but rather with their wintertime in June and July. Limited sunlight might be far more relevant than most of us imagine. The immune system is more active when exposed to sunlight. As with measles, where the immune amnesia is a serious lingering problem, the consequences of many winter infections can go far beyond coughing and sneezing. More people die from heart attacks during flu season than at other times of the year. In fact, there are more cardiac deaths than deaths from influenza. Other infections also have deleterious impacts on the rest of the body systems. As we learned during the pandemic, COVID-19 can trigger diabetes. Consequently, we ought not dismiss these infections lightly. Testing for Winter Infections In the hospital, when Dr. Seheult and his colleagues admit a patient, they test to see what type of infection has made the person so sick. Most of the usual infections produce similar symptoms: cough, congestion, runny nose, fever, wheezing and body aches. Body aches are more common with influenza than with colds, but there is a significant overlap in symptoms that makes it hard or impossible to diagnose based on clinical appearance alone. To treat inpatients, doctors first test them. The test will reveal quickly which of 13 different viruses have made the patient ill. Sometimes, more than infection is contributing to the misery. While we do not have access to such sophisticated tests at home, we can purchase tests that will identify COVID-19, influenza A and influenza B. Knowing what infection is causing trouble can help a doctor prescribe a treatment, if there is one. Treating Respiratory Infections Once the physicians have identified the cause of the infection, they can determine if there is a treatment. There are a few for influenza A. Perhaps the best known is oseltamivir (Tamiflu). However, while Tamiflu have been shown to shorten the duration of the flu, Dr. Seheult cautioned us not to expect too much. Taking Tamiflu can shorten the duration of the flu from about a week to roughly six days, on average. For many other infections, we do not have effective treatments. Influenza B, for example, does not respond well to Tamiflu. There are no treatments for infections like human metapneumovirus either. Tapping the Power of Fever What people often do in such cases may be counterproductive. Very often parents give their children acetaminophen to bring a fever down. Adults may take an NSAID such as ibuprofen or naproxen, or perhaps they too will take acetaminophen. That is a mistake because fever is part of the body’s ...
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    1 h et 1 min
  • Show 1491: Would Eating Better Reduce Brain Fog?

    Show 1491: Would Eating Better Reduce Brain Fog?
    Oct 15 2026
    Do you run out of go-power in the middle of the morning? Maybe you find it hard to focus and your ability to call on your memory is strained. Or perhaps you suffer from an after-lunch slump. Some people find that their brain fog is troublesome most of the time. While there are some medical conditions that produce brain fog, you just might find that changing what you eat could help your mental clarity and reduce brain fog. At The People’s Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up‑to‑date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies and health systems. While these conversations intend to offer insight and perspective, the content is provided solely for informational and educational purposes. Please consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your medical care or treatment. How You Can Listen You could listen through your local public radio station or get the live stream at 7 am EST on Saturday, October 17, 2026, through your computer or smart phone (wvtf.org). Here is a link so you can find which stations carry our broadcast. If you can’t listen to the broadcast, you may wish to hear the podcast later. You can subscribe through your favorite podcast provider, download the mp3 using the link at the bottom of the page, or listen to the stream on this post starting on Oct. 19, 2026. How Could Eating Better Reduce Brain Fog? Our guest, Dr. Uma Naidoo, is a leader in nutritional psychiatry. She found in her practice that what people eat can make a big difference for their mood and even their cognition. Breakfasting on coffee and donuts is often a preamble to needing (not just wanting) a coffee break mid-morning. Evidence has been growing that people may perform differently depending on the type of breakfast that they had. This could well vary from one person to the next. Some thrive on a bowl of steel cut oats with yogurt and berries, while others notice that it doesn’t carry them through the morning. Dr. Naidoo suggests that in most cases a low-carb breakfast with plenty of protein will serve us better than the typical Danish and coffee. The Impact of Sugar on Cognitive Health A fascinating study published earlier this year demonstrated the surprisingly persistent effects of consuming sugar. The investigators took advantage of a natural experiment occasioned by the rationing of sugar during and after World War II (NPJ Aging, July 22, 2026). They compared people born between 1951 and 1956. Some of these were exposed to sugar rationing only while in utero, some were exposed to it in utero and up to age two, while the third group was conceived and born after sugar rationing had stopped. Those babies are now in their 70s. Those with their first thousand days under sugar rationing have dramatically lower risk for developing dementia–a 27% lower risk for any type of dementia and a 46% lower risk for Alzheimer disease. We don’t have any studies showing that limiting sugar in adulthood can benefit the brain in the same way, but the evidence we do have suggests eating less sugar might reduce brain fog. Is Your Medicine Causing Brain Fog? When psychiatrists prescribe pills to treat depression, anxiety or other mental illnesses, they are aware that one of the effects might be confusion or lack of mental clarity. These are not the only types of medication that can cause trouble, though. Many people rely on over-the-counter sleep aids night after night. Nearly all of these contain diphenhydramine (DPH) as their active ingredient. DPH counteracts the activity of a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. As a result, pharmacologists classify it as an “anticholinergic” drug. Even by itself, but certainly in combination with other anticholinergic medicines, DPH can lead to brain fog. If you are interested in exploring what those other anticholinergic drugs are, you will find a list here. The Insomniac’s Dilemma Many people who frequently have trouble sleeping feel like they’ve been put between a rock and a hard place. To function at their best, they need adequate sleep. But the sleeping meds they rely on, whether they contain DPH or a Z drug like zaleplon (Lunesta), zolpidem (Ambien) or eszopiclone (Sonata), may lead to next-day fuzziness or eventually chronic brain fog. When possible, lifestyle measures such as early-morning light exposure, vigorous exercise during the day and avoiding caffeine after midday might help a person avoid this difficult dilemma. What Diet Is Best to Reduce Brain Fog? If you want to improve your mood and mental alertness, what diet should you choose? Recently, we spoke with a nutritional psychiatrist who is enthusiastic about a ketogenic diet for treating anxiety or depression. Dr. Naidoo says a thoughtful approach can allow for a keto diet, or a paleo diet, a vegetarian diet or a vegan diet. The keto diet can be effective, but it requires a great deal of attentive management, which may be just too much ...
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    1 h et 1 min
  • Show 1490: Could It Be Parkinson’s? Symptoms People Often Miss

    Show 1490: Could It Be Parkinson’s? Symptoms People Often Miss
    Oct 8 2026
    Neurological conditions have been increasing over the past several decades, but none more quickly than Parkinson disease. What is this disorder, and what is driving the increase? We’ll discuss symptoms people often miss and find out about treatments. At The People’s Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up‑to‑date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies and health systems. While these conversations intend to offer insight and perspective, the content is provided solely for informational and educational purposes. Please consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your medical care or treatment. How You Can Listen You could listen through your local public radio station or get the live stream at 7 am EST on Saturday, October 10, 2026, through your computer or smart phone (wvtf.org). Here is a link so you can find which stations carry our broadcast. If you can’t listen to the broadcast, you may wish to hear the podcast later. You can subscribe through your favorite podcast provider, download the mp3 using the link at the bottom of the page, or listen to the stream on this post starting on Oct. 12, 2026. What Is Parkinson Disease? This movement disorder is named after the doctor who first described it in a publication in 1817. As we mentioned, it has become more common in recent years, so you may not be surprised to learn of numerous celebrities who have or have had Parkinson disease (PD). Michael J. Fox may be one of the best known because he has worked so hard to gain recognition that PD can affect people in their 30s and 40s. Of course, like most degenerative conditions, it is more common as people age. Parkinson disease is characterized by a relative lack of dopamine. The areas of the brain that would normally produce this crucial neurotransmitter stop making it, for reasons that are not completely understood. What Dopamine Does We need dopamine for proper functioning with regard to movement, mood, sleep, attention and memory. This explains why some people with PD may experience cognitive challenges or depression. The FDA approved levodopa (AKA L-dopa) in 1970. It is still a mainstay of treatment for Parkinson disease, often with carbidopa. This therapy is more helpful for movement symptoms than for the other aspects of Parkinson disease, however. Symptoms People Often Miss In the past, it wasn’t possible to tell how much dopamine the brain might be making. A person might search for years to get the appropriate diagnosis because symptoms people often miss weren’t noticed. People do think of tremor as a primary symptom of Parkinson disease, but they may confuse it with essential tremor. The tremor of PD occurs when the person is at rest. For example, the hands may shake while lying in the person’s lap. Essential tremor is completely different and occurs while the person is active, such as applying make-up or putting on earrings. Another common symptom of PD is slower motion. It may take longer to cook a meal or get dressed. That is because we need dopamine to move. However, under some circumstances, slow-moving people can move remarkably quickly. Joe has noticed this with a tennis partner, and other people have seen it in emergencies. New technology called DAT spect scan (for dopamine tags) makes it possible to tell if the brain is producing dopamine. The doctor may also order a MRI to make sure that the problem is with the dopamine area of the brain and not caused by a stroke or a tumor. After a diagnosis is established, the doctor may ask the patient to perform toe-tapping and finger-tapping exercises to assess how they are doing. How Do Doctors Treat Parkinson Disease? When we asked our guest, Dr. Nina Browner, what is at the top of her prescription pad for PD patients, she told us it is not a treatment but a conversation. Understanding the person and what is important to them is crucial in guiding the treatment. For example, one of her patients likes to run with his grown sons. This is their way of connecting. For this patient, treatment to maintain mobility is key. High-Intensity Exercise for PD Research, specifically the SPARKS 3 study, has shown that after 17 minutes of vigorous exercise, the brain produces more dopamine. Consequently, the recommendation is to exercise beyond 17 minutes and then stretch to loosen the muscles. For best results, people with PD need much more exercise than other individuals; 30 minutes three times a day provides a good baseline. For even greater efficacy, people might increase their activity up to 150 minutes a day. They can benefit from a wide range of activities, ranging from bicycling to boxing, from tai chi chuan to ping pong, Zumba or dancing. The social aspects of ping pong and Zumba might be especially helpful. Beyond Movement to Symptoms People Often Miss Levodopa, the prescription drug used to replace the missing dopamine, helps improve movement but it does little ...
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    1 h et 20 min
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