Center for Holistic Medicine

Should we be screening for colon cancer earlier? I personally have patients in my practice who have been diagnosed with colon cancer in their early 40s. The new recommended age of 45 probably is reasonable, as the incidence of colon cancer has increased in our younger populations. The preventive value of a colonoscopy cannot be undervalued. Identifying and removing polyps has been shown to decrease and prevent colon cancer in the future. ... Perhaps, the newer Cologuard testing that has become available can also provide a less expensive and non invasive screening option for the general population, who is reluctant or unable to have a colonoscopy in their 40's. If you have a family history of colon cancer, struggle with bowel symptoms, develop rectal bleeding or any change in bowel habits, a colonoscopy may be one of the best investments. Be wise and be well! https://www.nytimes.com//colon-cancer-screening-age-45.html

O blood type continues to show benefit with Covid While having an O blood type may put you at a decreased risk of developing covid 19, it is certainly not a guarantee that you will be free from developing the consequences of this illness. This is an interesting report of a study that is being done by 23 and me, to see if blood type makes a difference. They are still recruiting patients and also are looking for genetic factors that are contributing to illness. ... In their study to date, they report that there is a decreased infection rate in those exposed to Covid 19 that is statistically significant. Their sample size goal is 75,000. When looking at any study, it is important to look at the bias as well. Who is the population that has had a 23 and me test done? Is there a geographical difference. These are not controlled in the study. It is still worth a quick read. Be wise and be well! https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-r/blood-type-and-covid-19/

Side effect of the pandemic.....Dramatically less Influenza! This is interesting, although the article suggests vaccination is the best treatment against flu, the incidence in the southern hemisphere this flu season is down more than 20% with an incidence of 0.06%. This is likely due to mask wearing, social distancing and other protective behaviors. ... Between the lines... This article shows how virulent the coronavirus is, when compared to influenza. In addition, it suggests that mask wearing and social distancing dramatically decreases your flu risk this season. Read the article below for more information. Be wise and be well! https://www.healio.com//efforts-to-prevent-covid19-led-to-

DEP has issued an orange alert for Central Pennsylvania's air quality. The level is Orange for Ozone and Yellow for PM 2.5. If you, your friends or family members have any underlying lung or cardiovascular conditions, please avoid exertional outdoor activities for long periods of time. For more information go to ... www.airnow.gov. Be wise and be well!

DEP has issued an orange alert for Central Pennsylvania's air quality. The level is Orange for Ozone and Yellow for PM 2.5. If you, your friends or family members have any underlying lung or cardiovascular conditions, please avoid exertional outdoor activities for long periods of time. For more information go to ... www.airnow.gov. Be wise and be well!

Hydroxychloroquine, zinc, quercetin, vitamin C and Bromelain for Covid 19. I took a deep dive into this topic recently, and wanted to explore it further. There is obviously quite a bit of controversy about hydroxychloroquine, and polar views on this topic. From the perspective of a functional medicine doctor, the medicine has a long track record of safety, especially in our autoimmune patients. ... Many studies, however, have recently suggested that Hydroxychloroquine in combination with zinc and Zithromax, have little benefit as well as the possibility of harm in Covid 19. What is the mechanism of hydroxychloroquine that gives it possible antiviral properties? It has to do with Zinc. Zinc, when it enters the cell decreases mRNA replication of viruses. The problem is, the body does not like to bring too much zinc into the cell. How do we overcome this? We do this by using a carrier molecule to bring zinc into our cells. These carrier molecules are called ionophores. Hydroxychloroquine is a zinc ionophore, which is why it is given with zinc. The combination, increases the cellular concentration of zinc. Now that we have concerns over hydroxychloroquine, are there other ionophores? The answer is yes. One of them is quercetin. This topic is so popular, that they are now doing a clinical trial on the use of the herbal supplement quercetin, zinc, bromelain(an anti inflammatory enzyme) and vitamin C for Covid-19 infections. I am truly curious of the outcome of this trial. We are all looking for ways to prevent severe infections. This is a hopeful thought..... and definitely NOT a proven treatment at this time. We do not know the answer, but research like this interests me a lot. Supplements should only be used under the direction of your healthcare practitioner, as they can be associated with side effects and medication interactions. This as with all of my posts is NOT meant to be medical advice, but for informational purposes of a topic that I find relevant to today's current world problems. Check out the clinical trial link below for more information on the protocol that is being used in the study which began last month. Be wise and be well! https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04468139

Back to College with the Covid 19 pandemic There are many questions about the return to regular activities. College is near and dear to my life, as our daughter is scheduled to head out this month. College plans like back to school plans are changing regularly. ... Many are suggesting quarantining students before arrival to college and after arrival for at minimum j2 weeks on both ends. Fall sports are being cancelled, and more and more virtual options are coming to fruition. The landscape of college is changing weekly. Now there is the thought of testing regularly while at college to decrease the incidence of rapid spreading of the virus. This article highlights the idea of testing every 2 days, to identify cases early and prevent rapid transmission of coronavirus throughout campus facilities. Be wise and be well! https://www.washingtonpost.com//a4316db0-d27f-11ea-af07-1d

Pedaling through the pandemic How have you sought refuge, and clarity during this pandemic? Long walks, meditation, reading? I have found my go to is cycling. There has been a shortage of bicycles for sale during this pandemic, and I understand why. Cycling allows you to go on your own journey. I have explored neighborhoods and countrysides on a closer and more personal level. ... Cycling for an hour or two is an adventure, you can really go quite a distance. Among my favorite destinations are small coffee shops, lakes, rail trails and mountain bike trails. It is important during this uncertain and stressful time to find a space of comfort and calm. Be wise and be well!

Will we soon be able to identify Alzheimer's with a blood test? This article suggests that it is definitely a possibility. In addition, it can help to identify the condition a decade or more before the disease sets in. This gives opportunity for preventive lifestyle modifications and functional medicine approaches. Be wise and be well!... https://www.nytimes.com//28/hea/alzheimers-blood-test.html

Recovery from Covid May be longer than we think. The flu virus usually lasts for 7 days, and then we have full recovery with a robust impact on our immune system. Bronchitis can take upwards of 3-4 weeks before the cough resolves, and then we recover. ... Pharyngitis, is usually less than 10 days. Covid 19......symptoms can last longer. Why is this? We do not understand this completely at this time. Many individuals complain of chronic cough, fatigue, headaches and fibromyalgia. As a functional medicine doctor, I would be concerned for immune system dysregulation, in addition to a chronic inflammatory response. In addition, there are many systems that may be affected by microvascular clotting, leading to some chronic lung(and other organ) injury and inflammation. These are just thoughts that I have....we are all learning more with time. The best option is prevention. Follow all of the cdc guidelines for keeping you and your family safe. Be wise and be well! https://www.reuters.com//young-healthy-adults-with-mild-co

Mindfulness may improve attention, focus and decision making in children with autism. The article below reviews a study that was completed at school, where mindfulness interventions were performed every morning and behaviors were monitored. The children who participated in the mindfulness program had improved ability to focus, control their emotions and function in their school environment. ... Starting the day right, can make a difference for parents and children. Mindfulness and breathing exercises can dampen the sympathetic nervous system, and make us better prepared to handle to day ahead. Read the article below for more information. Be wise and be well! https://www.sciencedaily.com/releas/2020//200603100501.htm

Children and Covid 19 The following is a European study of 582 children with more severe presentations of Covid 19. This is a nice study to look at as we approach the upcoming school year. ... It specifically addresses the risk factors for more severe covid infections in Children. KEEP IN MIND....this is Europe and April 2020 data. The virus is constantly changing. In addition the data represents symptomatic children who were diagnosed and we know that most cases in children are asymptomatic or mild and undiagnosed. Severe disease contributing factors: Slight increased incidence for males vs females Increased incidence of ICU admissions for children under 1 month of age Mean age was 5 Pre-existing conditions is associated with an increased incidence lower respiratory infection symptoms at presentation increases need for ICU stay. There are many interesting points in this brief article and it is worth a read. I found it interesting that they treated most of them first with hydroxychloroquine. Second most common medication used was remdesavir. Be wise and be well! https://www.thelancet.com//PIIS2352-4642(20)30177/fulltext

The link to the article below is from the AMA. It is a holistic approach and parallels a lot of functional medicine principals. It is worth a read if you are not familiar with the concepts. In the article, Dr. Hampton, uses a mnemonic- Nest rope to help address root causes or contributors to type two diabetes. ... Nutrition Exercise Stress and sleep Trauma and think Rrelationships Organism pollutants emotions and life experiences We know that diseases like type two diabetes are highly lifestyle dependent. Addressing many of the little contributors along the way can make a big difference in decreasing the severity of your condition. Be wise and be well! https://www.ama-assn.org//doctor-s-mnemonic-boosts-holisti

The issue of PPE persists! I agree with this. Although my current practice uses more handwashing and traditional surgical masks, the masks even with judicious reusing only last so long. In addition keeping gloves stocked is quite challenging for the ENT office next door. Small practices are often overlooked when it comes to PPE. Supply is definitely a challenge. Only limited supplies are available from most distributors. ... As this pandemic continues it will be a challenge to keep hospitals and especially private practices well protected. Be wise and be well! https://abcnews.go.com//doctors-nurses-warn-protect/story

Hand sanitizer contamination Please look at the link below if you are using hand sanitizer during the pandemic. There have been many hand sanitizers that have been contaminated with methanol. ... Methanol is a neurotoxin and can lead to seizure, blindness and coma. It is also easily absorbed through the skin. I was amazed to see a "Hello Kitty" hand sanitizer was on the list, as this is marketed to children. Please look at the FDA link below and be sure that you are using reputable and safe products. Be wise and be well! https://www.fda.gov//drug-safety-and-availability/fda-upda

Acetaminophen and Empathy This is an interesting study, where they compared Student's response to positive stimuli and found less empathy and positivity in students who took 1 gram of tylenol as opposed to placebo. I am not a huge fan of Tylenol, with the exception of perhaps Covid....since there are some concerns regarding ibuprophen use and worsening disease. ... That being said, tylenol decreases one our body's most important detoxification substrates....glutathione. Take this article with a grain of salt....if Tylenol is used to decrease pain, I bet the subjects in pain would have a positive response to the Tylenol. Be wise and be well! https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/911911

I still find children on occasion with an elevated lead level. Lead can have detrimental affects on childhood development. The concept of contaminated water from wells is not foreign to me personally. We tested our well and found slightly elevated levels. They washed out with running the water for 20 minutes. Many of the fixtures and fittings for deep wells contain lead, this lead can leach into the water. In addition there are ground sources of water that are also cont...aminated with lead. Heavy metals as I mentioned are quite problematic. It is important if you have well water to test for impurities. In addition the Environmental working group provides a tap water databank, that reports contaminants in many water supplies in the US. This is helpful if you have public or city water. I strongly recommend that you investigate the site, and consider proper water filtration. What to do about this contamination and other sources of contamination, depends on the degree of the problem for you. In general, there are ways to mitigate lead, but they should be managed with a water treatment specialist. Starting with a lead removing water filtration system is often the first step! Be wise and be well! https://www.theguardian.com//us-children-lead-drinking-wat