Most people who are ultimately diagnosed with chronic inflammation triggered by black mold have heard somewhere “mold can make you sick.” However, only a few make the connection between their years of ill health and the water damage in their basement or attic, behind their kitchen sink, in their car, or around the upstairs neighbor’s […]
Category: Knowledge Base
Diagnosing and Treating “Sewer Breath” via Telemedicine
Those are actually the words patients use to describe their breath, though sometimes it’s “poop breath.” The medical term for bad breath, as you probably know, is halitosis, so if you don’t mind I’ll stick with that. For some people, the self-perception of chronic halitosis is more socially isolating that anything demanded by Covid-19. At […]
Functional Telemedicine, Wherever You Are
All things considered, we’ve rather enjoyed our telemedicine interactions with patients. Doctoring this way also recently provided me with an Aha! moment. What I realized was that much of what we do as Functional Medicine specialists, both diagnosis and treatment, can be done online with you never leaving your home. Such a consultation would include […]
Should You Get The New Antibody Test for Covid-19?
Before I answer that, let me give you a quick tutorial about your immune system and how it deals with any virus–Covid-19, measles, hepatitis, seasonal flu, even the common cold. The mechanics of your immunity, which has kept you alive all these years, is pretty much the same from virus to virus. If you read […]
Surviving Covid-19…and Beyond
You were coughing, exhausted, achy, and you had a headache. If you breathed in quickly, you coughed a lot. You thought you might be a little short of breath, but wondered if you were just anxious. You actually managed to find a place to get tested. Someone inserted a cotton swab so deeply up your […]
Immune Superstar: Mushroom Blends
To support your immune system, it may be helpful to take one capsule of a good mushroom blend twice daily and eat actual mushrooms frequently, incorporating them into the many meals you’re now cooking at home. According to Paul Stamets, who knows more about fungi than anyone, there are an estimated one to two million […]
Remote House Calls: Healing Touch and Shamanic Healing
In these days of distancing, more clients are connecting with me via phone or Skype for remote sessions. Even before the pandemic, some clients who had the option of seeing me in person opted for remote sessions. They’ve reported that it’s beneficial to be able to connect with me from the comfort of their own […]
We Are Fighting For Our Lives: Covid-19 Update
This Health Tip might contain more about Covid-19 than you’ve read online or heard on a news program. It might even be more than you really care to know. Obviously we Americans we have some real challenges, far greater than many countries smaller and less “powerful” than the US. We’re running out of personal protective […]
DIAGNOSE-IT-YOURSELF: COVID-19
Far and away, the commonest phone call/e mail I receive asks about COVID-19 diagnosis.Just print this out, tape it on your refrigerator door, and stay calm.ALLERGIES• Runny nose• Sneezing• Red, swollen eyes• Itchy eyes and nose• Tickly throat• No fever COLD• Runny nose• Sneezing• Sore throat• Mild muscle aches• Mild dry cough• Rarely a low […]
Immune Superstar: Zinc
Zinc picolinate, 50 mg daily. We’ve known for decades that the element zinc plays many significant roles in physiology, especially when it comes to the immune system. It’s also true that zinc-deficient individuals are more susceptible to a variety of diseases caused by bacteria and viruses. Zinc is a powerful playerIt’s involved in maintaining the […]
Taking Care of Yourself while Staying Home
Seeing Your Chiropractic Physician via Telemedicine? Absolutely! I know what you’re thinking. ‘How can you possibly give me an adjustment during a video conference?’ The short answer is I can’t, but when coming to our office for an in-person appointment is difficult or impossible, I can continue to help. As a chiropractic physician, I’ve been […]
Covid-19: Good News, Bad News
Before I get into this, I’m still shaking my head in disbelief at my recent brush with accidental carbon monoxide poisoning as I sat in my car glued to the NPR program ironically called “Fresh Air.” Really, it wasn’t even a close call, just me blurting out loud to myself “Did you really just close […]
Covid-19 Testing: What Will It Cost You?
The short answer is that as of this writing—9 am Sunday, March 8, 2020–no one seems to know. Two laboratory giants, LabCorp and Quest, are distributing tests next week, probably enough for our immediate needs. Vice president Pence, appointed by the president as the Covid-19 czar, has said “With regard to the cost, let me […]
“My Breath Smells Like Poop!”
Usually by the time someone comes to us at WholeHealth Chicago with this complaint, they’ve already taken the obvious route. Ralph, a healthy looking guy in his 30s and recently married despite his halitosis, had already seen: –His primary care physician, who wasn’t sure he noticed anything odd about Ralph’s breath at all, but suggested […]
When Your Sex Drive is on Life Support
Low desire? No more orgasms? Is your sexual enjoyment a nonexistent priority in your partnership? Sex is such a physical/emotional chore that you’d rather be burning the calories in a Pilates class? Part of our intake questionnaire at WholeHealth Chicago asks if you’re satisfied with your sex life and fully half of our newcomers either […]
Breakthroughs in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
To me, the greatest advance for the estimated 2.5 million adults, adolescents, and children with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) has been the slow but steady acceptance of its very existence by the conventional medical community. This has been a real uphill battle and we’re encouraged to finally see some (guarded) victories. The first description of […]
It’s The Carbs. It’s Always Been The Carbs.
Somewhere in my library is a copy of Gary Taubes’ 2008 Good Calories, Bad Calories, one of several books that appeared in the wake of the really vicious controversy that surrounded Robert C. Atkins, MD’s Dr Atkins’ Diet Revolution, which first appeared in 1972, has been published in 13 revisions and editions, and continues to […]
Preparing for the Wuhan Coronavirus
Seems like only yesterday, though actually it was 2003, that a viral infection called SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) meandered around the world after starting at a live animal market China. For those affected, what first appeared to be an especially bad cold quickly became something ominous, progressing to a potentially fatal pneumonia. Ultimately there […]
Infertility Issues? Start With The Guy
I’ve lost track of the number of couples we treat at WholeHealth Chicago who are involved in one of the hormone injection/surgical procedure stops on the conveyor belt of infertility centers. Currently, it’s estimated that 15 to 20 percent of couples are struggling with infertility, half of them due to male factors. The infertility docs […]
Issues with Endocrinologists: Thyroid Approaches and Big Pharma
My beefs with endocrinologists pretty much center on how they manage thyroid gland concerns, though they rarely win prizes for managing adrenal issues either. I don’t know any endocrinologists personally and rarely refer my patients to them. Occasionally, a patient with newly diagnosed hypothyroidism (low thyroid) will want to confirm the diagnosis with an endocrinologist. […]