Sleep Apnea Increases Risk of Cancer

Obstructive sleep apnea has been getting accused of causing all sorts of medical problems including hypertension, stroke, heart disease, heart attacks, peripheral vascular disease, etc. We can also add cancer now.According to Australian researchers, moderate to severe sleep apnea increases the risk of cancer by 2.5 times and death from cancer by 3.4 times. They also reported that sleep apnea increases risk of death (any cause) by 4.2x and stroke...

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FDA Approves Ragwitek... Ragweed Allergy Tablet by Mouth (Instead of Allergy Shots)

The FDA formally approved Ragwitek, the third new sublingual allergy tablet to be sold in the United States this year that works the same way allergy shots do... but instead is dissolved under the tongue at home instead of a shot in the arm in a medical office. Ragwitek is the first sublingual allergy tablet to treat ragweed. Although Oralair and Grastek are two other sublingual tablets that have already been approved by the FDA,...

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Dizziness and Imbalance in Kids

Dizziness is not the easiest thing to figure out in adults. It is even more difficult to figure out in kids who may not have the vocabulary to explain what they feel. Regardless of adult or child, a good history is required to help narrow down possibilities. A flowchart of questions to help come up with a diagnosis can be found here.Given that, a review article published in 2014 went over the most likely diagnosis of a child who is dizzy.Based...

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FDA Approves Grastek... Grass Allergy Tablet by Mouth (Instead of Allergy Shots)

Today, the FDA formally approved Grastek, the second new sublingual allergy tablet to be sold in the United States that works the same way allergy shots do... but instead is dissolved under the tongue at home instead of a shot in the arm in a medical office. Although this tablet has been available in Europe for some time, only now has sale/distribution in the United States been allowed under prescription. Just 2 weeks ago, FDA...

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Esophagoscopy without Sedation [VIDEO]

Here is a video demonstrating how esophagoscopy can be performed in the office without any sedation. The esophagus is the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach. The exam, called trans-nasal esophagoscopy (TNE), can be performed in any patient as long as the nose is large enough to accommodate the endoscope and lack a severe gag reflex. A very thin disposable sheath (like a condom) is used to protect endoscope and maintain sterility between patient u...

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Bee Sting Pain Worst on the Nose (Even More Than the Scrotum and Nipple)

Image by Waugsberg in WikipediaA Cornell graduate student took upon himself to figure where a bee sting hurts the most. His conclusion was the nostril... even more than the penis, scrotum, nipple, and 22 other body locations. Each body location was stung 3 times for consistency. [link]He also determined that the three least painful locations to be the skull, middle toe tip, and upper arm (all scoring a 2.3 out of possible 10). The three most painful...

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Mouthwash May Increase Risk of Oral Cancer

Drinking alcoholic beverages is known to increase risk of oral cancer. It is now suspected that using mouthwash containing alcohol (i.e., original Listerine) may also increase risk for oral cancer.When it comes to drinking alcoholic beverages like beer, individuals who consume 50 or more grams of alcohol per day (approximately 3.5 or more drinks per day) have at least a two to three times greater risk of developing oral cancer than nondrinkers. Moreover,...

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FDA Approves Oralair... Grass Allergy Tablet by Mouth (Instead of Allergy Shots)

Today, the FDA formally approved Oralair, the first new sublingual allergy tablet to be sold in the United States that works the same way allergy shots do... but instead is dissolved under the tongue at home instead of a shot in the arm in a medical office. Although this tablet has been available in Europe for some time, only now has sale/distribution in the United States been allowed under prescription.Oralair is made by a French pharmaceutical...

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