Ask Doctor Dawn

The problems with drug prices and Pharmacy Benefit Managers; Cancer and telehealth -- COVID changed everything for doctors getting paid for telehealth; Supplemental enzymes and antioxidants can help control pancreatitis; Evidence that an increase in type 1 diabetes cases was caused by the COVID virus, but not the vaccine and not type 2 diabetes; The doctor who does the ablation procedure for AFIB doesn’t want to consider alternatives? The new drug Evenity (Romosozumab) for high fracture-risk Osteoporosis in women; The role of microbes in the chemistry of tea

Review of monthly infectious disease report by the Santa Cruz County Health Dept.; Syphilis cases are on the rise -- its history is detailed; Is ablation operation for atrial fibrillation a good idea in an 85 yr-old man? Will constipation affect my stool test for parasites?

KSQD 2-07-2024: The epidemic of PTSD in the military results in using psychedelics for treatment; An examination of Neuralink and Blackrock Neurotech brain-computer research progress; The off-label use of Mupirocin for Lichen Sclerosus of the vulva; Training an AI to learn language like a human child ;Post-death human composting is approved in California; Sexually transmitted infections are increasing in the elderly; RvT4 molecule to reduce inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis and reduce plaque in atherosclerosis

KUSP 4-25-2009 and KSQD 1-31-2023: Problems of the mind such as depression, memory loss, insomnia, etc are mostly caused by metabolic problems; The problems with Proton Pump Inhibitors; the "myth of diagnosis" is Dr. Hyman's way of framing the fallacies in the drug-centered approach of conventional medicine; The seven core concepts of Functional Medicine; The importance of healthy mitochondria and energy metabolism to the brain and overall health; The problem of gluten; Why molds are a big problem for allergies and toxins that have many bad effects on the brain; Hyman encourages research on the effects of cell phone EM radiation; The importance of Omega 3 fatty acids and other lipids in brain cell structure and its role in autism, ADD, schizophrenia, etc; A thorough definition of Functional Medicine

KSQD 01-24-2024: Introduction to mitochondria and related diseases that associate with Long COVID; Practical advice if you have post-COVID syndrome; Mitochondria research related to post-COVID symptoms and nutritional supplements that help; more about chronic fatigue, myalgic encephalitis and long COVID; Does a caller have long COVID? What to check to confirm; The function of neutrophils in autoimmune disease and the benefits of ginger to dampen overreaction of the immune system; A case of retinal dystrophy

KSQD 1-17-2024: Compounding the Semaglutide weight-loss drugs reduces its cost If you have had COVID, you can now return to work after 24 hrs if you are fever-free; Exposure to the smell of tears from women appears to reduce aggression in men! Psialic helps stop the spread of flu; The problems of using cloned rhesus monkeys for drug development research; Does Ibuprofen help getting to sleep? Urinary incontinence was fixed by good physical therapy; Retinal organoids explain how humans see so many colors; Declines in blood levels of lead are associated with long term cardiovascular health improvements; The various sources of toxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

KSQD 1-10-2024: All about the new Family Practice Residency program in Santa Cruz and the lack of primary care doctors locally and nationally; The rise in research in medical applications of psychedelic drugs, such as MDMA for PTSD; The lack of reproducibility in medical research; Conflicting meta analysis reports of Vitamin D research; Modern marijuana is more addictive because of higher THC levels

KSQD 1-03-2024: Cold is good for healthy aging; 10th anniversary of CRISPR -- the new sickle cell cure is discussed; Alleviating effects of chemo and radiation therapy for colon cancer; World’s largest invasive organism: Hippos in Colombia! Delaying clamping the umbilical cord by 2 minutes helps survival during premature delivery; Biological engineering issues in space; Reservations concerning a new type of RNA vaccine for COVID; Health hazard from micronized metals from satellites burning up in atmosphere

KSQD 12-27-2023: The energy needed to make lab-grown meat is a big problem; Review of enlarged prostate biology and treatments; Benefits of mushrooms include help in remembering dreams? Advice to prevent or reduce long COVID; The promise of using organoids and cellular bots for health purposes; Neonatal brain development

KSQD 12-20-2023: Cold weather increases the tendency to have atrial fibrillation; Help interpreting an abdominal ultrasound; Should my wife and I get the RSV vaccine? Brain implant device greatly improves mental skills in traumatic brain injury patients; Singing to your baby helps develop language development; Recalling memories as therapy for PTSD and other brain problems; Medical alert for hair products that or toxic only when heated; Deep dive into the immune system’s involvement in postpartum depression; Stimulation in the vagus nerve to help stroke recovery and Parkinson’s disease; Baby talk by parents to their infants is universal; Take breaks and walk if you have to sit long hours each day

kSQD 12-13-2023: Interview with Dr. Jytan Sahni: the adventures of a doctor from India who is applying to the Dominican Hospital Family Practice residency program; Could COVID or the vaccine affect my menstrual cycle long term? Turmeric may cause some liver injury; Various forms of dermatitis and other skin rash conditions; Interesting wound-healing technique for a diabetic patient who burned his heel with a heat lamp

KSQD 12-06-2023: Advice for reducing gum disease; Guidelines for using statins in elderly women; Vigorous exercise can increase the risk of viral infections; 5 MTHFR can help treat depression if you have the appropriate gene variants; low folate levels can cause problems; Adequate vitamin D during pregnancy will improve the child’s neurological development; Dietary flavonoids help detoxify bad effects of smoking, including second-hand smoke; Low doses of oral naloxone can treat constipation caused by opiates; Do nootropics like adderall really improve cognitive skills? Toddler formulas are a silly idea; What prescription drugs affect my memory?

KSQD 11-29-2023: The problems with Medicare Advantage plans; An AI program to evaluate CT scans of stroke victims helps focus quicker treatment -- other AI applications are reviewed; Can I crush my calcium carbonate to increase its absorption? What are the side effects of taking a statin and what can I do about them? An interesting case of heart arrhythmias and possibly POTS after an ear infection; Advice to stave off osteoarthritis

KSQD 11-22-2023: Supplements and other advice to combat the side effects of the Shingrix vaccine for shingles; Surge in monkeypox during the summer; The many applications of AI in medicine, from drug interaction help to reading mammograms; Are calcium supplements for osteoporosis affecting my Hashimoto’s thyroiditis treatment? Using computational science to improve maternal mortalities during childbirth; New research shows how cadmium, an estrogen mimic, contributes to endometriosis; Fusobacterium levels in the uterus are probably another contributing factor for endometriosis; Kombucha drinks lower blood sugar levels, which is good for diabetes; Irregular sleep patterns affects your microbiome; Irregular sleep patterns affects your microbiome and hence health

KSQD 11-08-2023: Go to Santa Cruz Cancer Benefit group (sccbg.org) for Pancreatic Cancer information and awareness event in Santa Cruz on Nov. 19; The physiology of the pancreas; Prognosis for pancreatic cancer is poor; Genetic mutations, smoking, obesity and diabetes are major risk factors; The difficulties of early or any diagnosis of pancreatic cancer; Jaundice is an indicator, but only one out of 5 have the cancer; Lab tests are not very predictive, but circulating tumor DNA holds hope for detection; Can shingles vaccination help prevent dementia?More about genetic influences such as Brca1, Brca2 and KRAS genes; Can shingles vaccination help prevent dementia?

KSQD 11-01-2023: Bed Bug hysteria -- another consequence of global warming; The problems with mergers and monopolies in health care pharmacies, insurance companies, benefit manegers etc.; The importance of sleep for weight control and health in general; The details of interpreting HDL and LDL levels for cardiac disease risks; FODMAP diet advice; Are LED lights really worse than incandescent bulbs? Chronic pain is way more common than you may think; different types of pain are discussed

KSQD 10-25-2023: Various therapies for ocular and other eye melanomas; When is chiropractic care appropriate or not? Boric acid suppositories while pregnant; The best forms for calcium, iron and magnesium supplements; Reports of cadmium contamination in dark chocolate; Mupirocin is a drug to treat lichen sclerosus; Restless leg syndrome interferes with sleep -- check ferritin levels; Creamy texture is contributes to our avidity for fat; Oral versions of Semaglutide drugs are in the works; Denmark study found no cardiac effects from using Viagra; Health care for family members who are caring for a sick child

KSQD 10-18-2023: The primary care doctor crisis in the U.S.; More advances in robotic arms; Black cohosh is an alternative to hormone therapy for breast cancer -- anatomy of hot flashes; The Altman rule is a proxy for glycemic load in preventing diabetes; The difference between allergic,contact and other dermatitis conditions; The promise of using stem cells to regenerate tooth enamel; New evidence for recalling death experiences after recovery

KSQD 10-11-2023: Testing for VO2 max; New COVID Vaccine availability is poor; The mysteries of the Y chromosome; The differences in bird brains that allow them to be just as smart as many mammals; Nerves involved in taste both in the tongue and the intestines; Is a rash after COVID vaccine associate with an autoimmune reaction? Schizophrenia raises cholesterol

KSQD 10-04-2O23: Fats to aid in absorption of vitamin K2; Nobel prize for biology goes to fundamental research for of mRNA vaccines; A pregnancy test originated in ancient Egypt! Pregnancy tests and hormones are explained; Medical consequences of climate change and other ecological issues; Electromyogram procedure for numb hands; Ayurveda medical philosophy is discussed; Comparison of diets to reduce dementia