http://healthshow.org/ Tasty whole-grain public radio en-us bbarrett@wamc.org Thu, 08 May 2008 16:03:02 -0500 http://WWW.healthshow.org/archive/week_2008_05_04.shtml#002464 Polio. Smallpox. Diphtheria. Rubella. All of these are diseases that were fairly common less than a century ago...but have been all but eliminated from day to day life in the US by one thing: vaccinations. So, why are these childhood immunizations still necessary? On this week’s Health Show, we’ll get the answer from a CDC official. We’ll also hear from Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania about his recent battle with cancer...and Dr. Stephanie Beling will tell us about a disturbing trend: children with heart problems. http://WWW.healthshow.org/archive/week_2008_05_04.shtml#002463 Dr. Melinda Wharton, deputy director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Bob Barrett asked Dr. Wharton about the recent controversy about infant immunizations over the years with a growing number of parents opting out.

You can find more information on childhood immunizations on the CD web site HERE.

You can find a list of state health department web site HERE.]]> http://WWW.healthshow.org/archive/week_2008_05_04.shtml#002462 Dr. Stephanie Beling. ]]> http://WWW.healthshow.org/archive/week_2008_05_04.shtml#002461 William Congreve who wrote “Music hath charms to soothe a savage breast, To soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.” On this week’s Health Update, Dr. Stieg tells us about a book that gives music a lot more credit for healing powers.]]> http://WWW.healthshow.org/archive/week_2008_05_04.shtml#002460 Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania has fought many battles in and out of the halls of government. In 2005, the 5-term Republican Senator achieved a life-long ambition of being named Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. However, shortly thereafter, Specter was diagnosed with Cancer. He has just written his story in the book: Never Give In: Battling Cancer in the Senate. The Health Show’s Joe Donahue recently talked with Specter who says it is a “helluva shock” to find out you have cancer.]]> http://WWW.healthshow.org/archive/week_2008_04_27.shtml#002459 If you made a list of the most popular and successful new surgical procedures of the last few decades, there’s little doubt that LASIK eye surgery would be somewhere near the top. But it’s not for everyone. On this week’s Health Show, we give LASIK surgery a closer look. Then we’ll find out how living near an airport can affect your blood pressure. Here’s a hint...think take off, not landing. And we’ll hear about a suicide prevention program aimed at native Alaskan teenagers. http://WWW.healthshow.org/archive/week_2008_04_27.shtml#002458 Food and Drug Administration held a hearing on LASIK eye surgery...a procedure that was introduced to the marketplace a decade ago and is now performed on about 700 thousand Americans each year. The panel heard stories of severe side effects including worse vision, severe dry eye, glare and the inability to drive at night. But those effects are suffered by less than 1 percent of LASIK patients...and the vast majority of LASIK patients benefit from the procedure. As one doctor told the panel: "This is a referendum on the performance of LASIK by some surgeons who should be doing a better job." We’d thought we should get a clearer picture of the surgery, so we invited Dr. Allen Zieker, an Ophthalmologist with Albany -Troy Cataract & Laser Associates here in our backyard. And, in the interest of full disclosure...another member of that practice is one Dr. Robert Sax who’s laundry I will, on occasion, fold. Dr. Zieker, give us the basics of LASIK surgery.]]> http://WWW.healthshow.org/archive/week_2008_04_27.shtml#002457 Marnie Chesterton reports.]]> http://WWW.healthshow.org/archive/week_2008_04_27.shtml#002456 Dr. Stieg takes a look at some natural approaches to curing insomnia.]]> http://WWW.healthshow.org/archive/week_2008_04_27.shtml#002455 Natural Helpers program is in its fifth year in the Lower Yukon school district, and other regions in the state are looking at the program's success. Every year the kids hold retreats to train the next wave of Natural Helpers, this story from reporter Bonnie Sue Hitchcock is from a retreat in the village of Hooper Bay.]]> http://WWW.healthshow.org/archive/week_2008_04_20.shtml#002454 Of all the truisms we’ve come up with on this show over the years, this one is probably the most accurate: the best way to survive heart disease is to never get it! But is that easier said than done? On today’s Health Show, we’ll get advice on keeping your heart healthy from an expert. We’ll also hear about a new survey that lists the ten healthiest chain restaurants in the country and yes, we name names...and then it’s true confessions time from a veteran of a long healthy eating campaign and yes, we give you the numbers! http://WWW.healthshow.org/archive/week_2008_04_20.shtml#002453 Dr Deepak Bhatt, associate director of the Cleveland Clinic Cardiovascular Coordinating Center. Dr. Nina Sax asked Dr. Bhatt what was the nicest thing people can do for their heart.]]> http://WWW.healthshow.org/archive/week_2008_04_20.shtml#002452 Health magazine offers a list of the ten healthiest sit down chain restaurants in the country...and some healthy fast food choices, too. Here to talk about the list is Frances Largeman-Roth, Senior Food and Nutrition Editor for Health magazine. Bob Barrett asked Frances to explain how they came up with the list. You can find the lists and articles here!]]> http://WWW.healthshow.org/archive/week_2008_04_20.shtml#002451 Dr. Philip Stieg takes a look at a natural treatment for knee pain caused by osteoarthritis. ]]> http://WWW.healthshow.org/archive/week_2008_04_20.shtml#002450 Have you ever met someone you know has lost a lot of weight and really wanted to ask them how much they lost and what they weight now and how they did it and if they...we’ll, you know, all the things you decided would be really rude to ask? Well our friend Sandy Daigler says “ask away”...she’s used to it.