Does Mouth-Breathing Decrease Risk of Viral Infections?

Image by Magnus Mertens in Wikipedia The New York Times published an article looking into this very question on Nov 11, 2016. However, the provided answer ("possibly") was incomplete. In essence, the question of whether mouth-breathing decreases risk of viral infections is based on the idea that contagious viruses spread via the nose by inhaling coughed/sneezed out water droplets infected with viral contagions. Unfortunately, such viruses can also be spread if such droplets …

11/16/2016 0

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Surgeon Scorecard - Good or Bad?

There has been a media frenzy regarding ProPublica's Surgeon Scorecard which rates how "good" a surgeon is based on calculated death and complication rates for surgeons performing one of eight elective procedures. Unfortunately, a surgeon paradox will develop where one may actually WANT the surgeon with the WORST score because a surgeon with the BEST score refuses to operate on a high-risk patient. Why? Although great in concept, the Surgeon Scorecard introduces the law of u…

8/13/2015 0

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Why Do Babies Hate Getting Their Nose and Face Wiped???

I have often been asked this question by parents... and even more so by my wife as we try to clean the snot off our little kids' noses as they shriek as if we're torturing them. Given it seems ALL young kids have this nose-wiping aversion across cultures and racial ethnicities, it would seem that this reflex reaction is hard-wired into human babies. But why would evolution favor this reaction? I tried to find an answer to this question to see if any bright researchers actually stu…

1/03/2014 1

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Just How Contagious is the Flu (and Other Viral Infections)?

Everybody knows the flu and other viral infections are contagious, but did you wonder just how contagious??? Well, here are some facts gleaned from a few studies: • In just 4 hours, one sick worker can contaminate 50% of surfaces in a typical office • After 8 hours, one sick worker can contaminate 70%+ of surfaces • Non-sick workers have a 40-90% chance of getting infected after spending one day with a sick worker • A sneeze or cough can hurl virus 6 feet away from the mouth • A si…

2/02/2013 0

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Celine Dion Cancels Shows Due to Laryngitis

In late Feb 2012, Celine Dion who was to have performed in Las Vegas Feb 22, 2012, cancelled her show at the last minute at the Caesar's Palace due to laryngitis on the advice of her doctors. According to media reports , her doctors instructed her to rest for 7 days to ensure full recovery due to vocal cord inflammation caused by a virus. What does that mean exactly? When a virus infects the mucosa of the upper airway, it causes inflammation of the mucosa lining including the vocal …

3/04/2012 0

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Natural Remedies for a Sore Throat, Cough, and Viral Infections

Homeopathy and alternative medicine often get a bum rap, but they have come up with some treatments for sore throats and upper respiratory viral illnesses that actually have been proven to work. Here's a few... 1) Honey Sore throats (and coughing ) can be soothed by swallowing honey straight-up or slightly diluted with warm water with honey to make it easier to swallow. The best time to do this is at bedtime given it will stick around for awhile (eating/drinking will wash away the…

12/11/2011 0

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