
Dr. Howard Smith Oncall
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Howard G. Smith, MD, Pediatric Otolaryngologist, and former WBZ Radio medical editor and talk show host tells how to avoid surgery for ear, nose, and throat problems. He also reviews the latest news and views in the world of medicine and health care.
Dr. Howard Smith Oncall
4M ago
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/YzwQGQEejkg
Smoking before and during a pregnancy increases by 5 fold the risk that an infant will die suddenly over the months following birth. Rutgers University’s SIDS Center of New Jersey studied over one-half million white mother-child pairs and over 83,000 black mother-child pairs cataloging maternal smoking stats and the incidence of SIDS.
The data shows that smoking pre-pregnancy increases the SIDS risk about 2 fold for both groups. As smoking continued through the trimesters, the risk for white families rapidly escalated to a whopping 7 fold while the risk f ..read more
Dr. Howard Smith Oncall
4M ago
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/BNDUkyaGks8
Use of electronic cigarettes, compared with those containing tobacco, produces significantly more lung inflammation. This from a preliminary University of Pennsylvania study using PET imaging, that is positron emission tomography, with a novel radioactive tracer to quantitate pulmonary levels of the inflammatory enzyme nitric oxide synthetase. The investigators compared 3 groups: vapers, smokers, and never vaper/smokers.
The data showed that frequent vaper’s levels of inflammatory activity were significantly higher than that of frequent smokers. This enzy ..read more
Dr. Howard Smith Oncall
4M ago
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/vI_upzEONZQ
The long CoVid definition, continuing symptoms for more than a month after an acute case of CoVid, was the one used by George Washington University researchers as they assessed 982 university students and 356 staff.
Breaking down the numbers, 39% of students and 34% of staff developed long CoVid symptoms. Only 26% of those vaccinated and boosted were affected while 44% of those who only received 2 shots and 48% of those unvaccinated were stricken.
The mental issues reported by those with Long CoVid definitely impacted their academic performance including ..read more
Dr. Howard Smith Oncall
4M ago
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/z8eAE8M0ZRM
The FDA and the Edgewell Personal Care Company have expanded the recall of the Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 by adding an additional batch to those in the recall announced in July of 2022. This product contains the human carcinogen benzene in the propellent used to deliver the sunscreen. The 4 lot codes involved are: 20016AF, 20084BF, 21139AF, and 20301CF. Stop using this product and contact Edgewell at 1-888-686-3988 to obtain a full refund or if you require more information about the recall.
https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-marke ..read more
Dr. Howard Smith Oncall
4M ago
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/rhxuKj6dwmQ
The FDA and Joy Joy’s Bakery are recalling Ube Spanish Bread, Ube Ensaymada, and Ube Rolls. These baked goods contain undeclared wheat. Those with wheat sensitivities, gluten allergies, or celiac disease could become seriously ill should they consume these baked goods. These products were sold at Joy Joy’s Bakery in Lakewood, Washington and Fubonn Supermarket in Oregon. If you bought any of these products, return them to the place of purchase or dispose of them. For more information, contact Joy Bakery at 1-253-507-525j9 or via email joybakeryllc@outlook ..read more
Dr. Howard Smith Oncall
4M ago
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/2FTtt1cB6ng
The FDA and Sovos Brands Intermediate, Inc. are recalling Rao’s Made for Home Slow Simmered Soup, Chicken & Gnocchi. It turns out that the Chicken and Gnocchi cans actually contain Vegetable Minestrone soup which contains egg. Those with egg allergies could develop serious and life-threatening allergic reactions should they consume this soup. Only soup with Code Date 2320 MDV 046030Z009 has been recalled. The affected soup was sold in: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Ken ..read more
Dr. Howard Smith Oncall
4M ago
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/WlRxs0mrSf0
The FDA and Two Rivers Coffee are recalling single serve hot cocoa pods sold in Two Rivers Coffee, Brooklyn Bean, and Pingo variety packs. These pods are contaminated with peanut allergen. Those with peanut allergies could develop serious and life-threatening allergic reactions. Affected are all pods manufactured before January 23, 2023. If you bought any of these packs, contact the place of purchase for replacements or refunds. For more information and to check if your specific product is recalled, contact Two Rivers Coffee at 1-800-418-0689 or vial emai ..read more
Dr. Howard Smith Oncall
4M ago
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/2o9l4pQ95EQ
Use of 3D bioprinting can produce faux-human skin with remarkably similar anatomic features to the real thing. That’s a relief to rabbits who traditionally had their eyes and ears subjected to pre-marketing tests of cosmetics destined for human use.
A new Brazilian study compared the characteristics of bioprinted and manually-reconstructed skin. Evaluated were the anatomic features but most importantly the ability of the skins to mount an inflammatory response to test substances.
Although manually-reconstructed human skin has been around for nearly 40 yea ..read more
Dr. Howard Smith Oncall
4M ago
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/7P4GJ-yNLMc
As precision oncologic therapy advances, we are learning that many cancers respond only to a combination of chemotherapeutic agents. MIT, Harvard, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigators in collaboration with the MIT spinoffs Ceptur Therapeutics and Window Therapeutics have developed unique nanoparticles shaped like bottle-brushes. These carrier molecules capably transport multiple chemotherapeutic agents to and into cancer cells. Studies are underway to use this unique transport mechanism to also carry mRNA and therapeutic antibodies.
https://www ..read more
Dr. Howard Smith Oncall
4M ago
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/WkD2-OCxmnY
Three different nasal sprays, two by American university collaborators and the other by Canadian researchers, show promise new weapons against CoVid. One American entry developed by Northwestern, UWashington, and Washington University-St. Louis utilizes a computer-designed and optimized protein to coat the spikes of virtually any CoVid variant or sub variant and prevent its entry into human cells. Used in a mouse model, the nasal spray neutralized all CoVid variants better than our best available antibody treatments.
The other American entry, developed at ..read more