June21 19

MEDICALEXAMINER

TM

CBD

HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS

JUNE 21, 2019

AIKEN-AUGUSTA’S MOST SALUBRIOUS NEWSPAPER • FOUNDED IN 2006

The ABCs of

CBD: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW – PART 2 of 3: CHOOSING THE RIGHT PRODUCT

Written by Augusta pharmacists Chris and Lee Davidson

Once upon a time, salesmen peddled “snake oil” to essentially cure everything and anything. Today, CBD oil seems to be the new cure-all product for everything from insomnia and chronic pain, to epilepsy and psoriasis. While many of the circulating claims seem a little too good to be true, CBD oil does appear to be very useful for numerous medical conditions.

As patients come in and ask about CBD, physicians and other providers are having to dig for any credible information they can find since this is not a subject that would’ve been touched on very heavily, if at all, in any of their training. There is no shortage of anecdotal evidence of the effectiveness of cannabidiol – the personal accounts just keep coming in – but there are not nearly enough actual medical studies to back up the claims. It should be noted that it is very difficult to obtain the compound to be studied when it is still considered a Schedule I substance by the DEA. However, as social attitudes toward cannabis in general change and the urgency to find a real solution to the opioid crisis accelerates, more funding will become available for new CBD studies.

There is substantial evidence that cannabis is an effective treatment for chronic pain and inflammation in adults. CBD appears to be useful in treating arthritis, different types of seizures/epilepsy, anxiety, nausea, some symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer’s, psoriasis, insomnia and other sleep disorders, and some symptoms of schizophrenia, just to name a few. It shows promise and versatility for use in smoking cessation and drug withdrawal, acne, migraine prevention and treatment, autoimmune diseases (i.e. fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, psoriatic arthritis, etc.), menstrual cramps, and so

AUGUSTARX.COM

much more. Now that it is available to so many, it seems that almost everyone knows someone that has tried CBD oil for one thing or another. It is not hard to get firsthand information from someone you trust rather than just some random article or a message board on the internet.

Once you’ve determined you want to try CBD, your options can be somewhat overwhelming. There is a myriad of choices of which type of CBD to try and even more places from which to buy. It can be a complicated choice at the very least. First, determine what kind of product you want to try – oral, topical, inhalation, or sublingual (under the tongue). It can be narrowed down by determining your needs by taste, price, effective speed, ease of use, and concentration: • TASTE - can be a factor not just with edibles, but also with the oral oils, tinctures, and even vapors from e-liquids. Pastes or concentrates may taste a lot like hemp due to the higher concentration and is often described as “earthy” or “grassy” (similar to the taste of wheatgrass). Vapes, oils, and edibles can have added flavors like mint or vanilla. The flavorings may be “natural” or artificial. If you don’t want to taste the hemp at all, consider oral capsules or topical products.

• PRICE – cheaper is not always better. While there are good inexpensive products available, many are impure or, even worse, are fake. Unfortunately, high price doesn’t always indicate high quality. Some scammers will bump up the price of an inferior product to give the illusion of quality. Also consider Please see CBD page 6

L NATURA

+2

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

THE FIRST 40 YEARS ARE ALWAYS THE HARDEST

JUNE 21, 2019

THE MONEY DOCTOR

PARENTHOOD

by David W. Proefrock, PhD

Your 18 year-old daughter has just graduated from high school and has been accepted to a good college. She has always done well in school. You approve of and like her friends she and has never presented any serious behavior problems.

She recently came to you and told you that she is extremely depressed and that she wants you to make an appointment with a therapist for her. What do you do?

A. Since she doesn’t seem depressed and there are no other problems, wait a couple weeks and then ask her again if she still wants to see a therapist.

B. Let her know that everyone gets a little down now and then, but that is no reason to go into therapy. Offer to talk with her about what’s bothering her if she needs to talk to someone.

C. Let her know that it is ridiculous for someone as successful as she is to have anything to be depressed about. Tell her to stop feeling sorry for herself.

D. Make her an appointment with a therapist as soon as you can.

If you answered: A. This is not what is best in this situation. Most adolescents wait until there is a crisis to ask for help if they ask at all. Her request for help should be taken seriously. Make an appointment for her now.

B. Don’t minimize her feelings. If she thought it would help to talk to you, she would have already done it. Make an appointment for her.

C. This is the worst thing you could do and would very likely make things much worse.

D. This is the right thing to do. If an adolescent, especially one who is doing well and is responsible, asks for help, get them help.

Depression is serious. Admitting that you are depressed and asking for help makes it even more serious. Adolescence is a difficult time and your daughter is in the middle of a transition in her life. Asking for help is a mature and responsible thing to do. + Dr. Proefrock is a local clinical and forensic psychologist

WHAT IS FINANCIAL PLANNING? The reason financial planning is important is the same reason teams or performers need to plan or practice before playing a game or performing. The planning process helps prepare you for success as your family makes financial decisions every day. Unlike playing a game or performing, your family cannot choose to cancel a game or performance if you are not prepared. As the old saying goes – “Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.”

Often times, we hear that the reason people never do financial planning is that they do not know what the financial planning process is or covers.

The good news is that the CFP Board has established standards that all Certified

Financial Planner™ professionals are expected to follow. These standards outline what financial planning is and covers. The CFP board defines financial planning as “the process of determining whether and how an individual can meet life goals through the proper management of financial resources.” Plans are customized to address the areas of importance for your family. The CFP board does not identify a minimum number of subject areas required for financial plans, so a financial plan may cover one or multiple subject areas.

The following subject areas are typically included in financial plans: • Financial statement preparation and analysis • Insurance planning and risk management • Employee benefits planning • Investment planning • Income tax planning • Retirement planning • Estate planning Once you identify the subject areas for your financial plan, a Certified Financial Planner™ can help you work through the planning process. The steps in the planning process are also outlined by the CFP Board. It involves six steps: • Establishing and defining the client-planner relationship • Gathering client data including goals • Analyzing and evaluating the client’s current financial status • Developing and presenting recommendations

and/or alternatives • Implementing the recommendations • Monitoring the recommendations The hardest steps are often those last two, the implementing and monitoring. A good financial planner will check in with you on a regular basis and hold you accountable to make sure you stay on track. The planning process is ongoing and life events will change the inputs or assumptions that you make in the original plan. When that happens, it is important to re-visit the steps in the planning process and update your plan.

This ongoing planning process is the reason most families look to form a long-term relationship with their financial planner. A good planner will clearly explain how they’re paid and why their help is worth the cost to you. Almost anyone can call themselves a financial planner, so be sure to do your homework and make sure they know what they’re talking about.

A good starting place is looking for a Certified Financial Planner™ that is held to the CFP Board code of ethics & standards of conduct found on www.cfp. net. +

by Clayton Quamme, a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with AP Wealth Management, LLC (www. apwealth.com). AP Wealth is a financial planning and investment advisory firm with offices in Augusta, GA.

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR ADVERTISERS. IT MATTERS, AND IT IS APPRECIATED.

Varicose Veins? Spider Veins?

Leg Pain? Finally a Solution!

Your Full-Time Complete Vein Care Center

Zumbro Vein Institute

G. Lionel Zumbro, Jr., M.D.

706-854-8340 501 Blackburn Dr • Martinez (off Furys Ferry Road)

We accept most insurance including Medicare and Medicaid

3 +

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

JUNE 21, 2019

W E A LT H M A N A G E M E N T Our experienced financial team focuses on you, our client, to ensure that all aspects of your financial affairs are being monitored and managed appropriately in accordance with your life goals. We welcome the opportunity to serve. Call today for an appointment.

WHAT IS AN ACE INHIBITOR?

E. CLIFFORD ECKLES, JR.

DAVID D. BULLINGTON, JR.

(706) 396-1800 | ENTERPRISE MILL | 1450 GREENE STREET, AUGUSTA W W W.Q N BTR U S T.CO M/PR IVATE- BA N K I N G

G E O R G I A’ S C O M M U N I T Y B A N K since 1 9 0 2 www.QNBTRUST.com

BINGEREAD

The term “ACE inhibitor” is heard all the time in the warnings portion of TV drug commercials. “Do not use if you’re already taking an ACE inhibitor.”

It makes it sound like ACE inhibitors are unsafe or dangerous. Are they?

Not inherently, but they can be when taken with the wrong combination of other drugs.

First, an introduction. ACE stands for AngiotensinConverting Enzyme. Having the last name inhibitor says that whatever an angiotensin-converting enzyme is, this drug stifles or inhibits its action.

As the name suggests, the enzyme under discussion (the E of ACE) converts angiotensin I to angiotensin II. Angiotensin II narrows blood vessels and raises blood pressure, so by inhibiting this conversion, an ACE inhibitor helps relax blood vessels, lowering blood pressure and helping to ease the heart’s workload and reduce oxygen demand from the heart and even the body’s total volume of blood. ACE inhibitors are thus commonly the drug of choice for people with hypertension. If you’ve got high blood pressure, an ACE inhibitor can be a good thing to take.

So why the oft-repeated cautions?

Like every other medication (including over-the-counter drugs), ACE inhibitors have side effects. Some of them are good: they can help prevent diabetic nephropathy (not neuropathy), heart arrhythmias and congestive heart failure.

On the negative side, they can cause headaches, dizziness and fatigue, nausea, a persistent dry cough, blood pressure that is too low, elevated potassium levels and an increase in inflammation-related pain. Sometimes the adverse side effects are caused by interactions between the ACE inhibitor and other drugs a person is taking.

Not every person with hypertension is a candidate for an ACE inhibitor. Pregnant women lead the list of those who should not take these drugs. Are you taking an ACE inhibitor?

It’s not difficult to determine. The various formulations all share the same suffix, -pril, as in Lisinopril, Captopril, Quinapril and others. +

MEDICALEXAMINER

TM

AIKEN-AUGUSTA’S MOST SALUBRIOUS NEWSPAPER

www.AugustaRx.com The Medical Examiner’s mission: to provide information on topics of health and wellness of interest to general readers, to offer information to assist readers in wisely choosing their healthcare providers, and to serve as a central source of salubrious news within every part of the Augusta medical community.

Direct editorial and advertising inquiries to: Daniel R. Pearson, Publisher & Editor E-mail: Dan@AugustaRx.com AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER P.O. Box 397, Augusta, GA 30903-0397

VISIT ISSUU.COM/MEDICALEXAMINER, WHERE MORE THAN 180 ISSUES OF THE EXAMINER ARE ARCHIVED FOR YOUR READING PLEASURE.

MEDICALEXAMINER

(706) 860-5455 www.AugustaRx.com • E-mail: graphicadv@knology.net www.Facebook.com/AugustaRX Opinions expressed by the writers herein are their own and/or their respective institutions. Neither the Augusta Medical Examiner, Pearson Graphic 365 Inc., nor its agents or employees take any responsibility for the accuracy of submitted information, which is presented for general informational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnosis, and treatment, consult your doctor.

The appearance of advertisements in this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services advertised. © 2019 PEARSON GRAPHIC 365 INC.

+4

JUNE 21, 2019

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

#93 IN A SERIES

Who is this?

ON THE ROAD TO BETTER HEALTH A PATIENT’S PERSPECTIVE Editor’s note: Augusta writer Marcia Ribble, Ph.D., is a retired English and creative writing professor who offers her unique perspective as a patient. Contact her at marciaribble@hotmail.com

by Marcia Ribble

F

or the first time in 93 installments, the answer to Who is this? is: we have no idea. No one does.

This beautiful, enigmatic and anonymous face does have a name, though: L’Inconnue de la Seine, the Unknown Woman of the Seine. Hers are said to be the most-kissed lips in world history. And possibly the most life-saving lips of all time.

Her story dates back to the late 1880s, when her lifeless body was pulled from the River Seine not far from the Louvre. As the story goes, a pathologist at the Paris morgue was so taken by her beauty that he made a plaster cast of her face. (Another possibility: death masks of unidentified people were often made in past eras so that burial could take place while attempts to identify the victim could continue using the mask.) Another copy of the mask was made, and then a dozen, and then hundreds. She appeared in poems and short stories by writers from Albert Camus to Vladimir Nabokov.

Her smile was compared to Mona Lisa’s. Eventually the serene and beautiful face of L’Inconnue de la Seine was found in museums, cafés and private homes around the world.

One of those replicas was owned by a Norwegian toy maker named Asmund Laerdal. He didn’t know it at the time — the mid 1950s — but across the Atlantic Peter Safar, an Austrian doctor living in America, had discovered a means to keep victims of heart attacks alive long enough to get them to a hospital. The procedure came to be known as CPR, short for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Safar demonstrated that chest compressions combined with mouth-to-mouth breathing could keep oxygenated blood circulating, cutting the risk of brain damage and death.

He thought the procedure was so simple that anyone could do it, not just trained medical personnel — if they had a way to learn and practice. Remembering the rubber cars and trucks made by the Laerdal company he played with as a child (they were marketed as “furniture friendly”), Dr. Safar convinced Laerdal, also a doll maker, to build a mannequin that would be suitable for CPR training purposes.

Working with Safar and another doctor, Safar’s colleague James Elam, Asmund Laerdal developed what many people today call Rescue Annie or ResusciAnnie. Asmund Laerdal modeled Annie’s face after one he had gazed upon many times: “The Unknown Woman of the Seine.” Still in production today, Annie’s lips are said to be the most-kissed lips of all time, and the pair that have saved more lives than any other. If you ever took a CPR class, you’ve kissed them too.

The mannequin marked Laerdal’s entry into the medical field, and today the company remains a leader in building simulated and interactive medical training devices for practicing CPR, intubating patients, inserting IVs, and more.

L’Inconnue de la Seine, thought to have been around 16 at the time of her death, was never identified. Considering the countless lives she has saved, the irony is that because her body showed no signs of violence or trauma, her death was believed to be a suicide. +

My dog KC is out in the backyard on critter duty. As-long-as she is quiet, we all know the neighborhood is safe. One night she barked very loudly for more than her standard minute or two for a traveling critter, and the next day my neighbor discovered items missing from his backyard. He told me about it later and said he won’t ignore KC’s barking anymore, because her critter warnings include warning us about the two-legged kind of varmint.

We all count on warnings to protect us from harm, whether from human or animal predators. The trick for medical folks is to get us to pay attention to those warnings, something we are often unwilling or unable, to do. Two of the most frequent warnings we get from our doctors are to avoid excessive weight and stop smoking cigarettes. Neither warning is able in many cases to curb eating and smoking habits deeply ingrained from childhood, often because there are no direct and immediate cause and affect consequences. This is not because we are unwilling to learn, just that when we are learning we need feedback to know that what we are changing is working.

We know there are physical changes that come from losing weight. Those are consequences we can use to spur us to change old eating habits, but we need to be mindful of those changes, in the same way that patients undergoing chemotherapy are mindful of changes that help them cope with hair loss, like improving biochemical values that show cancer cells and tumor sizes decreasing. What can we do besides watching us becoming smaller and our clothes becoming too large for us?

One trick is to focus on what is changing in our ability to live a more fulfilling life.

A recovering alcoholic once told me that he was slowly noticing how many activities

had been displaced by drinking, recovering from a drunken episode, and feeling guilty about drinking. He noted how many parties he had missed, how he had stopped fishing which he enjoyed, how his relationships had suffered from his too frequent absences.

Losing the ability to participate in activities is very gradual, often occurring over years, so what did we used to enjoy doing? Make a list. Use that as a check point to have solid functional proof of a progression toward better health overall. Doing what we used to enjoy has a built in gift of feeling more alive while simultaneously increasing our activity levels. An additional benefit is a decreased likelihood of regaining lost weight!

The same kind of process can be applied to quitting smoking. I quit smoking over fifty years ago and I still remember how challenging it was. Smoking doesn’t kill us immediately, so like losing weight, it can be difficult to notice any immediate benefits from quitting. My mom died from smoking and it took fifty years of smoking to kill her, so her attempts to quit smoking were largely marked by the discomfort she felt when she took her annual six weeks off cigarettes for Lent. She listed being angry all the time, gaining weight, and having constipation as the negative side effects of quitting. Wow! That can really make you want to quit!

My motivation for quitting was different. I wanted to lessen the chance that my children would follow my example and smoke. My reason was not connected to how I was feeling, an end goal to help me stay smokefree despite some discomfort. My kids’ dad didn’t quit smoking. His heart attack in 2004 was fatal. Despite being overweight most of my adult life, I am still alive 15 years later. I know it’s time to lose more weight, because even at 75 I will reap benefits from doing so.

I lost a hundred pounds in 2014 and I am ready to go after the remaining weight while I can still enjoy the benefits! +

Sugar causes cavities Strictly speaking, that is a false statement, a myth.

Surprised?

According to doctors at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, sugar itself doesn’t harm teeth. Sugar occurs naturally in most foods and is used by the body for energy.

However, bacteria loves sugar, feeding on it from the foods we

eat. The more sugary foods and sweetened drinks we consume, the more oral bacteria flourishes.

But bacteria isn’t the direct culprit either, say the UAMS dental experts.

Instead, the abundant bacteria fed by sugar produces acid, and that is what breaks down the enamel in teeth, leading to cavities.

The key to oral health is

WHICH WILL IT BE? bacteria prevention through regular brushing and flossing, leading to less acid, which results in fewer cavities. +

JUNE 21, 2019

Musings of a Distractible Mind

I think people should expect more from their doctors. People expect to have to wait when they shouldn’t. They expect to have to come in to have questions answered, even if they are simple questions.

They expect for care to be complicated when it could be simple. They expect the doctor to be the center of the health care universe, when they, the patients, should be in that position.

I think a good practice should operate on four primary principles:

by Augusta physician Rob Lamberts, MD, recovering physician, internet blogger extraordinaire, and TEDx Augusta 2018 speaker.

Reach him via Twitter: @doc_rob or via his website: moredistractible.org

MEDICALEXAMINER

942 HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS

JUNE 21, 2019

AIKEN-AUGUSTA’S MOST SALUBRIOUS NEWSPAPER • FOUNDED IN 2006

AUGUSTARX.COM

This newspaper is delivered to more than

private practice doctors offices and to 14 area hospitals.

+

5 +

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

We are Aiken-Augusta’s Most Salubrious Newspaper

Clinically proven. Doctor recommended.

THANKS FOR READING!

TM

1. FOCUS ON HEALTH INSTEAD OF SICKNESS People shouldn’t view health care as something they need to use. Ideally, people would stay away from doctors, off of drugs, and out of hospitals. The problem is that the whole system we have is aimed at the opposite. My practice is different, taking the time to do the things necessary to keep people well.

My patients spend most of their time on the couch across from me. Not in the exam or waiting rooms.

My patients spend most of their time on the couch across from me. Not in the exam or waiting rooms.

PEOPLE SHOULD EXPECT MORE FROM THEIR DOCTORS 2. LISTENING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN DOING THINGS I answer the phone. I communicate electronically with my patients. I take the time to get to know them.

This is a whole lot better than ordering a bunch of tests, and it’s quite a bit cheaper. Unfortunately, communication is penalized by the U.S. medical system.

Fortunately for me, my patients are amazed at the difference they see from a doctor who actually listens.

3. LESS MEDICAL CARE IS OFTEN BETTER THAN MORE Health care has been turned into a transaction: find problems, treat them with procedures, and get paid for the number of procedures done (the bigger the better). This has yielded the expected outcome: more care than is needed; lots more. Unfortunately, the focus on treating problems gets in the way with the

highest goal of medicine: preventing disease in the first place. My focus is far more on risk reduction and quality of life than on finding disease and doing a treatment (often for diseases that aren’t high risk and treatments that are).

4. PATIENT RECORDS BELONG TO PATIENTS If my bank told me that the only way I could get my bank records was to pay for them, I’d fire them and get another bank. This is what doctors tell patients all the time. Why? Because records are not for care, they are for showing the problems and procedures necessary to get paid. I think records should be entirely focused on patient care, not on billing.

I think patients are best served to have access to all of their records, especially in this age of mobile computing.

Everything I’ve said here should include nurses, PAs, NPs, social workers, dietitians, physical therapists, and all of the other members of the health care team.

I write the orders as a physician, but care is best done with a good team. +

SAD NEWS DUE TO THE 4TH OF JULY HOLIDAY, IT WILL BE THREE WEEKS UNTIL OUR NEXT ISSUE, DATED JULY 12.

YES, IT’S SAD, BUT THE TIME WILL GO BY QUICKLY.

PAPER OR PLASTIC? READ THE EXAMINER ONLINE OR ON PAPER

ON PAPER: ALL OVER TOWN // ONLINE: AUGUSTARX.COM OR ISSUU.COM/MEDICALEXAMINER

+6

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

JUNE 21, 2019

CBD… from page 1 that some formulations require extra “setup” costs, like vape equipment.

• EFFECTIVE SPEED – Quick relief or slow release?

As a rule, the quicker the product kicks in, the quicker it wears off. For example, vaping/inhalation kicks in almost immediately (usually within minutes) because absorption through the lungs takes it straight to the bloodstream but may not last more than an hour or two. Edibles and capsules take a little longer to kick in (anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours) because they are processed through the GI system before going to the bloodstream.

Their effects may last 4-6 hours, but as with any oral medication or supplement, it may not be as strong as the direct products. Sublingual forms (within 20-40 minutes) may last 4-6 hours and lose a little less potency than regular oral forms. Topical creams/lotions/balms may take up to an hour to kick in but generally last at least 5 or more hours.

• EASE OF USE – having to purchase and then learn how to use a vape device correctly vs simply swallowing a capsule or applying a cream.

• CONCENTRATION OF PRODUCT – what dosage in milligrams do you get in what amount of product? Do you get enough “bang for the buck,” so to speak.

It is essential with CBD to purchase a product from a reputable company. Many companies will try to sell impure or even completely fake products. Things to look for include: (1) Strength of the product, especially if it contains THC. The federal legal limit for THC in a product is 0.3% or less derived from industrial hemp rather than marijuana plants.

(2) How is the CBD extracted? The highest quality products will be processed with CO2 extraction, which leaves nothing behind on the end product. Lesser quality

products often use a solvent extraction process due to cost and end up leaving solvent residue on the end product.

(This is an extremely important aspect of product quality.)

(3) Source of the CBD oil – The quality of the plant itself is highly dependent upon the where it was grown, how it was cultivated, and even what species of cannabis.

Since cannabis is a “hyperaccumulator,” it absorbs whatever is in the soil, air, and water whether it is good or bad.

(4) Does the product come with or have available a Certificate of Analysis (COA)?

These are from a third party testing facility that verifies the product’s components and concentrations, including the different varieties of cannabidiol and THC. Many will also include any presence of pesticide residue and which type, any presence of heavy metals, solvent residue, microbiological screening (i.e. any bacteria or fungi present), and terpene composition for each and every batch. It also verifies numbers 1, 2, and 3 above. All legitimate CBD manufacturers have these.

(5) Customer Reviews – look for the ones that appear to be written by a real person and include any potentially negative ones. It would be

very rare for every single review of a product to be 5-star, as there will always be someone less than thrilled with taste or something else major or minor, even if the product itself works.

(6) Does the company have a way to contact them directly? Either through email, online chat, or a 1-800 number, is the company available for you to ask questions and request this information if it is not readily provided?

CBD is available in numerous dosage forms. Tinctures are available that can be used both sublingually or applied directly to an area. CBD oils are generally sublingual as well. Tinctures and oils make the dose easily adjustable.

Inhalation products such as vape pens are one way to get into the body quickly. Oral capsules are an easy way to ingest the product, but they are a fixed dosage. There are also topical creams and balms that act both locally on an area (i.e. for pain or inflammation) and to be absorbed throughout the body (often for anxiety). Some companies make combination products, such as a nighttime blend that includes both CBD and melatonin, or a women’s monthly formula that utilizes CBD and valerian root among other herbs. There is a morn-

ing formula that incorporates CBD, caffeine, B-vitamins, and multiple amino acids to help boost mental clarity.

With enough research, you can probably locate a product to help with just about anything.

Another big question is about dosing. Since the FDA does not currently regulate CBD dosing (except in the case of the recently approved prescription product Epidiolex for two very specific types of childhood seizures), the dose for most conditions is open to interpretation. Each manufacturer will give you a different recommended basic starting point depending on their product. Since the dosing needs to be tailored to each patient it can vary widely from one person to the next. (More on this subject in Part 3.)

Quality CBD products from reputable companies are available through many outlets, both online and at bricks-and-mortar locations.

There are too many manufacturers available to adequately review all of them here. Many

Questions or comments please email us at cjdlpdrph@bellsouth.net

NOTE: None of the information provided here is intended to be a claim that these products do or do not work for the uses listed. It is intended only to create awareness of what the currently available products are being suggested/recommended for, and the research that is currently being done. This is a quickly changing area of medicine and it is therefore recommended to do your own additional research and consult with your healthcare provider before choosing to use any of the products.

ThE REBUS TRANSLATION:

independent pharmacies in the area carry different brands of quality CBD. Three brands that we are aware of in the CSRA are Green Roads, Medterra, and Ananda Professional. All three of these brands meet the quality requirements we have described above. Green Roads and Medterra are zero-THC products. The Ananda Professional line has both zero-THC and full spectrum (THC 0.3% or less) products available.

Also, there are multiple CBD stores in the CSRA that sell other lines of quality CBD products. This is definitely an area where you absolutely get what you pay for, so be diligent in your research. It is essential whether purchasing online or in person that you ask the right questions so that you can get the best possible products. Lesser quality products may or may not be effective, but more importantly, they may have additives that may cause unpleasant side effects or even be harmful.

One final note for this installment – If you will be traveling with CBD products, it is advisable to check the laws for your destinations, especially internationally.

Just because a product is legal here in the United States does not mean it will be legal everywhere. We don’t want to see anyone arrive at an international destination, go through Customs, and watch their brand-new bottle of CBD get thrown in the trash can (or worse) because the product is not legal to possess there.

Due to the enormous amount of information that we still need to cover, stay tuned for Part 3 dealing with dosing, potential side effects, and using CBD for pets. +

THE • MEDICAL EXAMINER • DEPENDS • ON • YOU

JUNE 21, 2019

7 +

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

GARDENVARIETY

I have found that starting my day off with a nutritious CBD smoothie bowl is a great way to ease my chronic pain and inflammation. It’s an all-around healthy way to boost my mornings! I also enjoy my CBD smoothie bowl as a nutritious snack or sometimes late night treat.

Making a smoothie bowl is easy, and there are so many flavor combination possibilities you could create a unique bowl each day of the week. Let your imagination go, and let’s learn how to mix up a smoothie bowl.

Pick Your Fruit To create your smoothie bowl base, you can use strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, bananas, cherries, or any other fruit you enjoy. Try a tropical smoothie of pineapple, mango, and banana or add blueberry and peach to switch it up some. You will need about 3 cups of fruit.

Choose a Liquid Almond milk is great for adding a slightly nutty flavor or try coconut milk for a tropical smoothie.

Toss In Some Extras You can add spinach or kale for additional nutrition. Try adding flax seeds for omega-3s or chia seeds for a massive punch of nutrition. Fresh mint, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger or honey can add fresh, exciting flavors.

Add CBD Oil Add flavored or unflavored CBD oil. To decide how much CBD oil ask your doctor or pharmacist. Also, I suggest looking at Natures Ultra How Much CBD Should I Take chart.

Add a Litte Sweetness Pyure Organic Stevia is my choice for adding a little sweetness. It only has Stevia, no other ingredients such as sugar alcohol sweeteners.

Mix Blend all ingredients in a vita mix type blender until smooth.

Toppings Pour smoothie into a bowl and top with whole frozen berries, unsweetened shredded coconut, nuts, cocoa nibs, or granola.

Fitzpatrick Opticians are also experts in HEARING AIDS, offering the latest advancements in both technology and comfort.

Visit us to see and hear the difference!

Fitzpatrick Opticians 410 University Parkway, Suite 2700 in Aiken Medical Center next to Aiken Regional Hospital

(803) 649-1430

aikenearandeye@yahoo.com

<Aiken

AIKEN-AUGUSTA HWY

HOSPITAL AIKEN MEDICAL CENTER Enter on upper level

}

UNIVERSITY PKWY

Add a Thickener Try adding peanut butter, protein powder, almond butter, or coconut yogurt.

Have you heard?

Augusta>

USC AIKEN

CBD Smoothie Bowl CBD Smoothie Bowl Ingredients • 1 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries • 1 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries • 1 serving Carrington Farms Organic Coconut Protein • 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk. You might need to add more or less to create a thick smoothie depending on your blender and frozen fruit.

• 1 serving Organic CBD oil. For dosage see Natures Ultra How Much CBD Should I Take chart.

• 3 scoops of Pyure Organic Stevia • Toppings: frozen strawberry slices, frozen whole blueberries, unsweetened shredded coconut Instructions Place all ingredients except topping in a strong blender such as a Vita-Mix Blend on high for 1 minute or until your fruit is smooth. Pour in a bowl and top with frozen fruit and shredded coconut.

Enjoy right away. +

by Gina Dickson. “As a mother of six who beat cancer, I want to share with you what I’ve learned. Healing from cancer can take everything a mom has, yet you still want to love and care for your family through the treatments. My blog is a community full of encouragement for moms going through cancer treatments who would like to use a plant-based vegan diet to complement their healing journey. www.thelifegivingkitchen.com

OVERHEAD DOOR COMPANY OF AUGUSTA/AIKEN (706) 736-8478 / (803) 642-7269 WWW.OHDAUGUSTA.COM

COMMERCIAL • RESIDENTIAL • INDUSTRIAL

PERSONAL INJURY • CRIMINAL DEFENSE • FAMILY LAW

WE FIGHT FOR YOU The aggressive representation you need and the sympathetic ear you want

Maureen O’Leary Floyd

Floyd & Leopard

SOMETIMES THE CURE needs a cure of its own

Steppingstones to Recovery 2610 Commons Blvd.

Augusta GA 30909

706-733-1935

LLP

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

Gregory Leopard

461 Greene Street at 5th • greenestreetlaw.com • 706-303-1874 • 800-785-6894

Read us online at AugustaRX.com

+8

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

Voted “BEST BARBER SHOP” in Augusta Magazine many times!

Daniel Village Barber Shop 2522 Wrightsboro Road • 736-7230

PEOPLE WITH GREAT HAIR

ACCOMPLISH GREAT THINGS STOP BY TODAY. LET’S TAKE CARE OF THE GREAT HAIR PART. 5 BARBERS! • FLAT SCREEN TV! • PAY BY CREDIT/DEBIT CARD! • FREE POPCORN!

Head to toe service: Jerry will shine your shoes while we cut your hair.

Visit us at danielvillagebarbershop.com 76 Circle K

Highland Ave.

Ohio Ave.

DANIEL VILLAGE BARBER SHOP

Daniel Field

Complex WRIGHTSBORO ROAD Augusta Mall e E Medical Tue - Fri: 8:00 - 6:00; Saturday: 8:00 - 2:00

P

JUNE 21, 2019

YOUR TEEN AT RISK, PART 3

by Ken Wilson Steppingstones to Recovery

Your child-rearing days are over. Everything you’ve taught them is about to be put to the test. Sure, they might still learn a thing or two from you, but now it’ll be whatever they can hear with their fingers stuck tightly in their ears.

Teen years are the years of rebellion. Remember?

It’s not a bad thing…it’s a necessary thing. Your kids now need to integrate their values with your values and often they’re not the same.

It’s a time of conflict. A child psychologist once said “when your son turns 13, put him in a barrel. When he turns 16, put a stopper in the hole in the barrel!” Figuratively, of course.

The biggest challenge you have now is to create an open forum for your teen to talk to you and vice versa. Non judgmentally. Non parentally.

(Yeah, right!) He or she will seemingly go against most values you ever taught them.

In the end, though, most teens adopt their parents values with, of course, some adjustment and variation. Most kids most of the time but not all kids all of the time.

THIS IS YOUR BRAIN

A monthly series by an Augusta drug treatment professional Teens are curious creatures. They’ll try most anything short of jumping off a rooftop – and sometimes they do that! A sense of immortality accompanies this period of life. If that’s hard to believe, get a driving report of your teen when you’re not watching!

And then here come the drugs. “If I take this I won’t die…my buddy didn’t so I won’t!” Not. “If I smoke this nobody will find out.” My file cabinets are full of teens who had this self-defeating thought and the resultant self-defeating behavior.

This awkward time of life is also one of insecurity

while the body changes in unseemly ways…in-between ways…they’re not a child and they’re not an adult and they’re not sure who they are. One way to gain the acceptance from their peers, which they desperately need, is to do what they do…to take them up on their offer to be “one of them.” Many regain their foothold…and many more do not.

A free and open forum with each other is paramount right about now. They may ask you questions about your drug or alcohol use when you were their age! Be forthright please. You don’t have Please see TEEN page 10

Proudly announcing our affiliation with Dr. John Cook of Southern Dermatology in Aiken

ARKS DICTIONARY

DRUG ABUSE - noun; not taking advantage of available medications; or failing to take medicines as prescribed

P

M.D. John Cook,

ARKS

HARMACY

Hometown. Not big box.

Pictured above (from left to right), John Cook, MD; Lauren Ploch, MD; Jason Arnold, MD; Caroline Wells, PA-C; Chris Thompson, PA-C

437 Georgia Avenue, North Augusta, SC

803-279-7450 parkspharmacy.com

5-STAR PERSONAL SERVICE • DRIVE-THRU • DELIVERY

NEXTISSUEJULY12

2110 Woodside Executive Court Aiken, South Carolina • 803-644-8900

SKIN CANCER CENTER

2283 Wrightsboro Road Augusta, Georgia • 706-733-3373

Skin Cancer Removal • Mohs Surgery • Routine Skin Exams • Mole Removal • Botox • Dermal Fillers

GENERAL, SURGICAL & COSMETIC DERMATOLOGY

JUNE 21, 2019

9 +

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

DON’T LICK THE BEATERS Useful food facts from dietetic interns with the Augusta University MS-Dietetic Internship Program

KIDNEY BEANS PACK ENERGY

by Emsley Jones, MS-Dietetic Intern

The kidneys are bean shaped organs that unsurprisingly resemble the kidney bean. Kidney beans are a legume that provide a variety of nutrients needed to maintain a healthy body. These tiny beans are packed full of vitamins and minerals including folate, iron, phosphorous, potassium, and B-complex vitamins. Other lesser known vitamins and minerals provided by the beans are molybdenum, selenium, pantothenic acid, copper, magnesium, manganese and zinc. These nutrients carry out essential body functions and are therefore needed by the human body. The functions include making DNA, normal nerve function, and energy production. When these are lacking in the diet, many of the body’s organs and functions may be negatively impacted.

Although some of these nutrients are less known they are needed for major body functions. Molybdenum is an essential mineral like iron.

The body requires very little of it and deficiency is very rare. Despite being needed in small amounts, the body would not be able to breakdown fats and carbo-

hydrates to produce energy.

The mineral also helps the kidneys to eliminate toxic substances from the body.

Molybdenum is often added to foods as it serves as a preservative.

Selenium can be considered to be super powerful as it protects other nutrients and our cells from being destroyed by toxins. This superpower is commonly referred to as antioxidant properties.

Antioxidants reduce the risk of cancers, inflammation and chronic diseases.

Niacin and pantothenic acid are B-vitamins. Pantothenic acid is also known as vitamin B5. Pantothenic acid is crucial for the process of converting food to energy. Foods provide energy by breaking down carbohydrates, fats, and protein to its simplest form for absorption into our cells. The energy is used to carry out all body functions including bone formation and maintaining healthy organs such as the

Please see KIDNEY BEANS page 10

ARE YOU EXPECTING? WHY WAIT?

kidneys and the liver. Niacin, vitamin B3, is a water-soluble vitamin that works in energy production, immune, nervous system, and cognitive function.

Riboflavin is vitamin B2 and along with pantothenic acid, and niacin all work together in the energy conversion process. Riboflavin specifically works to make those carbohydrate filled foods into energy. Vitamin B2 also plays a role in the health of mucous membranes, nerve, and eye function.

Some studies suggest that this nutrient could be used for the prevention of cataracts in the eyes. As the body ages cell function declines in the eyes increasing the risk of cataracts, glaucoma, and keratoconus. It also works like an antioxidant to reduce toxins in the body, therefore promoting cell health in all cells of the body.

Zinc has a wide variety of functions in the body. Benefits of zinc can increase immune health, DNA production, and wound healing.

Zinc activates cells in the body which work in immune response and attack the infected cells. Zinc is also used in making the skin healthy to give the body a first line of defense against infection and germs. Having adequate amount of zinc promotes the skins ability to heal properly to fight infection. Low amounts of zinc can lead to anemia, hair loss, loss of taste or smell, and appetite loss.

Consuming these vibrantly red legumes can offer more than just a pop of color to your plate. The wide variety of nutrients that these beans offer go far beyond their

...EXPECTING BRAKE PROBLEMS FROM THOSE SQUEAKS? ......EXPECTING EXPECTING ENGINE TROUBLE FROM THAT SMOKE?

Maintenance NOW costs less than repairs LATER. YS! TURDA A S N E OP

Monday-Friday: 7:30am-5:30pm

Wrightsboro at Jimmie Dyess Parkway Monday-Friday: 7:30am-5:30pm

Custom Framing Custom Mirrors

Art Installation Reframing

Gallery Moments Printing Services

3954 Wrightsboro Rd • 706-863-9318

990 Telfair Street • 706-724-0900

ART & FRAME

4014 Washington Rd • 762-685-5555

526 Georgia Avenue • North Augusta • 803.441.0144

Mon-Fri: 7am-6pm • SATURDAY: 8am-2pm

• Customer shuttle • 6 months same-as-cash financing • 2-year/24,000 mile warranty • ASE Certified technicians • 24-hour towing & key drop • www.ccautomotive.com

Catch the C&C Automotive Show Saturday mornings from 8-10 on 580 AM or 95.1 FM

TELL A FRIEND ABOUT THE MEDICAL EXAMINER!

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

Glands

Bones

Joints

d Other

Foot

HHHHH

Lanie T. Augusta, GA

Wally T. Beech Island, SC

H H H H H 6/10/2019 I’d like to join a support group of other people with feet. I heard about something called Club Foot.

I guess it’s like Club Med? If anyone has any info, please PM me. + H H H H H 6/12/2019 I’ve heard about playing footsie, but I don’t know anything about it. How many teams are in the area? Are there leagues? I’m kind of an athlete, so I would definitely be interested. +

Jayne R. Evans, GA

H H H H H 6/12/2019 I’m the practice manager for a podiatrist, and we’re planning a formal black tie gala this fall to celebrate feet. We’re still in the planning stages, but if you hear anything about a “foot ball” in September or October, that will be us. Google “foot ball” for updates about our event! +

Ed K. Aiken, SC

H H H H H 6/13/2019 My wife’s dream has come true! She has wanted to have a food truck for years, and it is finally happening. Look for her truck, Foot-Long Hotdog Heaven. Just a heads up: she is a tiny, petite little thing from head to toe, so her “foot long” dogs are only a little more than six inches. But to her, that’s a foot. +

Samuel D. Augusta, GA

H H H H H 6/14/2019 I know a cop who hates feet. He told me he goes on foot patrol every night. What’s his deal? +

LaLinda K. McBean, GA

Roy H. Grovetown, GA

H H H H H 6/15/2019 I’m on my feet 8 to 10 hours a day at work. My feet are killing me by the end of every day, so I’ve been saving up for a footrest. I’m going to the furniture store to pick one out so my feet can finally get some rest. + H H H H H 6/15/2019 I’m a rookie cop. I don’t have a lot of experience yet, but I want to make detective as soon as possible. If I can break a big case, I think I will be promoted sooner. So if anyone knows the person who made the previous post - the guy who said his feet were killing him - I’d like to get enough information to make an arrest. Please. Do the right thing. +

MEDICALEXAMINER

KIDNEY BEANS… from page 9

good source of fiber and protein. Micronutrients are needed to ensure the body has ample amounts of energy, cell maintenance, immune health and so much more. Micronutrients are like the nuts and bolts of the body initiating all metabolic functions. Each person needs these nutrients in varying amounts on age, gender, and health status.

A registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) can help in meeting those needs as they are expertly trained in the field of foods and nutrition. For additional information on health, nutrition and how to find RDNs are available at www.eatright.org. +

JEWELRY SURGEON

the

• MODERN & ESTATE PIECES •

RESTORATION AND REPAIR ON GOLD & PLATINUM JEWELRY TM

FRIENDREQUEST

EYEGLASSES REPAIRED Welcome former Murphy & Robinson customers!

1254 AUGUSTA WEST PARKWAY INSIDE BARGAIN HUNTERS CALL AHEAD: (706) 284-0190 To view my work visit scscja.org. Click on resources, then merchandise.

Click on the ring photo, then the PDF link.

Drop by Facebook today and click “Like” on our page.

L

Thanks in advance! +

www.facebook.com/AugustaRX

an a m h t ess

To WILD WING CAFE & SCRUBS OF EVANS They’re the prize sponsors of our Mystery Word Contest.

illion people can’t be w

ron g!

Advertise here Call us today! (706) 860-5455

us !

( * ( *

12.8 million reviews

The lower extremity of the legs below the ankle Working now? Possibly Take-Out Available? Not recommended Good for: Pedaling bicycles, modeling shoes, filling socks

to tell it all, just be authentic. Nobody likes a phony.

Watch some movies about drug use gone bad with your teenagers…there are plenty of them out there. You don’t even have to comment or judge the actor in the movie. Your kids are smart…they’ll get the drift. Attend an Open Meeting (open to the general public) of Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous with them. You can read the legend and schedule online.

IF done correctly, this is an excellent age to do at-home drug screens. They are easy to find online. BUT…do them with this understanding: “We’re a drug free home…this is the best way for you to demonstrate your fidelity to us, your parents, so we may continue to give you a car to drive, insurance to cover it, a phone, internet, food, clothes. Every clean drug screen you give helps us buy more confidence in you. After all, we are your parents and we are subject to drug screens at work and to get a job and if we get hurt on the job…so welcome to life!” In fact, the chairman of the Drug Free Workplace in a nearby state drug screens his teenagers!

At all costs, avoid being “parental” with them if you do this! Handle matters like you would with a fellow employee at work or a neighbor.

Next month we might talk about contracts. Or maybe drug screens. Check in & see which one! Because your teen really is at risk. +

companies who already supp ort

5 Organs

Near Augusta GA

of tens

Find throat

TEEN… from page 8

the

*

welp

JUNE 21, 2019

in Jo

+ 10

+

JUNE 21, 2019

11 +

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

The blog spot From the Bookshelf — posted by Torie Sepah, M.D, on June 10, 2019 (edited for space)

WORDS MATTER: THE NOT-SOINNOCUOUS PROVIDER EFFECT Language matters. The use of the word “provider” may seem innocuous, but it is significant both for patients and physicians.

For patients, it has been perhaps the most pronounced step — if not leap — away from transparency. (Who is who? Nurse, doctor, chiropractor, podiatrist, psychologist?

Doesn’t matter — everyone is a “provider.”)

For physicians, the ramifications have been two-fold.

One on hand, the use of the word is a demotion by proxy.

It dismisses and devalues the unique and difficult path that physicians must take to become physicians and to sustain the career of one.

A “provider” doesn’t necessarily sacrifice a decade of their life while becoming financially destitute, postponing marriage and children, growing distant from friends and family, falling behind on financial milestones for their age — such as purchasing a home and investing in retirement.

In reality, a “provider” may have attended a 9 to 12 month, 100% online NP program.

It is difficult to reconcile the two realities as one path, yet providers are providers.

The other manifestation is likely born of the first one — the effect on transparency. [By] extrapolation we must all indeed be equal in our ability to practice medicine.

There are now 24 states that allow NPs to practice medicine independently without a medical license or any supervision of a physician — in almost any specialty that they choose (and they can switch at any time). Think this is only in rural states? California is slated to be the 25th; NP and PA independent practice bills currently pending.

The Governor supports them. More “providers,” he has said, increases access to care for the poor.

And let’s not forget the other providers. Five states allow talk therapists to practice medicine in the specialty of psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP).

This despite psychiatry being at least a four-year specialty — CAP a six-year post-grad curriculum, just one year less than neurosurgery. And all “providers” can “prescribe” even if most psychiatric medications have a black box warning. But a “provider” is a “provider,” and if the goal is myopic — to simply increase access — then one can easily see how the use of this term has allowed for the practice of medicine to be carved up and parceled out to the highest bidder by legislators, state by state.

Why should this matter to all physicians? Because this is a fundamental shift in how our profession is practiced (and very different from the rigorous, near uniform standards we are still held to). In a study on physician burnout in the context of non-physician providers (NPP), close to 70% of physicians fear losing their job to an NPP. A mere 5% reported that the use of NPPs could increase their time to teach residents medical students or have more F2F time with patients.

The frenzy that is occurring in response to the dire physician shortage is the rapid-fire scope expansion taking place in state senates across the country. This myopic strategy seems to be based on the fundamental notion that Americans don’t want more physicians; they just need more “providers.”

By my count, if we had matched even 75% of unmatched U.S. medical school grads over the last decade by adjusting the number of residency positions to correlate with the demand and supply, we would have had a small army of physicians (10,000). And those would have been physicians, not “providers.” + Torie Sepah is a psychiatrist

This book had us right away. All it took was five words of endorsement on the front cover by Mary Roach, perhaps the best science writer in print today. She is the author of such modern classics as Stiff, Bonk and Gulp.

Of How We Learn she says, “This book is a revelation.

I feel as if I’ve owned a brain for fifty-four years and only now discovered the operating manual. For two centuries, psychologists and neurologists have been quietly piecing together the mysteries of mind and memory as they relate to learning and knowing.

Benedict Carey serves up their most fascinating, surprising, and valuable discoveries with clarity, wit, and heart. I wish I’d read this when I was seventeen.”

For its part, these are some of the publisher’s words about How We Learn: What if almost everything we were told about learning is wrong?

In How We Learn, awardwinning science reporter Benedict Carey sifts through

decades of education research and landmark studies to uncover the truth about how our brains absorb and retain information.

What he discovers is that in our zeal to systematize the process we have ignored valuable, naturally enjoyable learning tools like forgetting, sleeping, and daydreaming.

Is a dedicated desk in a quiet room really the best way to study? Can altering your routine improve your recall? Are there times when distraction is good? Is repetition necessary? Carey’s search for answers to these questions yields a wealth of

strategies that make learning more a part of our everyday lives — and less of a chore.

Carey shows how we can flex the neural muscles that make deep learning possible.

Along the way he reveals why teachers should give final exams on the first day of class and when it’s smarter to stay up late prepping for that presentation than to rise early for one last cram session. And if this requires some suspension of disbelief, that’s because the research defies what we’ve been told about how best to learn.

The brain is not like a muscle, at least not in any straightforward sense. It doesn’t take orders well, to put it mildly. If the brain is a learning machine, then it is an eccentric one. In How We Learn, Benedict Carey shows us how to exploit its quirks to our advantage. + How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It Happens, by Benedict Carey, 272 pages, published in June 2015 by Random House Trade Paperbacks

Research News got time?

Do you have two hours a week you could devote to something that could pay big dividends?

Or to phrase the question differently (and borrow from an old joke), what works better for your schedule, spending two hours a week exercising, or 24 hours a day dead? (We don’t write the jokes, folks, we just repeat them sometimes.)

But here’s the even better news, based on a study

by England’s University of Exeter: the study doesn’t even mention the E word (you know, exercise).

Here is what this largescale study did say: spending at least two hours a week in nature — that’s it, just spending time — is closely linked to improved psychological wellbeing and self-reported good health.

What is “nature”? Whatever is available locally: sitting in a city park, walking in

the woods, visiting a beach, strolling along the banks of a river.

The study was based on data from nearly 20,000 Britons, and found the beneficial results were equally doled out to people who communed with nature in a single weekly 120-minute chunk and those who enjoyed multiple short visits (as long as they added up to at least 2 hours per week. They observed no benefits among those who spent less than 2 hours per week).

The study, published June 13 in Scientific Reports, noted equal benefits among young and old, men and women, in both rich and poor neighborhoods, in all ethnic groups, and even among people with chronic or longterm illnesses or disabilities.

Study authors noted that merely living in a greener neighborhood can offer health benefits from reduced air pollution and noise.

Brush - and stay sane A Norwegian study released earlier this month says that there is a clear connection between gum disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

The research uncovered a direct link showing that bacteria responsible for gingivitis can migrate from the mouth to the brain, in the process producing a protein that destroys nerve cells in the brain, elevating the risk of memory loss and Alzheimer’s.

Bad at work, bad at home The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston says their research shows that selectively destroying cancerous prostate cells with lasers is as effective as prostate removal or radiation therapy in fighting cancer, but holds the added benefit of preserving better sexual and urinary function compared with other treatments. +

+ 12

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

The Examiners +

I thought you were going to get a LASIK procedure.

by Dan Pearson

Any problems?

I did, both eyes.

So what’s up with the glasses?

No, my vision is absolutely perfect.

Oh, those. I still need something to hide the bags under my eyes.

PUZZLE ACROSS 1. IV synonym 5. Medicinal mass 10. Field hosp. unit 14. Houston university 15. Stop prematurely 16. Double curve 17. Atop 18. Not drunk 19. Letters lead-in 20. Polite 22. Impaired 24. Entirely 25. Shades 26. Small, round and shiny 30. Dry, barren place 34. Antiquity 35. Don, onetime MCG Health president 37. Furnishings 38. Professional charges 40. Impish 42. Carbonated drink 43. Urge forward 45. Section of a wall 47. Wreath of flowers 48. Names 50. Surgical opening 52. Largest bone 54. Rotational speed (abbrev.)

55. Office Space star 58. Aiken feeder?

62. Half of an island in French Polynesia 63. Farewell, señor 65. Fantastic Four’s Invisible Woman 66. Cheese coated with red wax 67. Large knife of Nepal 68. Applies friction to 69. Sandy tract 70. Appears 71. Yes, casually

ME

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

24 26

27

29

39

43

36 40

44

48

41

32

33

42 46

49

56

31 37

45

52 55

13

23

30

35

38

12

25

28

34

11

50

47 51

53

54

57

58 64

59

62

63

66

67

68

69

70

71

60

61

65

Click on “MYSTERY WORD” • DEADLINE TO ENTER: NOON, JULY 5, 2019

We’ll announce the winner in our next issue!

E X A M I N E R

5

5 1

3

9

4

2 8

5

8 2 3 6 5 3 1 1 6 7 9 5

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2019 All rights reserved.

9 5 1 8

S 3 U 2 D O K U 7

DIRECTIONS: Every line, vertical and horizontal, and all nine 9-square boxes must each contain the numbers 1 though 9. Solution on page 14.

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2019 All rights reserved.

DOWN 1. _____ lord 2. Ready to eat 3. Image 4. Period of five years 5. Starting point measurement 6. Ancient Greek coin, one-sixth of a drachma 7. Throw in a high arc 8. Hives 9. Maroon 10. Sorghum syrup 11. Highly excited 12. Prominent golfer (1957-2011) to friends 13. Obey 21. Right-angle extensions 23. Reward (archaic, poetic) 25. Olde Town street 26. Suit 27. Fragrant resin often used in varnish 28. Proficient 29. Seaweed

Simply unscramble the letters, then begin exploring our ads. When you find the correctly spelled word hidden in one of our ads — enter at AugustaRx.com

31. Bacteria named after German Dr. Theodor Escherich 32. Hippodrome event 33. 6th Street vehicle 36. Waterfall (archaic, poetic) 39. Identical 41. Death of tissue from injury or disease 44. English court 46. Rims 49. Former Walton Way bakery 51. Streaked and smudged 53. Unwarranted 55. Not up yet 56. Knotlike mass 57. Teheran’s country 58. Character played by George (Wendt) 59. Cyanotic 60. Title of respect for God 61. Deep wound 64. 34th US President, familiarly Solution p. 14

QUOTATIONPUZZLE N P H E W D Y C M O R H E L W O S U B R P T H D N M I W E E A O T O T S O I S S A G L

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2019 All rights reserved

2 3 1 6 A 7 8Y 5R 4 9

— Rodney Dangerfield

4 5 6 3 9 2 8 1 7

DIRECTIONS: Recreate a timeless nugget of wisdom by using the letters in each vertical column to fill the boxes above them. Once any letter is used, cross it out in the lower half of the puzzle. Letters may be used only once.

Black squares indicate spaces between words, and words may extend onto a second line.

Solution on page 14.

1. 2663 (body part) ____

6. 84242 (body part) _____

2. 97478 (body part) _____

7. 33687 (body part) _____

3. 26553 (body part) _____

8. 7283552 (body part) _______

4. 35269 (body part) _____

9. 7837686 (body part) _______

5. 75855 (body part) _____

________

Use keypad letters to convert numbers into the words suggested by the definitions provided. The is often a theme linking all answers.

Sample: 742 (body part) = RIB. Answers on page 14.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The first issue of each month will contain a “Words by Number” puzzle in this space; the 10. 25284253 (body part) second issue will contain a “Text Me” puzzle.

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2018 All rights reserved

TEXT

1

THE MYSTERY WORD The Mystery Word for this issue: RATLAUN

© 2019 Daniel Pearson All rights reserved.

EXAMINER CROSSWORD

JUNE 21, 2019

9 7 8 1 5 4 3 2 6

5 1 7 9 4 3 2 6 8

8 6 4 7 2 5 1 9 3

3 2 9 8 1 6 4 7 5

JUNE 21, 2019

13 +

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

THEBESTMEDICINE ha... ha...

The

Advice Doctor

Moe: What’s the difference between a jeweler and a jailer?

Joe: One sells watches, the other watches cells.

©

Moe: I recently started dating an archaeologist.

Joe: It just goes to show that they will date anything.

T

wo birds are sitting side by side on a perch when one of them turns to the other and asks, “Do you smell fish?”

Moe: Why can’t eggs tell each other jokes?

Joe: They would crack each other up.

A man at the grocery store is buying nothing but frozen pizzas and TV dinners.

The female cashier says: “You must be single.”

The man answers: “Wow, how did you know?”

“Because you’re ugly,” said the cashier.

Moe: On his deathbed, my grandfather told me just two words, but they were important. “Remember these two words,” he said. “They will open many doors for you throughout your life.”

Joe: What were they?

Moe: Push and pull.

Moe: I’ve never really liked the study of tunnel making Joe: Why not?

Moe: It’s boring.

Moe: What do you call a cow with no legs?

Joe: That old joke?

Moe: Seriously, I need name suggestions.

Moe: I was changing a light bulb the other day. Then I crossed the street and walked into a bar.

Joe: And? Moe: And right then I realized my life was a joke.

Moe: Whenever I buy a gallon of milk the cashier at Kroger always asks me if I want my milk in a bag.

Joe: What do you say?

Moe: I say no, just leave it in the carton.

Moe: Where do sheep get their haircut?

Joe: I give. Where?

Moe: At the baa baa shop!

Moe: I found out that the Secret Service no longer yells “Get down!” when the president is under attack.

Joe: What do they yell now?

Moe: “Donald, duck!” +

Why subscribe to theMEDICALEXAMINER? What do you mean?

Staring at my phone all day has had no Effect on ME!

Because try as they might, no one can stare at their phone all day.

Dear Advice Doctor, I have been seeing this guy for almost a year, and things were going fine until we bumped into his ex-girlfriend one night. It was a little awkward but no big deal, except that she “innocently” asked someone who knows me for my cell number. Now this woman is blowing up my phone day and night. It’s harassment, pure and simple. My boyfriend says there’s nothing he can do. Should I call the cops? Get a lawyer? Break up with my boyfriend? I’m lost on this one.

Can you please give me some good advice?

— On Call 24/7 Dear On Call, These things do happen, but the good news is that they’re quite rare. Naturally, if you’re one of the actual victims, the relative rarity is of little comfort when it happens to you.

When one of these episodes does happen, though, it seems to get plenty of attention. Remember when the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones first came out? The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a warning that they could blow up or catch fire. Samsung put a moratorium on shipments while improvements were made.

That is but one of the recent incidents, and there have been several headline-making events involving lithium-ion batteries since then: a Tesla sitting unattended in a parking garage spontaneously burst into flames; a man’s e-cigarette exploded in his face while vaping; and yes, phones batteries can catch fire and explode.

Obviously no one wants their phone to blow up, so let’s talk about prevention. If a battery is damaged in any way — bent, punctured or swollen — it should be replaced. A battery that frequently gets hot is also a candidate for replacement. Speaking of hot batteries, leaving a phone or other lithium-ion powered device in a car this time of year in the south, particularly if the device is in full sun, can result in battery overheating and the possibility of fire. A hot battery should automatically shut down your phone, however, reducing the risk.

Some sources have blamed cellphone fires on cheap charging devices. And a damaged lithium-ion battery that comes into contact with water can also result in a chemical reaction and fire.

Be safe!

I hope this answered your question. + Do you have a question for The Advice Doctor about life, love, personal relationships, career, raising children, or any other important topic? Send it to News@AugustaRx.com. Replies will be provided only in the Examiner.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE MEDICALEXAMINER +

+

Why read the Medical Examiner: Reason #208

By popular demand we’re making at-cost subscriptions available for the convenience of our readers.

If you live beyond the Aiken-Augusta area, or miss issues between doctor’s appointments — don’t you hate it when that happens? — we’ll command your mail carrier to bring every issue to your house!

NAME ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP Choose ____ six months for $20; or ____ one year for $36. Mail this completed form with payment to Augusta Medical Examiner, PO Box 397, Augusta GA 30903-0397

BEFORE READING

AFTER READING

9

+ 14

1

6

7 5

8

THE MYSTERY SOLVED The Mystery Word in our last issue was: NOSE

...cleverly hidden on the lady’s collar in the p. 2 ad for VEIN SPECIALISTS OF AUGUSTA

THE WINNER: DANIELLE FORT! Want to find your name here next time? If it is, we’ll send you some cool swag from our goodie bag. The new Mystery Word is on page 12. Start looking!

JUNE 21, 2019

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER THE PUZZLE SOLVED D R U G

R I P E

B E F I T

E L E M I

A B E D

N O D E

I C O N

P B O E A B N S O T E E L A L L A D L I K D S N E E S E L P E L P T L E S F E M U I S T O N R A A D A M K U N E S E

L U S O R T B E R D A T O N E D L L F I N A N E I N C R R N O I O S K R I E M S

M E E D L I P S

M O L A S S E S

A G O G

S E V E

H E E D

E C O L S I M E B A L R U Y E

R O D E O

T R A I N

A B B A

G A S H

SEE PAGE 12

The Celebrated TheSUDOKUsolution MYSTERY WORD CONTEST 2 4 9 5 8 3 1 6 7

...wherein we hide (with fiendish cleverness) a simple word. All you have to do is unscramble the word (found on page 12), then find it concealed within one of our ads. Click in to the contest link at www.AugustaRx.com and enter. If we pick you in our random drawing of correct entries, you’ll score our goodie package!

SEVEN SIMPLE RULES: 1. Unscramble and find the designated word hidden within one of the ads in this issue. 2. Visit the Reader Contests page at www.AugustaRx.com. 3. Tell us what you found and where you found it. 4. If you’re right and you’re the one we pick at random, you win. (Winners within the past six months are ineligible.) 5. Prizes awarded to winners may vary from issue to issue. Limited sizes are available for shirt prize. 6. A photo ID may be required to claim some prizes. 7. Other entrants may win a lesser prize at the sole discretion of the publisher. 8. Deadline to enter is shown on page 12.

3 1 6 7 8 5 4 9

5 6 3 9 2 8 1 7

7 8 1 5 4 3 2 6

Love to stare at your phone?

Visit issuu.com/ medicalexaminer and stare away.

1 7 9 4 3 2 6 8

6 4 7 2 5 1 9 3

2 9 8 1 6 4 7 5

8 5 4 6 7 9 3 2

9 2 5 3 1 7 8 4

4 3 2 8 9 6 5 1

QuotatioN QUOTATION PUZZLE SOLUTION “When I was born I was so ugly the doctor slapped my mother.”

— Rodney Dangerfield

TEXT ME 1. BONE 2. WRIST 3. ANKLE 4. ELBOW 5. SKULL

6. TIBIA 7. FEMUR 8. PATELLA 9. STERNUM 10. CLAVICLE

+

READ EVERY ISSUE ONLINE WWW.ISSUU.COM/ MEDICALEXAMINER

JUNE 21, 2019

15 +

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY +

ACUPUNCTURE

DENTISTRY

Dr. Eric Sherrell, DACM, LAC Augusta Acupuncture Clinic 4141 Columbia Road 706-888-0707 www.AcuClinicGA.com

Dr. Judson S. Hickey 2315-B Central Ave Augusta 30904 PRACTICE CLOSED 706-739-0071

ALLERGY

IN-HOME CARE

Floss ‘em or lose ‘em!

Jason H. Lee, DMD 116 Davis Road Augusta 30907 706-860-4048

Tesneem K. Chaudhary, MD Allergy & Asthma Center 3685 Wheeler Road, Suite 101 Augusta 30909 706-868-8555

Steven L. Wilson, DMD Family Dentistry 4059 Columbia Road Martinez 30907 706-863-9445

AMBULANCE SERVICE

DERMATOLOGY AMBULANCE • STRETCHER • WHEELCHAIR

706-863-9800

CHIROPRACTIC Evans Chiropractic Health Center Dr. William M. Rice 108 SRP Drive, Suite A 706-860-4001 www.evanschiro.net

COUNSELING Resolution Counseling Professionals 3633 Wheeler Rd, Suite 365 Augusta 30909 706-432-6866 www.visitrcp.com

Georgia Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center 2283 Wrightsboro Rd. (at Johns Road) Augusta 30904 706-733-3373 SKIN CANCER CENTER www.GaDerm.com

DEVELOPMENTAL PEDIATRICS Karen L. Carter, MD 1303 D’Antignac St, Suite 2100 Augusta 30901 706-396-0600 www.augustadevelopmentalspecialists.com

DRUG REHAB Steppingstones to Recovery 2610 Commons Blvd.

Augusta 30909 706-733-1935

Everyday Elder Care LLC Certified Home Health/Caregiver 706-231-7001 everydayeldercare.com Zena Home Care Personal Care|Skilled Nursing|Companion 706-426-5967 www.zenahomecare.com

LONG TERM CARE WOODY MERRY www.woodymerry.com Long-Term Care Planning I CAN HELP! (706) 733-3190 • 733-5525 (fax)

PHARMACY Medical Center West Pharmacy 465 North Belair Road Evans 30809 706-854-2424 www.medicalcenterwestpharmacy.com Parks Pharmacy 437 Georgia Ave. ARKS HARMACY N. Augusta 29841 803-279-7450 www.parkspharmacy.com

P

SLEEP MEDICINE

Sleep Institute of Augusta Bashir Chaudhary, MD 3685 Wheeler Rd, Suite 101 Augusta 30909 706-868-8555

VEIN CARE Vein Specialists of Augusta G. Lionel Zumbro, Jr., MD, FACS, RVT, RPVI 501 Blackburn Dr, Martinez 30907 706-854-8340 www.VeinsAugusta.com

YOUR LISTING HERE Your Practice And up to four additional lines of your choosing and, if desired, your logo.

Keep your contact information in this convenient place seen by thousands of patients every month.

Call (706) 860-5455 for all the details!

If you would like your practice listed in our Directory, call the Medical Examiner at 706.860.5455

Like this newspaper?

The best way to support the Medical Examiner is by supporting our advertisers.

WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

+ 16

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

JUNE 21, 2019

The origin of “The Blue Goose”

Call (706)

210-8890

They’re here!

The world’s most salubrious mugs are here! Win a chance to get one by entering our celebrated Mystery Word Contest!

See all the deets on pages 12 and 14. Then start looking!

THANKS ALSO TO OUR CONTEST CO-SPONSORS

< $20 Gift Certificate

Masters of Clinical Research (706) 210-8890 1113 Garredd Blvd, Suite A Augusta, GA 30909

^ $20 Gift Card

READ ONLINE LOOK FOR THE MYSTERY WORD!

Masters of Clinical Research (706) 210-8890

THE

MEDICALEXAMINER VISIT AUGUSTARX.COM FOR EVERY NEW ISSUE, AND ISSUU.COM/MEDICALEXAMINER, WHERE MORE THAN 180 PAST ISSUES OF THE EXAMINER AWAIT YOUR READING PLEASURE.