/oss/taxonomy/term/3211/all en /oss/article/did-you-know-general-science/power-suggestion-can-play-role-aromatherapy <hr /> <p><em>Shira Cohen is studying Nutrition at the School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition at ŗŚĮĻ²»“ņģČ University, specializingĀ inĀ Global Nutrition.Ā </em></p> Wed, 29 May 2019 16:42:28 +0000 Shira Cohen, Student Contributor 7784 at /oss /oss/article/health/drill-or-not-drill-question <p>Aaah, those leisurely Saturday mornings. More recently, mine began over coffee while perusing through the latest edition of the OSS weekly digest. Being a dentist, Iā€™m always on the lookout for articles featuring dentistry related topics, and my interest was piqued by a <a href="/oss/article/did-you-know-health/did-you-know-dentists-can-treat-cavities-without-using-drill">recent feature</a> on treating cavities without drilling. This approach comprises a chemomechanical method, whereby cavities are simply dissolved and scooped away.</p> Wed, 01 May 2019 14:40:09 +0000 Mark Grossman BSc, DDS, Contributor 7740 at /oss /oss/article/health/bulk-hulk <p>Since the days of the ancient Greeks, muscularity of the human body has been depicted as a masterpiece, the fascination for its beauty often depicted in numerous paintings and sculptures. In the myths of the ancient civilizations came the gods and humans that possessed incredible size and strengths. Popular Renaissance artists transformed this idealism into powerful artworks like Michelangeloā€™s David, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farnese_Hercules">Farnese Hercules</a>. Strength and figure was also often related to power and leadership in the ancient society.</p> Wed, 24 Apr 2019 13:00:00 +0000 Mark Seo, OSS Contributor 7714 at /oss /oss/article/health/heres-how-some-diabetics-can-save-their-money <p> </p> <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in</em><span>Ā </span><a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/christopher-labos-heres-how-some-diabetics-can-save-their-money">The Montreal Gazette<span>.</span></a></p> Tue, 05 Feb 2019 15:48:42 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 7572 at /oss /oss/article/health-nutrition/theres-no-single-true-path-weight-loss <p> </p> <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in</em><span>Ā </span><a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/christopher-labos-theres-no-single-true-path-to-weight-loss">The Montreal Gazette<span>.</span></a></p> Fri, 01 Feb 2019 17:00:00 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 7563 at /oss /oss/article/general-science/doctor-vs-quack <p>For example, my roommate who is sharp in finance but has no scientific training believes that dish detergent residues on dishes cause cancer, which is why she only washes her dishes with water. (Ironically, she will indulge without hesitation in cigarettes, fast foods and whiskey.) When I tell her that whatever particle of dish detergent that might be left on her dishes, even consumed over a lifetime, is highly unlikely to cause any ailment, and that there are many other things she can modify in her lifestyle that will be much more beneficial, she decided to stand by her beliefs.</p> Wed, 24 Oct 2018 18:14:43 +0000 Melody Ko MD, MSc 7412 at /oss /oss/article/general-science/am-i-going-die <p>Another case of chest pain. Almost anyone who comes to the ED with complaints of chest pain gets admitted. First task is to rule out ACS or Acute Coronary Syndrome. The differentials for chest pain are wide and varied, ranging from heartburn to musculoskeletal ache to something more serious such as a heart attack. A heart attack, or in medical jargon, a myocardial infarction (MI), is one of the conditions classified as ACS. ACS represents a spectrum of conditions that is characterized by a sudden reduced blood flow to the heart.</p> Wed, 24 Oct 2018 18:12:03 +0000 Melody Ko MD, MSc 7411 at /oss /oss/article/general-science/mans-last-days <p>To be fair, he did look very uncomfortable all the time, but we didnā€™t know how to make him feel better; until one day, we didnā€™t have to worry any more.</p> <p>Letā€™s rewind the clock.</p> Wed, 24 Oct 2018 18:07:07 +0000 Melody Ko MD, MSc 7410 at /oss /oss/article/general-science/haiti-flying-bullets <p>ā€œGet down! Get down! Itā€™s gunshots!ā€ The local paramedic yelled out.</p> <p>I was sitting at my desk in triage in the midst of writing a prescription for albuterol and ipratropium bromide for my COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) patient when I heard the shooting. It was my first shift on a medical mission in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and I was the only doctor covering the hospital that night.</p> Wed, 24 Oct 2018 18:02:49 +0000 Melody Ko MD, MSc 7409 at /oss /oss/article/general-science/what-you-never-knew-about-canadian-doctors-outside-canada <p>But when I do say that I am a doctor, peopleā€™s reaction is usually ā€œOh wow.ā€ They think that I must live in luxury on the Upper East Side, drive a Mercedes-Benz or some other fancy vehicle, and travel to exotic lands every couple of months. They picture a doctor, noble and heroic, who goes to work everyday and saves lives. Countless lives. They would imagine me shouting out patientā€™s blood pressure, cutting them open, performing chest compressions while pearls of sweat dripped down my face, sweat of hard work, of responsibility, of grandeur.</p> Wed, 24 Oct 2018 17:53:54 +0000 Melody Ko MD, MSc 7407 at /oss /oss/article/nutrition/spice-life <p>Very few of us would argue against the notion that spices (and to a lesser extent, their leafy cousins, herbs) play an important role in our culinary preferences. These days it would be almost unthinkable to make a dish that is completely devoid of our standard ā€˜go-tosā€™ from the aptly named spice cabinet in the kitchen, such as a spaghetti sauce without oregano and thyme or a cauliflower soup without some cuminā€¦ or just about any prepared dish for that matter, without the omnipresence of pepper, garlic and onion.</p> Tue, 23 Oct 2018 18:01:09 +0000 Adam Oliver Brown PhD 7404 at /oss /oss/article/health/medical-uses-cannabis <p>The reality is that marijuanaā€™s designation as an illegal substance has really limited the amount of research done on the subject and most claims simply have no evidence one way or the other.</p> Thu, 18 Oct 2018 18:09:09 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 7398 at /oss /oss/article/health/dissecting-american-heart-associattions-go-red-women-campaign <p>You are probably familiar with the American Heart Associationā€™s "Go Red for Women" campaign. Its goal is to raise awareness about heart disease among women. They have a series of add campaigns that useĀ infographics, like the one below, to inform the public. Recently, someone asked me whether those numbers and statements are true (we live in skeptical times) so I thought it would be useful to examine some of the claims in that infographic (seen below).</p> Thu, 04 Oct 2018 17:28:49 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 7382 at /oss /oss/article/you-asked/why-can-i-taste-saline-when-its-injected-my-iv <p>Someone recently asked me if I had ever heard a patient complain that they could taste saline and medications when injected into their IV. Truth is, I had never heard of this before, butĀ apparently it is quite common for patients to complain of a funny taste in their mouth when their IV lines are flushed with pre-prepared syringes of saline in order to keep them open and avoid clotting.</p> Tue, 18 Sep 2018 15:24:30 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 7360 at /oss /oss/article/health-quackery/can-you-cough-away-heart-attack <hr /> <p class="note"><strong>Take-home message:</strong><br /> -A variety of internet posts and e-mail chains have said that when you have symptoms of a heart attack, you should cough vigorously to essentially perform CPR on yourself.<br /> -This idea makes no sense because CPR should only be performed on an unconscious person with no pulse. If you are conscious and can cough, you should not perform CPR.</p> Tue, 21 Aug 2018 16:19:34 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 7315 at /oss