I wrote about the increasing number of people dying in 2021 in August. The trend started around 2009. Interestingly, CDC death rates increased from 2020 to 2021, except for persons aged 75 and over. In other words, the increase in death was due to younger people dying, representing the ages least likely to die from Covid-19. As I had mentioned in the August 15 post, life insurance death claims for the five largest companies were up an average of 30% for people ages 18 to 64, corroborating the CDC findings. We were extremely worried about the rising death toll in 2020, but not in 2021, when more people died than in the pandemic year. I was distressed that nobody seemed interested in why this would be. I was on vacation then and said I would look into it to find out what was happening, and I have. I will discuss the CDC’s statistics from 2021 and a few other things I found out.
Read MoreThe holidays always bring more love, laughter, cheer, and peace for me, my family and friends. It has become increasingly more difficult because of all the fear mongering going on. I gave a message of hope last year by posting that things were not nearly as bad as everyone was led to believe. Once again, I bring tidings of comfort and joy that we are not dying in much greater numbers than usual. I will also share insights that Omicron is generally mild and has a much lower hospitalization and death rate than previous Covid variants. I will also discuss the main reason why the death rate is climbing, and what we can do to avoid an early exit. Lastly, enjoy the holidays and have a happy new year.
Read MoreHave you noticed that fear is consuming a large segment of the population lately? Initially, we directed our worries at the virus. However, more and more, we are focusing our fear and anger on the unvaccinated. The same goes for anyone with an opinion that differs from the mainstream; they get labeled as misguided purveyors of vaccine hesitancy. All the while, the media seems bent on stoking fear and hatred. Prevention and treatment are nowhere to be found in their narrative. Dr. Mattias Desmet is a psychologist and professor at the University of Ghent who believes that the conditions of loneliness and isolation, coupled with free-floating anxiety associated with the frustrations and agitation, plus no sense of life's purpose, can have explosive consequences. For example, large numbers of dissatisfied, fearful, confused, and isolated people can suddenly band together in common cause against a sudden event that they identify as the sole cause of their misery. The sudden focusing on a single apparent threat provides immediate and palpable relief from the myriad longstanding pressures of isolation, confusion, and free-floating anxiety and discontent. Dr. Desmet calls this phenomenon mass formation.
Read MoreI want to share a shocking brief digital simulation showing how our faces have been drastically shrinking over several hundred years. I got it from Dr. Michael Gelb DDS in NYC, who got it from best-selling author James Nestor. Please concentrate on the lower face; you will see how the jaws are shrinking and moving back toward the throat. This causes the tongue to partially or fully occlude the airway, especially when we sleep. You should also notice how the face is less attractive now. In fact, it is rare to see someone who has realized their potential for full facial development. People with properly developed faces will always have straight teeth, room for their wisdom teeth, superior beauty, and better health. Whatever they do for a living, they appear to be actors and models. Since most of us have underdeveloped faces, this epidemic has gone primarily unnoticed by us, including most physicians and dentists. This needs to change because, as you will see in this post, it is one of the major contributing factors for many, if not most, of our modern health problems.
Read MoreIn December of 2020, Alisha Arora and some of her colleagues defined Coronaphobia as an excessive triggered response of fear of contracting the virus causing COVID-19, leading to accompanied extreme concern over physiological symptoms, significant stress about personal and occupational loss, increased reassurance, and safety-seeking behaviors, and avoidance of public places and situations, causing marked impairment in daily life functioning. In the paper, the author urges politicians and media personalities to refrain from scare tactics to minimize the condition. Additionally, recent events have resulted in a bombardment of virology, epidemiology, death statistics, immunology, PCR technology, public health policies, and more. Each subject is complex by itself; together these subjects intertwine in an endlessly confusing way. Our tendency to believe we have mastered a subject long before we have is called the Dunning Kruger effect. The combination of fear, the Dunning Kruger effect, and opportunists have created a dangerous situation that could lead to serious societal disunity and upheaval if we are not careful. This post will shed light on our current situation and offer some strategies to unite in a spirit of cooperation to fight the coronavirus madness.
Read MoreOne of my dogs, Luna, was injured this week and is in the hospital. Thankfully she is expected to make a full recovery. Her absence has been a reminder of how important she is to our family. But her absence has also reminded me how important she is to our health and well-being. She puts a smile on my face, calms me, and makes me happier. Let's look at the science behind how dogs can help us be happier, healthier, and live longer.
Read MoreSleep is a significant component of health. Sleep disruption in adults leads to increased anxiety, pain, reduced quality of life, mood disorders, disturbances in thought processes, memory, and physical performance. Inadequate sleep impacts children and adolescents' psychosocial health, school, and sports performance, and risk-taking behaviors. In otherwise healthy individuals, long-term consequences of poor sleep include high blood pressure, cholesterol problems, heart disease, weight gain, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. One of the key ingredients to a good night’s sleep is the ability to lower our core body temperatures. This post will cover some of the science behind the sleep-temperature connection and talk about ways to help us cool down for optimal sleep.
Read MoreToday I am sharing a video about a child who was incorrectly diagnosed as having ADD/ADHD when his real problems were allergies and poor breathing that we call sleep disordered breathing. His mother describes a kind of domino effect that when recognized, is easily treatable. At my offices, we have teams of pediatric dentists, orthodontists, surgeons, orofacial myofunctional therapists, and lactation specialists to detect and treat these problems early. When needed, we refer to ENT, allergists, speech pathologists, and more. If more people were aware of the connection between childhood behavioral problems and sleep disordered breathing, millions of children would not suffer as they do. Please watch the video and share it; even if only one child is helped by your sharing, it will be worth it.
Read MoreMy son and I went to a sold-out comedy show at a large venue for the first time in over a year and a half. It was amazing to finally spend a normal night enjoying ourselves. The next day I felt unusually good. I thought the laughter may have had something to do with it. Research into laughter is quite common, so I thought I would share some info with you, like why we do it, and why it is good for us.
Read MoreAs an active clinician with an insatiable appetite for knowledge, I am always searching for new perspectives on our poor health. Sometimes I find antique descriptions of current health problems. I recently found and read a book by George Catlin on how our children can achieve beautiful faces and superior health by ensuring that they sleep with their mouths closed. I had thought this knowledge to be a recent scientific finding, so naturally, I was intrigued and read the book in a few short hours. I was highly impressed with the Native American wisdom he shared. Sadly, the knowledge was largely forgotten and is only followed by a few people today. Here's some of what I learned...
Read MoreBurning Mouth Syndrome is a burning, stinging, or itching in any portion of the mouth, including the tongue, lips, or cheeks. About one million Americans suffer from it. Because primary BMS is so rare, there is little research on it. Since investigations into the cause and treatment are lacking, patients have few options for diagnosis and treatment, leading to prolonged suffering. This post covers what we know and possible treatment options for Burning Mouth Syndrome.
Read MoreBefore the advent of farming, our jaws were larger; our faces were broader, our teeth were straight, we had adequate room for our wisdom teeth, larger brains, and more space in our throats to breathe. It is a virtual certainty that our changing diets contributed to crooked teeth and a lack of adequate space for wisdom teeth and constricted airways. SMALL JAWS CAUSE BIG PROBLEMS. Heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, ADHD, depression, and anxiety are a few. In this post, I am going to cover how our lifestyles have changed leading to our current problems, and what we can do about it.
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