Thank you, Phil.
The smoking issue reminds me of the tobacco industry-funded research back in the 60’s (I believe) that “proved” smoking wasn’t bad for you. Anyway. . .
I would disagree about the eating issue, actually. I mean, I know eating “right” can be very hard to actually do, especially if you have lifelong terrible habits. And I think this is partly a problem with our food industry. But based on a couple documentaries (I know- you’re probably rolling your eyes at this point) FedUp and FAT, people really don’t understand that sugar and refined carbs are the biggest sources of excess weight. Diabetics are told to lose weight, they follow whatever guidelines the doctor gives them and they cannot lose weight to save their lives, literally.
No … not at all, actually.
I think you’re right on about our food habits, and all the processed foods we eat. I know first hand how hard it is to try to change those habits even though I intellectually know better. Knowing doesn’t always translate into doing.
And yeah - I’ll pile on those lying big tobacco execs right along with you. I’ve nothing good to say about them or their political heirs that still operate in halls of power today.
Regarding what people know or don’t know, I would be surprised if there were very many in our media-saturated west who could be caught by surprise that our excessive sugar consumption is bad. But I guess I could be wrong. After all, I guess cigarette smoking actually did decline after the surgeon general warnings went on the packages (I think I remember reading that somewhere anyway). So maybe the education effect is actually there too.
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It seems to be an unfortunate fact that medical concerns that don’t neatly fit existing diagnoses are much more likely to be dismissed if they come from women.
My impression from looking around quite casually is that not all that much work has been done on the interaction of EM fields and human tissues or human health. I suspect that this partly results from some exaggerated early claims about power lines and the like that led to the entire question being classified as ‘crackpot’ by a lot of researchers and funders. It’s hard to find what you’re not looking for.
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I did not suggest that, just that it might not be widely known.
I thought that’s what this portion of the quote was saying but maybe I’m misunderstanding:
No, I was not referring to the court, just the statistically minute few that do indeed have an unfortunate reaction to a particular vaccine. That is no secret, but a mom who has a child who has a reaction is more likely to become an antivaxxer activist.
Interestingly, though, just last week on the news there was a father whose adult daughter (she was a healthcare worker, IIRC, and was in an early eligibility group, maybe a nurse) had an adverse reaction to one of the vaccines (and may have even subsequently died, I think), and he was still telling people to get vaccinated, because he understood the science.
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If results are what you are after then a placebo effect is just fine, especially when it comes to problems like chronic pain. Do what works for you.
There have been many EMF studies that haven’t seen any correlations, and there isn’t any known mechanism of action for EMF. That’s why most scientists and doctors tend to write off EMF.
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Jessica,
I am sorry you have had a difficult experience. As a primary care physician, I feel bad about it. Maybe you can explain some of the things you have had to face some time.
Thanks.
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Ah, I see what you’re saying now. Yes, I heard about that girl and she did die. I know that everyone acknowledges vaccines have risks. The crux of the issue, though, is that vaccine safety skeptics (a much fairer term in most cases than anti-vaxxers, btw) don’t believe the risks have been accurately assessed or portrayed. There are questions about the placebos used in the studies- whether they’re true placebos or contain the adjuvant ingredients that the vaccines themselves have. And also, my comment earlier about vaccine court pertains - the harder they make it to “prove” a reaction, the fewer that are officially on the books. The source of funding for the safety studies is also a big issue. . . lots of issues there but my brain isn’t up for a deep dive into all that at the moment!
Steve disagrees with his comment above:
“My impression from looking around quite casually is that not all that much work has been done on the interaction of EM fields and human tissues or human health. I suspect that this partly results from some exaggerated early claims about power lines and the like that led to the entire question being classified as ‘crackpot’ by a lot of researchers and funders. It’s hard to find what you’re not looking for.”
Most of the scientific sources I look at say that there is no known mechanism of action and very little if any evidence of correlations between disease and EMF.
Of course, I am more than happy to discuss any scientific papers showing strong evidence for EMF effects.
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You’re very kind, Randy. Thank you. I would say the overarching frustrating is a failure to get to the root of things. I know doctors aren’t really trained to do that and, for systemic reasons, don’t really have the time. But I’m just a holistic thinker, I guess- always have been. I want to know why my body is having an issue and if there’s any possibility of changing the underlying problem. My body is also extraordinarily sensitive so I’m prone to adverse reactions to medication. In 7th grade I had a rash above my mouth, was prescribed a steroid cream which, in turn, gave me a major case of acne rosacea, for which I needed 9 months of antibiotics and various creams to cure. Turns out, the rash was an allergy to sodium lauryl sulfate- an ingredient in all major brands of toothpaste. I figured that out from internet research. When I was 15 or 16, I was having trouble getting a deep breath. My doctor said it was “stress” and prescribed me antidepressants along with a sample to take home- my mother promptly threw both in the trash (thankfully). I don’t know if you saw my post earlier about a female doctor asking ME advice on how to lose weight. That doesn’t instill confidence. I even had two major surgeries for abdominal cysts and my surgeon’s response was basically, “well that was weird- never seen that before. Glad you’re not hurting anymore though” ??? I’m not totally anti-drug-- sometimes they’re really helpful & I’ll give a fairly recent example. A few years ago I had a herpes virus show up on my cornea, which is a serious condition and I was losing vision rapidly. My ophthalmologist- who was really wonderful and a rare positive experience for me- prescribed Valtrex & a steroid drop. It was crucial to get the virus under control before I went blind in that eye. I was on those prescriptions for a year and half but he told me not to expect to get off the Valtrex, pretty much ever. Grateful for his care & my medication, I started experimenting with supplements while taking my meds. Turmeric seemed to help but not enough to get me off the meds. Then I started taking mushroom tinctures (Lifecykel is the brand- they’re amazing) and literally, within a week of starting them, the report was “wow your eye looks great!”. I weened off the meds and have been off both for 14 months now. Meanwhile, he has another patient going on 7 years on a “maintenance dose”, I believe of both the steroid and the antiviral. My husband asked why I was so happy to take the mushroom tinctures vs. the drug (which, frankly, was a lot cheaper). The drug is probably doing harmful things to my body, though keeping the virus somewhat under control (although, we were never able to totally ween me off the steroid drop
so I’m not sure the Valtex was doing any good whatsoever) while the mushrooms are amazing immunomodulators, help with various things like energy, stress, digestive upset, etc. They also have a great source of vitamin C in them. This seems like a better approach to me. I could go on with sad stories but I’ll leave it there.
I never mentioned cancer. I said EMFs were causing severe muscle pain in my body. I posted this earlier but here are 30 studies showing harmful effects: Top 30 Studies on EMF Radiation - EMF Empowerment
I would say antivaxxer connotes more of an activist and their preoccupation or obsession with it.
I’m skeptical but open to the possibility that some EM fields cause subtle but significant physiological changes. Given the range of possible effects and frequencies, it’s hard to conclusively rule out the possibility.
Thank you. I am sorry you have had some pretty miserable times.
How do you figure that?
I’ve heard multiple doctors say so
It depends on how you define it. Hundreds of hours are spent on studying metabolism,metabolic pathways, biochemistry, the digestive system and its disorders, hormonal influences on weight etc. all of which is the foundation of nutrition. In a sense, it is far more “holistic” in looking at how the total body works than just focusing on diet alone. Hours may be spent on diabetics and their problems related to diet and treatment. I suspect these days there may be a hour or two lecture on the hormones of satiety and hunger. However, I am sure that unless you do a fellowship in bariatric medicine, a new doctor probably does get an hour or two at most focused on obesity. At least they learn when to refer to a trained dietian. There is a big difference between a dietician and a nutritionist, by the way. A registered dietiation completes a lengthy course of study and has professional standards. You can be a nutritionist if you sign up for an online course and your check doesn’t bounce. I recall one person who got his dog certified as a nutritionist.
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