Radio Health Journal
Each week, Radio Health Journal breaks down important news in medicine, science and technology with the help of world-renowned experts. Our three weekly segments will help guide you to a happier, healthier life – with some fun facts to share at dinner parties. Can magic mushrooms cure your depression? Have we outrun natural selection?
Hosted by Elizabeth Westfield, Greg Johnson and Maayan Voss de Bettancourt and produced by Kristen Farrah and Amirah Zaveri. New shows posted each Sunday by 5 a.m. EST. Subscribe, listen, and rate. If you’re looking for older episodes, you can find our entire segment catalog on our website radiohealthjournal.org. Also, check out the latest on Facebook and Instagram @radiohealthjournal and on X @RadioHealthJrnl.
1151
Electroshock Therapy Today
Electroconvulsive therapy still has a stigma, with the reputation of being a painful, disturbing procedure that wipes out memories and, if movies are to be believed, even creates zombies. Experts explain the reality—that ECT is a quiet procedure...
15 min
1152
Medical Notes: Week of August 19, 2018
A look at the top medical headlines for the week of August 19, 2018 including: a study on how stress changes our genes, research on artificially sweetened drinks being beneficial to colon cancer patients, a report on why study drugs don't work, and...
1 min
1153
Baseball Pitchers and Arm Injuries
Major League Baseball teams spend $1.7 billion annually on pitchers, yet it is an extremely risky investment. Teams haven't figured out how to prevent all-too-frequent arm injuries, which are now filtering down to children as well. Journalist Jeff...
11 min
1154
Preventing Bullying of Kids with Disabilities
Many children are bullied, especially in the middle school years, and many parents worry about their kids, especially if the parents have experienced this themselves growing up. But kids with disabilities are about twice as likely to be victims as...
15 min
1155
Miscommunication and Personality Type
People have different ways to interpret the world around them, and miscommunication is often a result when we assume we see the world similarly. A noted author discusses an innovative way to classify communication styles to avoid clashes.
9 min
1156
Addiction, Relapse and Criminalization
After criminal convictions, many people with substance use disorder are placed on probation with the condition they remain completely drug free. They are often jailed when they relapse, setting back recovery and removing them from treatment that helps...
15 min
1157
Trigeminal Neuralgia - Searing Pain in the Face
A searing, stabbing pain on one side of the face can be so severe it’s sometimes called “the suicide disease,” and may evade diagnosis for some time. The cause of trigeminal neuralgia is often a throbbing artery in contact with nerves at the...
12 min
1158
Lonely College Students
Studies show that college students are America’s loneliest people—even more so than the elderly—even though they’re surrounded by people and activities. The role of technology is discussed in isolating students, and the role of changing...
16 min
1159
Tick Paralysis
Summer is tick season, and tick bites are common. However, bites from a couple of types of ticks can produce paralysis and even death if the tick is not removed quickly. An expert discusses. Learn more at:
10 min
1160
An Unusual Court Challenge to Obamacare
A number of court cases have challenged the Constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, and the federal government has always defended the law—until now, and a Federal Court case brought by the State of Texas. With the stakes increased, experts...
15 min
1161
Medical Notes: Week of July 22, 2018
A look at the top medical headlines for the week of July 22, 2018. Some of the studies and surveys covered this week include an alarming study showing an increase in suicide rates. Two surveys, one that polled parents and one that polled...
1 min
1162
PTSD in Kids
Mental health experts once believed that children were too young to remember traumas well enough to suffer much from post-traumatic stress disorder. Now they know that children as young as 2 or 3 can be affected, often for the rest of their lives. An...
9 min
1163
Increasing Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is increasing as America ages. However, fewer people are being tested for bone density and are agreeing to treatment because of side effects of osteoporosis medications. Experts discuss the devastating effects of increased broken bones...
15 min
1164
Vitamin D and Preterm Births
Premature births are increasing in the US, but a new study shows they could be cut drastically if pregnant women increased blood levels of vitamin D. An expert discusses misconceptions about the vitamin, how it works and how it could be used to reduce...
10 min
1165
Is Sex Addiction Real?
Sexual addiction is not a real disorder, according to the DSM-5, the authoritative psychiatric manual. But, many experts disagree. , addiction psychiatrist from Weill Cornell Medical College and author of Infidelity: Why Men and Women Cheat, as well...
16 min
1166
Medical Notes: Week of July 8, 2018
Concerns over flu deaths in children has experts concerned, a new study shows it is possible to catch up on lost sleep, and finally there is evidence that what a doctor wears can impact how patient's feel about them.
1 min
1167
The Shrinking Human Jaw (2018)
Over the last 8,000 years, the human jaw has been getting smaller due to an increasingly soft diet and a lack of jaw exercise. The result is an epidemic of crooked teeth and serious health consequences.
13 min
1168
Summer Eye Protection
Summer is when people want to spend as much time outdoors as possible. Skin protection and sunscreen are something most of us consider, but overexposure to UV rays is extremely dangerous to the eyes as well.
8 min
1169
The "Other" Side of Military Science
Most people think of military science in terms of defeating the other side. But it also involves keeping our troops sheltered, clothed, fed, and protected from adversaries like exhaustion, infection, heat and noise. A noted investigative journalist...
13 min
1170
Medical Notes: Week of June 24, 2018
A look at new proposed hypertension guidelines, youth baseball injuries, and drinking coffee to be have more productive meetings.
1 min
1171
Babies and Their Gut Bacteria
Children have up to five times as much asthma and allergies as their grandparents, and a new study shows that an imbalance of gut bacteria in the first year of life may be why. An expert pediatrician discusses why this occurs and ways to address the...
11 min
1172
Vanishing Teen Rights of Passage
Teenagers used to experience rites of passage including getting a driver’s license, going out on dates, drinking, having sex, and getting a job. They’re engaging in these activities much less often today. It means less risk, but may leave...
16 min
1173
Medical Notes: Week of June 17, 2018
Using an eczema drug to treat asthma, scientists are developing a biomedical tattoo to catch cancer early, exercise is likely the key to not having a heart attack, and why chewing gum and walking is good exercise.
1 min
1174
Living Through Excruciating Pain (2018 Update)
Pain is an often misunderstood reality for millions of people. A noted university professor who became a quadriplegic in a bicycle accident discusses her constant pain and the way it changes life.
10 min
1175
Drug Abuse and Harm Reduction
As the opioid crisis continues, the city of Vancouver, BC, has found that a harm reduction approach helps addicts move to safer drug use and eventually getting clean. An author who’s watched the process discusses the controversial approach of...
15 min