patient waiting room education - slideshow 8

Natural Products?

Every day we see a handful of “natural therapies” advertised on radio, TV and newspaper

Some of them may be useful for you, but please ask Dr. Elia what research has been done on these products

Don’t waste your money on unproven products!

Salt therapy for asthma?

Salt therapy has NOT been proven as a valid treatment for asthma in any large well-done trials

It is certainly not a replacement for the inhalers you may be prescribed

Remember that asthma can be LIFE THREATENING when not treated adequately

Homeopathic flu shots?

Some homeopaths are administering “homeopathic flu shots”

These are NOT true vaccines, haven’t been studied in trials, and we don’t know their potential consequences

Health Canada has advised STRONGLY against their use

Ask Dr. Elia if you have more questions about them!

PGX for weight loss?PGX is a heavily advertised product for weight loss and lowering your cholesterol

You can get the same benefits from increasing fibre in your diet and by taking a cheaper alternative like Metamucil

Are airport scanners safe?

As of January 2013 most airports have switched to a millimeter wave scanner that does NOT use any radiation

Even the older backscatter x-ray scanner used much less radiation than you are exposed to during the flight itself

Bottom line, nothing to be worried about!

Avoid regular pop!

Most “regular” pops have at least 30 grams of carbohydrate, most of which is simple sugar

30 grams is already half of your expected carbohydrate in a meal

Your body turns this simple sugar almost immediately into fat

“Natural products for arthritis”

These products are being heavily advertised, using celebrity endorsements

Joe Carter swears by Glucosamine, and Bobby Orr uses LivRelief

These products have NOT shown a benefit in trials, and any improvement in pain is likely explained by the “placebo effect”

Children leery of the doctor?

Some parents have told me that a cartoon called “Doc McStuffins” is quite popular, and a fun way to introduce medical care to children

Kids Help PhoneTheir website is a fantastic resource for kids and adults, with tipsheets, videos, statistics and much more

You can also find support if you, or someone you know, is being affected by bullying

“Volume-limiting headphones”

I strongly recommend these to reduce long-term hearing damage from headphone use

Children should have specific headphones made for children, and should not use adult headphones

Grapefruit and medicationsGrapefruit interacts with many prescription medications

If you enjoy grapefruit from time to time, please ask Dr. Elia or your pharmacist to make sure none of your medications will be affected

Child play competitive sports?Make sure your coach is aware of

specific exercise routines to prevent ACL tears in adolescents and teenagers

These are easily searchable online through websites like “FIFA 11”, or ask Dr. Elia

Recommended book!

Fantastic book that looks at a lot of the lies and marketing scams that are going on in the alternative medicine industry

Concerned about vaccines?This is a great book that looks at how a small group of pseudoscientists are spreading misinformation and fear, and ignoring the strong science behind vaccines

Family history of colon polyps?It is recommended that you have a colonoscopy 10 years before the earlier family member was diagnosed with polyps

Seniors with firearms

If your elderly parent or spouse has any firearms in the house, I highly recommend that the firearm either be removed, disabled, or the ammunition removed

Lab tests for charge...Many local labs have begun to promote extra lab tests for added fees, claiming to provide more accurate diagnoses

Please speak with us about any of these tests that you hear about BEFORE you pay for them

Dr. Elia’s Website

Our office now has a website at www.mydoctor.ca/drelia

You’ll find useful resources and important office updates and news!

Websites to Avoid

Unfortunately many websites share highly questionable, conspiracy-filled medical information

I would recommend completely ignoring anything written by the FoodBabe, Mercola, NaturalNews, NaturalHealth365 and GreenMedInfo