We mentioned toxoplasmosis in passing a few weeks back in episode 69, when we talked about the Lone Star Tick causing meat allergies in humans. I mentioned that the meat allergy was probably an odd, unintentional side-effect. Just like the lone star tick, toxoplasmosis does not want to be in a human.

Links:

• Contact Us: Level 989
• Toxoplasmosis - Wikipedia
• CDC - Toxoplasmosis - Epidemiology & Risk Factors
• Toxoplasma gondii - Wikipedia
• Neglected Parasitic Infections in the United States: Toxoplasmosis
• Effects of Toxoplasma on Human Behavior
• Toxoplasmosis in Cats | Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine
• Is Toxoplasma Gondii Infection Related to Brain and Behavior Impairments in Humans? Evidence from a Population-Representative Birth Cohort
• Higher prevalence of toxoplasmosis in victims of traffic accidents suggest increased risk of traffic accident in Toxoplasma-infected inhabitants of... - PubMed - NCBI
• Latent Toxoplasma Infection Occurs More Frequently in Schizophrenia

The thyroid gland is a two-lobed endocrine gland - endocrine is another word for ‘hormone’ - and it’s found in the throat-region, below your adam’s apple. The thyroid gland weighs around 25-30 grams - it’s tiny, but it’s important!

A few quick facts about the thyroid gland - the hormones produced by the thyroid - primarily triiodothyronine and thyroxine, help maintain metabolism, heart rate, and body temperature.

Links:

• Contact Us - Level 989
• Thyroid - Wikipedia
• Definition of Hypo-
• Hyperthyroidism - Wikipedia
• Hypothyroidism - Wikipedia
• Hyperthyroidism (Overactive Thyroid) | NIDDK
• Hypothyroidism (Underactive Thyroid) | NIDDK
• Pituitary gland - Wikipedia
• Hypothalamus - Wikipedia
• Thyroid Gland - National Library of Medicine - PubMed Health
• Thyroid Tests | NIDDK
• Hypothyroidism: Practice Essentials, Background, Pathophysiology
• Thyroid Problems: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis & Treatment
• Kidney - Wikipedia
• Kidney failure - Wikipedia

Negative Calorie Foods - the whole idea is that some foods actually take so much work for your body to break down, it actually burns more calories than the food can deliver. That sounds like a magical weight loss solution!

Links:

• Contact Us: Level 989
• Negative-calorie food - Wikipedia
• Negative-calorie foods: Diet gimmick or weight-loss aid? - Mayo Clinic
• E. coli - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic
• Food Allergens - Food Allergy Canada
• Food Allergens - European Union | FARRP | Nebraska
• Negative Calorie Foods: You Can Eat These 11 Foods & Not Gain Weight - NDTV Food
• Definition of Calor, dolor, rubor, and tumor

From CNN: “The price for many drugs, especially specialty drugs, has gone sky-high," said state Sen. Virginia Lyons, a Democrat who co-sponsored the bill. "We've found that drugs from Canada are very safe and the equivalent of FDA-approved, and we could keep our costs down by having our own wholesale importer and allow our people to buy at this reduced cost. It's about time that happened.”

Links:

• Contact Us: Level 989
• Vermont law could allow state to import cheaper Canadian drugs - CNN
• Vermont becomes first state to allow imported drugs from Canada | TheHill
• List of largest pharmaceutical companies by revenue - Wikipedia
• Consumer Updates > 5 Tips for Traveling to the U.S. With Medications
• Coffee Crisp - Wikipedia

Poppy Seeds! A typical serving contains 2 to 3 percent of your daily required zinc, which all of your organ systems, especially your immune system, need in varying degrees. That same serving also contains 4 percent of your daily required calcium and iron, which your body needs to make healthy blood cells and bones. These minerals are also vital for your nervous system’s ability to send messages back and forth. Poppy seeds are also rich in B vitamins, which are also important to your whole body.

Links:

• Contact Us: Level 989
• Mythbusters: Poppy Seeds | NZ Drug Foundation - At the heart of the matter
• Unwashed Poppy Seeds Linked With Morphine Overdose: How to Reap the Health Benefits of Consuming Poppy Seeds Safely - WellnessNova.com
• A Homebrewed High? Poppy Tea Hits the Web - ABC News
• The Claim: Eating Poppy Seeds Can Make You Fail a Drug Test - The New York Times

I realized there were literally hundreds of unanswered questions that I had about ticks in general... And I knew I was gonna have to research the answers to these questions, for my own information - and it just makes sense - - if I’m gonna do the research, I might as well put it to use and turn it into an episode. I wish I could shed more light on the Lone Star Tick itself, but there’s still too many unknowns about it and the meat allergies to say much more about it specifically.

Links:

• Tick - Wikipedia
• Arachnid - Wikipedia
• Amblyomma americanum - Wikipedia
• Life cycle of Hard Ticks that Spread Disease | Ticks | CDC
• Preventing tick bites | Ticks | CDC
• Preventing ticks on your pets | Ticks | CDC
• About Ticks and Lyme Disease | Lymedisease.org
• How to Identify a Deer Tick: 6 Steps - wikiHow
• Find the Repellent that is Right for You | Repellents: Protection against Mosquitoes, Ticks and Other Arthropods | US EPA
• Tick Removal | Ticks | CDC
• Tick (comics) - Wikipedia

This article is talking about how the bite from a specific type of tick - the Lone Star Tick - can make its human victims allergic to meat. And I’m not just talking about a rash or itchy eyes - I’m talking about anaphylaxis, where you can have such a severe allergic reaction your throat closes up, and you can’t breathe.

Links:

• Contact Us - Level 989
• The lone star tick can make you allergic to meat, and that’s not even the worst of it | Popular Science
• What's Eating You? Lone Star Tick
• Anaphylaxis - Wikipedia
• Galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose - Wikipedia
• Alpha-gal allergy - Wikipedia
• The relationship between red meat allergy and sensitization to gelatin and galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose
• The alpha gal story: Lessons learned from connecting the dots
• Alpha-Gal Allergy - with Dr. Scott Commins — Department of Medicine
• Xenotransplantation - Wikipedia

The topic is ‘Surgical Smoke’ - and me being me, I chuckled a bit when I saw it, picturing an old-fashioned operating room in the 1950’s, where everyone in the room is smoking a cigarette - including the patient. Hey, maybe the patient is giving birth, and there’s a nurse ready with a cute little mini cigarette for the baby as soon as it’s born!

But it turns out, that’s not what ‘Surgical Smoke’ is.

Links:

• Level 989 - Contact Us
• Surgery - Wikipedia
• Rosacea - Wikipedia
• Surgical smoke - Wikipedia
• Laser-generated Airborne Contaminants
• Surgical smoke and the dermatologist. - PubMed - NCBI
• Up In Smoke | MedEstheticsAntiaging | Aesthetic Lasers | Laser Plume Safety
• The Real Risks: Surgical Smoke | OR Today
• Toxins detected in laser hair removal plume | Dermatology News
• Cauterization - Wikipedia
• HEPA - Wikipedia

The average person goes to a dermatologist… Well, never. It’s difficult to prove a negative, but I’m willing to bet that unless your primary care physician notices a problem with your skin and refers you to a dermatologist, most people will never just think to book an appointment with a dermatologist. And get this - you should be getting checked out by a dermatologist once every year.

Links:

• Contact Us - Level 989
• Nelson hairdresser finds melanoma while washing client's hair | Stuff.co.nz
• Could Hairdressers Help Detect Scalp Melanomas? | Cancer Network
• Hairdresser discovers teen's skull tumour | Daily Mail Online
• This woman's hairstylist saved her life [Video]
• Woman shares warning that 'black line on nail' could be sign of cancer | The Independent
• The 'dental hygiene detective' and the oral-systemic connection - Registered Dental Hygienist
• Enamel erosion and esophageal cancer: What dental professionals should know
• Oral cancer prevention: Screening to save lives - DentistryIQ
• Secrets Massage Therapists Know About Your Body | Reader's Digest
• Diabetes

This week’s question is: ‘I always look at the used tissue after I blow my nose, but my sister says that’s gross. Are there any good reasons to look after you blow?”

Links:

• Contact Us: Level 989
• Mucus - Wikipedia
• Mucin - Wikipedia
• What Your Mucus Says About Your Health
• Mucus and Phlegm: Yellow, Green, and Bloody Snot Explained
• 50 Shades Of Yellow: What Color Should Your Pee Be?
• Hematuria - Wikipedia
• Stool color: When to worry - Mayo Clinic
• Bile - Wikipedia