After two fairly quiet flu seasons (an unexpected blip of good news amid the COVID-19 pandemic), you may have been lulled into complacency about the influenza virus. But early signs suggest the flu is returning from its exile in a big way this year. In this episode, we discuss why experts are concerned we're in for a severe season, how the flu is different from COVID-19 and answers to common questions about getting your flu shot. 

Hosts: Zach Moore, Katie McCallum (interviewer) 

Expert: Dr. Wesley Long, Medical Director of Diagnostic Microbiology 

Notable topics covered: 

• What Australia’s bad flu season may mean for us 
• The early warning signs we’re already seeing in our own flu data 
• What to do if you think you have the flu 
• Whether it’s possible to get flu and COVID-19 at the same time 
• When (and why) to get your annual flu shot 
• Answers to flu shot questions, including whether you can get your flu shot and COVID-19 booster at the same time 

Houston Methodist Flu Tracker: https://flu.houstonmethodist.org/

If you enjoy these kinds of conversations, be sure to subscribe. And for more topics like this, visit our blog at houstonmethodist.org/blog.

Many of us have a habit of sticking cotton swabs into our ears each day. We do it under the guise of personal hygiene, but do our ears even need to be cleaned in the first place? And given that the ear is a very delicate organ responsible for one of your five senses, should we really be sticking things inside of it? In today's episode, we hear some answers to these questions and discuss other important ear health topics. 

Hosts: Zach Moore (interviewer), Katie McCallum 

Expert: Dr. Kenny Lin, ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat) Specialist 

Notable topics covered: 

• Everything you never knew you needed to know about earwax, including whether it’s really wax 
• Why Dr. Lin gets nervous about people “cleaning” their ears using cotton swabs 
• The history of cotton swabs and how we came to put them in our ears 
• How cotton swabs can actually make earwax problems worse 
• Whether any of the various earwax removal products out there can be trusted 
• How your headphone choice (earbud vs. over the ear) affects your earwax and ear health 
• Why it’s important to protect your ears from loud noises and tips for doing it right 
• What ringing in your ears means and what to do next

If you enjoy these kinds of conversations, be sure to subscribe. And for more topics like this, visit our blog at houstonmethodist.org/blog.

Sure, healthy eating and brunch may not seem like they go together. But how about if you order avocado toast? It seems like a healthy choice, especially compared to other brunch options like chicken and waffles or biscuits and gravy. In today’s episode, we deconstruct avocado toast and put its ingredients through a wellness check.

Hosts: Zach Moore, Katie McCallum (interviewer) 

Expert: Kylie Arrindell, MS, RD, LD, Wellness Dietitian 

Notable topics covered: 

• Whether avocado truly lives up to its “superfood” name 
• How your bread choice can complicate things 
• What you need to know about eating a whole egg vs. just the egg whites 
• The unhealthiest avocado toast Kylie has ever seen 
• What the healthfulness of an avocado toast really hinges on 
• Kylie builds her ideal avocado toast 

If you enjoy these kinds of conversations, be sure to subscribe. And for more topics like this, visit our blog at houstonmethodist.org/blog.

You’re not alone if the planet’s health is what’s top-of-mind when thinking about air pollution. But have you ever considered how it affects your own? It’s invisible, but air pollution is all around us — containing particulate matter small enough to be inhaled deep into the lungs. In today’s episode, we unpack what long-term air pollution exposure can mean for our health down the line.

Hosts: Zach Moore, Katie McCallum (interviewer)

Expert: Dr. Eric Bernicker, Thoracic Medical Oncologist

Notable topics covered: 

• The link between air pollution exposure, lung cancer risk and other lung issues
• The science of how air pollution affects the lungs
• How people with underlying lung issues, like asthma, are even more susceptible
• Whether all types of air pollution (car exhaust, factory smoke, etc.) are equally harmful
• The correlation between length of air pollution exposure and a person’s risk
• Whether lung cancer screening should be expanded to never-smokers
• The way forward, including actionable steps you can take to reduce your risk

If you enjoy these kinds of conversations, be sure to subscribe. And for more topics like this, visit our blog at houstonmethodist.org/blog.

From how to interpret SPF numbers to how much sunscreen is enough, studies show that most of us aren’t using sunscreen correctly. This is a problem given that unprotected sun exposure can increase your lifetime risk of skin cancer, not to mention skin aging (aka, wrinkles). In today’s episode, we cover everything you ever wanted (nay, needed) to know about sunscreen — one of the best preventive care products out there.

Hosts: Zach Moore (interviewer), Katie McCallum

Expert: Annie Christenson, LE, Medical Aesthetician

Notable topics covered:

• A reminder of why we wear sunscreen
• Whether it matters if you choose chemical and physical sunscreen
• A rarely-followed spray sunscreen disclaimer that will change how you apply it 
• How often you should reapply sunscreen (and when you need to reapply it more frequently)
• Understanding what SPF means and the minimum SPF experts recommend
• A PSA about sunscreen expiration dates
• Whether you should go back out into the sun if you have a sunburn

If you enjoy these kinds of conversations, be sure to subscribe. And for more topics like this, visit our blog at houstonmethodist.org/blog.

Hosts Zach Moore, Katie McCallum and Todd Ackerman kick off the inaugural season of On Health with Houston Methodist, sharing what listeners can expect from the podcast and a sneak peek of the first week’s episode.

If you enjoy these kinds of conversations, be sure to subscribe. And for more topics like this, visit our blog at houstonmethodist.org/blog.