Last week, we talked about if eating papaya seeds could rid your body of parasites (spoiler: it can’t). But being concerned about having parasites is not new. We continue the conversation by looking into the phenomenon of Ekbom’s syndrome, or delusional parasitosis, a difficult disorder to both manage and treat. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

The Parasite Delusion

Join Dr. Sydnee McElroy and her husband Justin McElroy for a tour of all the dumb, bad, gross, weird and wrong ways we've tried to fix people.

Comedy

History

Society & Culture

Medicine

Science & Medicine

Health & Fitness

There are different versions of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory exploits, but all of them involve strange things happening to children who misbehave. But from a biological standpoint, what does that look like? Dr. Sydnee and Justin discuss the strange science going on at Wonka's factory and whether gum could possibly contain enough juice to turn someone into a blueberry.  Note: Willy Wonka is the creation of Roald Dahl, not a good person. More information about his antisemitism available here: https://time.com/5937507/roald-dahl-anti-semitism/  Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

Sawbones: Willy Wonka

Hot time, summer in the city, time for listener Sawbones questions! Questions like: Why is blood sticky? Why does skin itch when it grows back? Might my twin reject my organs? And should I bring my own speculum to an exam? Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

Sawbones: Do You Know How Italian I Am?

Dr. Sydnee has ruined her TikTok algorithm for the listeners once again and came across something called "Hydrogen Water." Similar to alkaline water, hydrogen water goes through an ionization process that leaves it with excess hydrogen molecules. But . . . is it better than regular water? Probably not.   Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

Sawbones: Hydrogen Water

In a collaboration of medical fads and brands, Dr. Sydnee and Justin dive into the confusing MLM called Plexus. The company started as a seller of the Breast Chek [sic] Kit but has since branched out into wellness and weight management products that it encourages its Ambassadors to recruit others to sell.  Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

Sawbones: Plexus

You may have seen some celebrities or influencers on social media getting something called a Vampire Facial. It's exactly what it sounds like: blood spread on the face like a cream mask. But why would anyone do this unless it's supposed to do something for the skin? Dr. Sydnee and Justin draw out where this trend came from and its questionable benefits.Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

The Parasite Delusion

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