Wearing a mask protects you and people nearby
Q: I was skeptical of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s initial recommendation not to wear masks. They claimed that even if you did wear one, it would not protect you but might protect those around you if you were shedding the virus.
Those statements never made sense to me. If masks don’t protect the wearer from infection, why do medical personnel wear them in the presence of those who are ill?
We visited St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital a few years ago. The children who had been stricken with cancer but were well enough to play were running up and down the halls. All of them were wearing masks.
I’m pretty sure it wasn’t so the rest of us would be safe from the kids’ infections. It was so the children, whose immune systems were compromised because of their chemo treatments, would be protected from illnesses that visitors bring into the facility.
That is proof that masks work to protect the wearer as well as those around him/her. Mask-wearing should be mandatory until the COVID-19 epidemic has run its course.
A: We certainly agree that masks make sense when there is a respiratory infection raging. In countries such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China, people have long worn face masks during flu season, both in self-interest and as a civic duty. There, wearing a mask tells people you behave responsibly.
Of course, hand-washing and maintaining physical distance are also important. Until we have effective drug treatments or vaccines against COVID-19, we should use these tools to stay as safe as possible.
Q: CBD oil is the most effective remedy for my arthritis. I took meloxicam for years, but the side effects made me look for alternative relief.
CBD oil from hemp is fantastic for arthritis pain. It’s good for a number of other things too.
A: It’s unfortunate that so little research has been done on the effects of cannabidiol for treating arthritis in humans. We found a few studies on rats and mice. There is also a recent double-blind placebo-controlled trial in dogs (Pain, April 24, 2020.)
The investigators found that low-dose cannabidiol was no better than placebo, but high-dose cannabidiol was helpful. The authors suggest that CBD might be helpful in treating pain and improving quality of life for humans as well as dogs with osteoarthritis.
Q: I don’t understand why more doctors are not familiar with vitamins and minerals. Whenever I mention supplements to any of my physicians, they say they don’t know anything about them. Sometimes they don’t recommend supplements because they might interact or interfere with current medications I’m taking. Why is mainstream medicine so gung-ho for chemical medicines like statins, but averse to meds from nature?
A: Your doctors are right that vitamins and minerals might interact with some medications. For example, calcium, iron, zinc and magnesium can interfere with the absorption of the thyroid hormone levothyroxine. Potassium can make blood pressure pills like lisinopril or losartan more dangerous.
A far more likely scenario, however, involves nutrient depletion by commonly prescribed medications. Acid-suppressing drugs such as esomeprazole (Nexium) and omeprazole (Prilosec) can lead to lower levels of magnesium, iron, selenium and B vitamins. Blood pressure pills like captopril, enalapril and lisinopril can deplete the body of zinc and coenzyme Q10. Thiazide diuretics and furosemide affect B vitamins as well as minerals like magnesium, potassium, sodium and zinc.