Health Warnings

Warm Weather Reminder For Parents

Dr. Ben Kim — Mon, 19 Jun 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Just a reminder that it's never a good idea to leave a young child in a car, even for a minute. Children are not able to regulate core body temperature and tolerate heat and cold to the same extent that grown-ups are; if left in a car in warm weather, young children are at risk of quickly experiencing hyperthermia - stroke, seizures, and even death can occur if hyperthermia is severe enough. Read more

Do You Know What Drowning Really Looks Like?

Guest Writer — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Health Warnings

Many thanks to Mario Vittone for graciously giving us permission to share this valuable article with our readership. Please read through Mario's article below and consider sharing this information with family and friends.

Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

By Mario Vittone Read more

An Often Overlooked Cause of Vomiting

Dr. Ben Kim — Thu, 09 Feb 2023 08:00:00 +0000

Health Warnings

Children's Health Issues

Most parents don't realize that not getting enough food can be the cause of unexplained vomiting in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning.

Where there is no fever, stomach flu, or any other common cause of vomiting in younger children, vomiting is often caused by low blood sugar. Most typically, this happens to children between 8 months and 4.5 to 5 years of age. Read more

Are You Drinking Plastic With Your Hot Coffee or Tea?

Dr. Ben Kim — Mon, 05 Dec 2022 08:00:00 +0000

Health Warnings

If you often drink hot coffee or tea through a plastic lid, I would encourage you to find an alternative solution to the lid. Read more

How to Reduce Arsenic Exposure

Dr. Ben Kim — Mon, 16 May 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Health Warnings

It's widely known that rice tends to come with higher levels of arsenic than most other grains. So for those who eat rice on a regular basis, it's important to thoroughly wash rice before cooking, as washing helps reduce arsenic content. Read more

Persimmon Skins and Other Foods that Can Cause Obstruction in the GI tract

Dr. Ben Kim — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 08:00:00 +0000

Health Warnings

If you enjoy eating persimmons, please know that it's best to avoid eating their skins.

Persimmon skins are one of several foods that can contribute to the buildup of an indigestible mass in the gastrointestinal tract - called a bezoar - that can lead to serious complications and a need for surgery if the mass gets large enough to obstruct the GI tract. Read more

What To Do If You Fall Through Ice

Dr. Ben Kim — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Health Warnings

In a suburb of Ottawa, there's a river that mostly freezes over in the winter and becomes a trail for snowmobiling enthusiasts. This river narrows as it runs past the backyard of a friend of mine. Narrowing translates to faster water flow, which makes it less likely that the river will freeze over in that location.

My friend tells me that just about every year, one or two unsuspecting snowmobilers come ripping down the river trail and end up going through thin ice and drowning. Just a few years ago, a man and his young daughter tragically died in this way.

Even if you aren't into snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, ice fishing, or other popular outdoor winter activities, it doesn't hurt to know how to maximize your chances of surviving if you fall through ice.

In the following videos, Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht - a thermo-physiologist and professor at the University of Manitoba - shares tips on how to survive after falling into icy cold water. Below the video, you'll find a summary of a few key points to share with loved ones. Read more

When Can We Expect COVID-19 To End?

Dr. Ben Kim — Mon, 30 Mar 2020 21:38:00 +0000

Health Warnings

This is an excellent summary of how South Korea has managed to contain COVID-19 more effectively than many other countries thus far. What follows are Dr. Woo Joo Kim's key points on COVID-19 and what we can expect in the months ahead.

The Chinese government notified the World Health Organization of COVID-19 on December 31, 2019. Read more

COVID-19 Update

Dr. Ben Kim — Sun, 15 Mar 2020 19:27:46 +0000

Health Warnings

In monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic, I'm feeling more optimistic than I was about a week ago, primarily because it's clear that more countries are understanding the importance of social distancing, canceling unnecessary gatherings, avoiding non-essential travel, and supporting the health care system.

Canada and the United States appear to be learning from what is happening in Italy, Spain, and other European countries. Read more

General Preparedness Stockpile List

Dr. Ben Kim — Thu, 27 Feb 2020 20:09:35 +0000

Health Warnings

In the event that an emergency requires that we stay at home for an extended period of time, it's prudent to have a stockpile of everyday essentials, enough to meet the needs of a household for at least three weeks. What follows are some suggestions for what to keep in storage in the event that we need to quarantine ourselves at home.

Groceries: Read more

How X-Rays Damage The Body

Dr. Ben Kim — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 08:00:00 +0000

Health Warnings

Original article below published in November of 2004, reposted on January 30, 2019 along with the video clip from the Joe Rogan Podcast above with guest Dr. David Sinclair. Read more

Selecting Fresh, Uncontaminated Foods

Dr. Ben Kim — Sat, 19 Dec 2015 08:00:00 +0000

Health Warnings

In early November, I spoke with a client in her early 50s who was going on about 6 weeks of experiencing chronic nausea and diarrhea without a clue as to why.

In reviewing her daily dietary and lifestyle choices, we realized that the onset of her symptoms coincided with regular purchases of pre-marinated chicken from her local grocery store - her sister-in-law out west had suggested this as a way to make healthy cooking easier after long work days at the hospital. Read more

Heart Attack Symptoms

Dr. Ben Kim — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 07:00:00 +0000

Health Warnings

In response to my article on the Top 3 Determinants of Heart Disease, a number of readers asked how they would know if they were having a heart attack or in danger of having one in the near future.

By definition, a heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart is compromised. Without adequate oxygen and nutrients from fresh blood, heart cells are damaged and at risk of dying. Read more

Risks of Tampon Use

Dr. Ben Kim — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 13:50:42 +0000

Health Warnings

As widely covered in the media, 13-year old Jemma-Louise Roberts passed away last winter from Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), which is thought to have come about from using tampons to help her prepare for swim meets.

TSS is a rare bacterial infection - typically by Staphylococcus aureus but sometimes group A streptococcus bacteria - that can quickly travel through the body via one's bloodstream. Toxins associated with this infection can damage and disrupt all organ systems, making TSS a life-threatening medical emergency. Toxic Shock Syndrome can affect men, women, and children of all ages. Beyond recent tampon use, major risk factors include skin wounds and recent surgery. Read more

Rules For Minimizing Risk Of Injury

Dr. Ben Kim — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 07:00:00 +0000

Health Warnings

The funny thing about accidents is that, by definition, they generally happen without notice. You're going about your business, when, often with an audible crack (even if it's only in your head), you realize that your plans just changed to some degree. This pretty much holds true for most physical injuries, which is why I'm a big believer in being careful about when and how to use my body for physically demanding activities. Read more