About this column:
Doc's Bag: Health and Science News is a weekly column written by Marlou Dale Davis, MD. Dr. Davis earned his medical degree for the University of Missouri School of Medicine after completing his undergrad at Washington University. He has been a member of several professional organizations, such as American Medical Association, Southwest Medical Association; American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology; American Board of Nutrition; American Board of Bariatric Medicine; American Board of Law and Medicine.Dr. Tom, a dentist in St. Peters recently asked the question, "Does the position you sleep in cause any health problems? Specifically can it cause a stroke or a heart attack?" The answer might be surprising, but it is "yes". You are more likely to have a stroke or a heart attack if you sleep on your sides versus sleeping on your back. The No. 1 killer in this country is a heart attack. The No. 3 killer in this country is a stroke. Ninety-nine percent of strokes and heart attacks are caused by a clot lodging in an artery that feeds the heart or the brain. When you lay on your side you cause …
Do you know how many barbers there are in and around St Peters? I was surprised to find that within 15 miles of St. Peters there are 329 barbers. Many of the shops such as my barber’s shop are still independent. They don’t belong to a national chain. One thing that most have in common is the presence of a red, blue and white striped barber’s pole. Have you ever wondered what the pole stands for? What does a red, white and blue pole have to do with cutting hair? I was curious. So the last time I got a haircut, I asked my barber George. I pointed to the pole inside his shop and I asked, “Hey …
Mary A. recently asked a simple question: “I have tried to quit smoking five times but I can’t. I have tried cold turkey, hypnosis, gum, and patches. Nothing works! I don’t feel like myself without a cigarette!” Mary A. is a young St. Peters’ resident. She is a lawyer and she has a lot of will and determination. Why can’t she stop smoking? Mary A.’s smoking problem is common. Some people need a cigarette or they don’t feel normal because of a chemical imbalance in their bodies. Cigarettes may correct that imbalance. According to the American Cancer Society, “out of 100 current smokers who try…
Whooping cough is not epidemic in the United States, but reported cases appear to be on the rise since 1980. "There is a 20% chance that if you have a cough for more than 2 weeks that it is Whooping Cough," said Dr. Scott Landry at St. Peter's BJC hospital. A vaccine for Pertussis or whooping cough as it is commonly known was developed in the 1940s. It is not 100 percent effective. But, it has decreased the incidence of the disease by 75 to 85 percent, so it is less prevalent in most towns. Pertussis cases before 1940, numbered over 200,000 per year and they caused a large number of infant …
