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Dr. John Hong
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Kerri-Lee Halkett & Dr. Hong talk about: Exercise can beat Obesity Gene, Removing Ovaries Can Save Lives for Women with BRCA Mutations, & IUDs Are Back

Kerri-Lee Halkett and John Hong, MD discuss three studies. Obesity genes can be thwarted with exercise. Women with BRCA mutations can live longer with removal of ovaries. And IUDs are becoming popular again.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Bottled Tea, and Text Messaging | Fox29 August 25, 2010

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has no cure or effective treatment. Hopefully a new retrovirus might shed light on its cause and lead to a cure. | Tea is for intellectuals and coffee is for hard workers (like myself). However, the polyphenols that improved cholesterol, fight cancer and heart disease, aren’t that high [...]

Flu Shots, Whooping Cough, & Moose Arthritis | Fox 29 August 18

Flu shots are already available? You have to be kidding me! My own office doesn’t even have flu shots yet. You don’t want to get a flu shot too early because then you won’t be protected by the flu in the spring. CDC recommends flu shot November to March. | [...]

Pea in a…LUNG! | Antibiotic Resistant E. Coli | Menstrual Cramp & The Brain

Pea and The Princess is one thing, but a pea in the lung is more than bizarre. Watch about the man in Cape Cod who had a pea plant found inside his lung. | NDM-1 gene is making E. Coli resistant to some antibiotics, like some staph. This could be bad news. | [...]

Nails Salons & Cancer, Good/Bad Bacteria, Honest Weight | Fox29 News August 4 2010

I didn’t know nail salons use UV light to dry certain types of nail treatments. But can UV light put a nail in your coffin…by skin cancer? | Bacteria is changing in our bodies, and does this change our health? | More people are being honest about being obese, but do people really [...]

Depression in Men | Men are from Mars

Flip? What does it meant to be flip? Supermodel and phone-throwing Naomi Campbell flipped in Culture Club’s “I’ll Tumble 4 Ya” video. (That was before the age of the flip phone.) Some people flip the bird, which I’m sure the Audobon society frowns upon. A flip jump in [...]

5 Second Rule | Is it valid?

July 21, Kerri-Lee of Fox29 and I discuss the 5 Second Rule. True there are bacteria on the floor and even your kitchen counter that can get you sick. I would never eat anything dropped on the street or ground. But is it really that much of a risk to eat something like [...]

Fox29 | Weight Loss Pill, Cell Phone and Brain Cancer, Alzheimer’s Early Detection

Fox29 | Weight Loss Pill, Cell Phone and Brain Cancer, Alzheimer’s Early Detection

Januvia for Diabetes

Eating habits are very interesting. Some people don’t let food on their plate touch-so much for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Some people won’t eat meat if the bone is still attached-so much for T-bone steaks. I know some who graze like Elsie the cow but won’t sit down for dinner with the [...]

Fox29 Philadelphia | Botox, Depression, Colon Bacteria

Diabetic Foot Ulcer | Do Not Open Mouth Insert Foot

Open mouth, insert foot. Have you ever been in a situation where you wanted to die because you said something inappropriate?
Some friends threw a farewell party for me in LA when I finished residency. Not that I was a Chatty Cathy, but– I said to a couple of my friends across the dinner table, [...]

Diverticulitis | Pimples of the Colon

Heidi Klum, former supermodel and host of Project Runway, says, “In fashion, one day you’re in, the next you’re out.” She’s right— look at designer Isaac Mizrahi. One day he was in Nieman Marcus; now he’s in Target.
In his documentary, Unzipped, Mizrahi introduced us to the world of high fashion and dealing with supermodels like [...]

Edema | More than a swollen head

Ex-Governor Eliot Spitzer must have had a pretty big ego to think he could hire prostitutes and not get caught. Hello! But then again, it seems most powerful people get a swollen head and feel untouchable-until they get a swollen lip when they get caught. Perhaps if the head did visibly [...]

Endocannabinoids | Can you lose weight with “anti-marijuana” medicine?

Endocannabinoids: losing weight?
Rosie O’Donnell and Donald Trump need to hash it out more so they can continue to irritate America! C’mon, Donald! You’re a rich successful man and, yes, your last name is “Trump, but you’re acting more like Donald Duck.
Lionel Ritchie needs to hash it out with his daughter, Nicole. Personally, I wouldn’t [...]

Endometriosis | A pain in the…pelvis

Cloris Leachman is very funny. High Anxiety proved it. Remember those pointy breasts as Nurse Diesel? Still, I didn’t know how raunchy she could be until I saw her roast Bob Saget. Oooh, child!
Then she kept the censors for Dancing with the Stars jumping every time she was on air this past season [...]

Eustachian Tube Dysfunction (Video) | Ears Burning?

Ears burning? Maybe someone is talking about you! It’s like that Bonnie Raitt song, “Something to Talk About.” Or– could it be that you’re paranoid or super egocentric?
Really, in the end, it doesn’t matter what people think about you– but then again, as I’ve learned on Wisteria Lane (i.e. Desperate Housewives), it does [...]

Fecal Incontinence | More than just a slip

“Let Go and Let God” is an expression I’ve heard for a couple of decades. I still haven’t mastered it. Actually, I can’t really say I’m trying to master it. Well, really… oh, never mind. The point is that some things are just out of our control, like the weather, traffic, and Lindsay [...]

Fiber Video| It’s more than a gas!

“Beans, Beans, the musical fruit. The more you eat, the more you toot.” Every kid has chanted this mantra on the playground at least once.
There are many types of beans: lima beans, kidney beans, navy beans, L.L. Bean, les-beans.
But I don’t know too many people who eat beans. I don’t eat many beans myself, [...]

Food Poisoning

What can you do to prevent getting food poisoining? It is no fun to eat something bad and end of vomiting and having diarrhea.

Fungal Skin Infections | There is a Fungus Amungus

Gold medals are gold for a reason. However, my skating coach said to me, “Competing is not about winning a medal. It’s about doing your best.” I replied, “If medals aren’t important, then why are they so shiny?” They aren’t made of tin or stone.
So somehow I came up with the crazy idea [...]

Gambling Problem

Las Vegas is sin city? It’s been four years since I’ve been to Vegas, and to me it’s pretty cleaned up. (Although to some people, that’s like saying a brothel going from cash to credit card is cleaned up.)
For example, it was almost impossible to find a raunchy postcard to send [...]

GERD is the Word | Heartburn isn’t the only symptom

Pineapple upside down cake was something I had never experienced until my TV news producer asked me to talk about Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) with a cookbook author. I had never heard of this cook (her name escapes me– well, more likely the trauma created by her has caused a mental block. For artistic [...]

Heart Attack | Acute Coronary Syndrome

Chest pains: yes, certain things give me chest pains. People who don’t put their shopping cart away! Grocery stores should handcuff the cart to such patrons and un-handcuff them when they return the cart. Litter bugs! Can’t you put your cigarette in your ashtray for proper disposal later? The highway is not a [...]

Heat Stroke & Heat Exhaustion Video | It’s too damn hot!

When I was a child in New York City, my parents actually belonged to a country club. I remember these ladies with B-52 beehive hairdos in their swimsuits lying on the pool chairs. It was from these ladies that I learned the sidestroke.
Here’s how it works. The ladies would dip their polished toenails [...]

Hemorrhoids Are a Pain in the… | Video

POP is such a powerful word. You want things to visually POP out, like a bright tie in contrast to a dark shirt. For my webpage design, I used Opti-POP to make such I wouldn’t be ignored like Glen Close in Fatal Attraction. As a kid, I loved my [...]

Hyperhydrosis | Sweaty Armpits, Hands and Feet

Sweaty hands? Feel the pressure? When I was younger, I used to sweat at the drop of a hat. In high school, I was in a show choir, “The Top 20.” One dreaded night just before a performance, I ripped my pants in a bad place, but in Ethel Merman style, the show [...]

Hypothyroidism | Slooooow Doooown

“Slow down, you move too fast. You’ve got to make the morning laaaaast.”
Simon and Garfunkel wrote some pretty amazing songs. But things are much more fast-paced now than they were back in their heyday. Don’t believe me? If music videos flash so fast they can induce seizures…well, that’s Usain Bolt [...]

Internet & Health Information | Did you get your info at WrongDiagnosis.com?

the internet is used for med info for four main reasons. Fifty percent of internet users search for med info.

Ischemia | When the Heart Suffocates

Six Feet Under is probably my favorite television series ever. The Fisher & Sons Funeral Home was not a fun place like a disco club or an amusement park, but it was a quite interesting. In the very first episode, Nathaniel Fisher, the father of the family, is driving his brand-new hearse and smoking [...]

Chronic Kidney Disease Video | Slow Kidneys

Pâté is not politically correct food because of what is done to poor Mrs. Goose. Personally I think eating liver is like eating toenails or something. But then again some people eat pig’s feet, so we all have our preferences, including me.
Back in Kenton, OH, my terrorizing classmates would ridicule [...]

Kidney Stones (Video) | Ouch, Ow, Painful! Not fun like The Rollling Stones

“Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.” As if!
Quite a few people seem to believe their houses are made of Pyrex, so they get out their slings like David going after Goliath. That’s why politicians shouldn’t have negative campaign ads-it ends up like two nasty high school girls fighting to [...]

Body-Mass Index and Mortality in Korean Men and Women | Video

Korean as I am, I’m not very Korean. I didn’t learn the language, so all my relatives call me “stupid” in Korean. I don’t even know how to spell “stupid” in Korean– something like “pa-bow.” (Note: 9/27/09 – I have been learning Korean the past year. Not good at it but [...]

Laryngitis | Shhhhh…

Lead Poisoning Video | A Heavy Topic

Do you have a lead foot? My brother and I learned to drive in rural Ohio from parents who used to drive in New York City. So we didn’t have just lead in our feet. We had lead, uranium, titanium, and Rush Limbaugh’s gigantically obscene belly in our feet. Imagine the terror we created [...]

Lose Weight

Some Tips on how to lose weight….and keep it off

Male Sexual Dysfunction Video – Lost your steam? | Erectile Dysfunction | ED

Male sexual dysfunction starts at age 40 and gets worse each decade. Erectile dysfunction occurs 47% of men 55 or older. ED is 40% in men who are 40.
Conjunction junction, Erectile dysfunction.” I don’t think my changing the lyrics of this School House Rock song would go over very well. I think Superhero Verb [...]

Medicare Part D Video | What a Donut HOLE

Medicare D is a prescription program for those with Medicare B or who are eligible for Medicare A. Most of my patients who have Medicare D are dissatisfied. And in 2008 they introduced the stupid Donut Hole. Ugh. Medicare Part D 2007:
Some senior citizens suffer. My parents are in their [...]

Menopause Video | End and Beginning of an Era

Menopause is a subject of interest to many women.Menopause means no more menstrual periods.Average age is 51 for menopause.5% menopause between 40-45 & 5% after 55

“I’m a girl and by me that’s only great. I enjoy being a girl!” Go, Flower Drum Song! In that Rogers & Hammerstein song, Nancy Kwan sings about [...]

Migraine Headaches Video : Not tonight honey

Forty million Americans suffer from migraine headaches, mostly women. Migraine affliction peaks by age 40. What is migraine disorder? You need at least five headaches lasting 4-72 hours associated with nausea/vomiting or photophobia (lights hurt your eyes– kind of like staring at the sun) or phonophobia (sounds hurt your ears– kind of like listening [...]

MRSA | The Grapes of Wrath | Video

MRSA is Methacillian Resistant Staph Aureus, aka Superbug. MRSA is resistant to many antibiotics. MRSA caused over 94,000 life-threatening infections in 2005

The Grapes of Wrath is one of my favorite books of all time. Unbelievably, as slow a reader as I was, I finished the book in three days during my summer vacation [...]

Multiple Sclerosis | MS

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a breakdown of the nervous system. MS afflicts over 350,000 Americans. MS is #1 cause of disability in young adults that isn’t trauma
I have an impostor. Yes, I knew after achieving a certain level of fame (I wish!) that I would eventually have an impostor. What next, a stalker? [...]

Mumps – More Than Sweet Cheeks

Mumps outbreaks were common in the late winter-early spring. Mumps usually lasts 7-10 days. Mumps in the testicle(s) become swollen, red, and hurt. Mumps starts as flu-like symptoms
Pinching cheeks should be a felony. “Oh, child! You are soooo cute!” Pinch! Ouch! (Note to self: punish lady who just pinched salivary gland out [...]

Munchausen’s Syndrome – Faking it has never been so bad

Munchausen syndrome is the most extreme form of factitious disorder. Munchausen’s want attention from the medical community. Munchausen by proxy makes other sick
“Fake it ‘til you make it!” I think we all fake certain things. We tell a happy mom her baby’s cute, even if it looks like a larva. We [...]

Nausea and Vomiting

Nausea and vomiting is such a horrible feeling and experience and can be due to many reasons. I discuss some causes of nausea and vomiting in this video.

“I think I’m going to throw up,” should be a mantra for most Americans. Audits make most people throw up (and tax evaders throw up [...]

High Fructose and Obesity | High Fructose Corn Syrup | High Fructose Syrup Video

High-fructose corn syrup is sweet. High dose fructose is associated with Metabolic Syndrome X. High fructose corn syrup is associated with obesity

Soda is soda and a pop is a Popsicle in NYC, where I used to live. But when I moved to Kenton, Ohio at the tender age of 7, I ordered an orange [...]

OCD: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) affects 2-3% of Americans. Anxiety-provoking intrusive thoughts (obsession) & repetitive behaviors (compulsion) occur in OCD

David Sedaris is-um-an interesting author. I was able to read 1.25 of his books (I read about a fourth of his second book, and that was enough). But the first book I read was hilarious-and shocking. [...]

Netipot for Allergies

“Netipot Netipot, Will you wash out my snot?” Seasonal allergies. About 60 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergies. Allergies are on the rise, “particularly in urban areas. Allergies cause sneezing, stuffy runny nose
See the video to watch me do a Netipot live on the news.

Spring is here! The daffodils, irises, hyacinths, and all their [...]

Osteoporosis in Men

Osteoporosis in men exists. Osteoporosis is in men, not only women. Osteoporosis in men often from taking steroids, alcohol abuse, and lack of testosterone
Osteoporosis in Men:
“Sticks and stones might break my bones, but names will make me want to hurt you.” Do I sound like Paula Abdul? She said in her reality [...]

Arthritis Walk Videos

Arthritis affects mega millions of Americans. Osteoarthritis is the most common. In these 2 videos, you see there are other causes like rheumatoid, psoriatic, and scleroderma. I had the amazing honor of meeting Cathy Eichelberger. So please watch, learn, and participate!

Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer occurs in over 22,000 American women a year. Ovarian cancer kills 16,000 of them. Ovarian cancer survival rate is 20% in 5 years.

Coronary Artery Disease: Does PCI Help a Broken Heart?

PCI is coronary artery intervention done during cardiac catheterization. PCI done during an acute coronary event. Over a million PCIs are done on Americans every year.

Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is the #4 cause of cancer deaths. Pancreatitc cancer has a low survival rate. Pancreatic cancer is usually diagnosed too late, making it hard to cure

Parkinson’s Disease | More than a shaky matter

Parkison’s disease is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain. Parkinson’s affects brain that control movement. Parkinson’s has a pill-rolling tremor.

Pharmaceutical Commercials – HELP! | Pharmacetical Ads are Inappropriate

Pharmaceutical commercials are out of control. Shouldn’t medications be determined between the doctor and patient, vs. a pharmaceutical commercial? Pharm ads are too abundant

Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar Fasciitis is a painful foot condition. Plantar fasciitis involves the deep layer of the plantar fascia. Plantar fasciitis makes the arch of the foot hurt

Low Potassium

Low Potassium makes muscles cramp. Low potassium causes weakness in the legs. Low potassium cause cardiac arrhythmias. Low potassium can stop a person’s breathing.

Pulmonary Hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension is when the blood pressure in the lungs is high. Pulmonary hypertension makes oxygen exchange difficult. Pulmonary hypertension from sleep apnea

Raynaud’s

Raynaud’s Phenomenon is an exaggerated response to cold or emotional stress so the arteries clamp down. Raynaud’s causes white, blue, then red fingers or toes.

Heatbands.com might be a way to warm things up

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) is in all the Americas. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is common in Southeast. RMSF is from Rickettsia rickettsii

Rotator Cuff Tear: Tears on Your Shoulder

People with rotator cuff syndrome complain about pain when they sleep on that shoulder. “frozen shoulder” can occur from rotator cuff tear. Rotator cuff tear is also known as impingment syndrome.

Food Poisoning | Salmonella in Peanut Butter

Food Poisoning | Salmonella in Peanut Butter

Rape & Sexual Assault| Stop the violence

Rape or sexual assault is sexual act performed by one person on another without consent. Rape or sexual assault occurs due to force, threat, victim’s inability to consent

Sex Induced Headaches | Orgasm Headache

Sex induced headaches: pre-orgasmic & orgasm types of sexual headaches. Orgasm headaches are usually very painful. Explosive onset just before or during orgasm.

Seasonal Allergies

Seasonal allergies. About 60 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergies. Allergies are on the rise, particularly in urban areas. Allergies cause sneezing, stuffy runny nose

Spinal Stenosis: pinched nerves in the back and neck

Spinal stenosis can pinch down on the spinal cord or roots. Spinal stenosis can cause a lot of misery. Spinal stenosis usually from osteoarthritis in back or neck.

Strep Throat

Strep Throat is caused by Group A Streptococcus, Strep throat causes fever. Strep throat causes swollen glands. Strep throat has swollen tonsil. Strep is contagious

Sunburn

Sunburn happens in 35% of American adults & 80% of kids every year. Sunburn is easier in fair white-skinned folks with light hair. Sunscreen prevent sunburn

Swimmer’s ear

Swimmer’s Ear is otitis externa. Swimmer’s ear occurs 10% Americans. Ears burning might be otitis externa. Swimmer’s ear causes ear pain, itch, hearing loss

Tuberculosis: TB or Not TB

Tuberculosis, TB, might become active two to five percent of people who “catch” TB. MDR-TB is of concern because it is a more deadly form of tuberculosis.

Tetanus

Tetanus is C. tetani, which releases a toxin called tetanospasmin that causes muscles spasm. Tetanus is known to cause lock jaw. Tetanus shots are recommended every 10 years, but every 5 years for dirty cuts and 7 years for clean cuts

Tinnitis: Ringing in your ear isn’t from someone talking about you

Tinnitus means the perception of sound that a person hears when there is no external source for sound. Tinnitus affects 50 million Americans, 12 million really suffer from it

TMJ

TMJ is a result of muscles tension, in particular, bruxism (tooth grinding). TMJ pain is usually affects only one side of the jaw. TMJ pain occurs with chewing.

Losing Weight – Top 10 Excuses Not To Exercise

Here are the top 10 excuses I hear from patients on why they don’t exercise.

Trans Fats

Trans Fats – Yummy but don’t be a dumby with your heart | Trans Fats | No Trans Fats

Trigger Finger & Ganglion Cysts

Trigger finger is inflammation of the finger’s flexor tendon sheath. Trigger finger keeps finger from bending well. Ganglion cyst is swelling over tendon sheath

Vitamin D Deficiency

Vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency might be affecting 1 billion people in the world. Vitamin D is important for calcium & phosphorus absorption by the gut

Vytorin | Is it bad for you?

Vytorin is a cholesterol lowering medication. Vytorin was reported January 14, 2008 about the ENHANCE trial. Vytorin has not been shown to reduce CIMT

Warts

Plantar Warts make the skin grow too rapidly so they look like cauliflower. Plantar warts are from Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Plantar warts can be hard to treat

Water intoxication

Water intoxication happened to Jennifer Strange. Water intoxication happened by drinking too much water in a “Hold Your Wee for a Wii” contest held by KDKN

Tamiflu and Relenza to Treat the Flu

Tamiflu and Relenza to treat the flu

West Nile Virus

Those darn mosquitoes!