Causes or Cures
Dr. Eeks
"For the Nerds and the Nerd Nots"Causes or Cures is a health podcast hosted by Dr. Eeks—an independent, grassroots show driven by curiosity and a passion for breaking down complex health topics into bite-sized, easy-to-understand insights. Dr. Eeks (ErinKate Stair, MPH, MD) works as a consultant in the realm of public health, applied epidemiology, and health communication. She's all about making science relatable and often uses a blue-collar sense of humor to drive the message home.On this podcast, Dr. Eeks talks with experts from around the world (doctors, researchers, public health pros, and more) to dive into the latest hot topics in health and research, all in a down-to-earth kind of way. She also includes people with compelling stories of healing and "characters" because life is too boring and short to leave out characters. ;)DISCLAIMER: Some topics are more controversial than others, so keep in mind that this is information only and not health advice. If you are battling an individual health issue, always check in with your doctor & don't run with anything on podcast as advice. Dr. Eeks doesn't endorse any of her guests' views, and despite a strict health routine, nor does she endorse any products, supplements, oils, magic socks or potions. (If an episode is sponsored by a company she likes, she will say so in the show notes.) While she has a MD, she does not practice medicine (she's a full-time public health nerd) so she does not give out medical advice nor should you treat anything on this podcast as medical advice. Causes or Cures is not a "news site." It's about having conversations, and Dr. Eeks is confident that she can have a respectful conversation with anyone, even people who think far differently than she does. (At least that's been her experience at hole-in-the-walls & on the NYC sidewalks.) The point is to not take anything here as Gospel. Sometimes Dr. Eeks' dog Barnaby makes his opinion known, but the good news is that he's a smart dog. Most importantly, she hopes this podcast encourages folks to stay curious, empathic, hopeful, compassionate, honest, open-minded, and engaged. Freedom of discussion is a beautiful thing, delightfully messy, and one that many take for granted.*The views on this podcast do not reflect the views of anyone she contracts with or consults for on various public health projects. You can help keep Causes or Cure independent and ad-free by hitting the "Support" button in the upper corner.You can contact Dr. Eeks through her website, bloomingwellness.com.SIGN UP for her Newsletter HERE: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/xnqmy06
Episodes
Mentioned books
Nov 24, 2020 • 1h 5min
Anorexia Unlocked: With JL Keez
Send us a textIn this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with JL Keez, founder of Anorexia Unlocked, a powerful online program to help people overcome anorexia and other eating disorders. JL suffered from anorexia for years, after a history of family sexual abuse, bullying, depression, suicidal thoughts and not knowing who she truly was. When she finally met the right person who could help her, she made a full recovery and went on to become a counselor specializing in reality therapy. She will discuss the darkest parts of her story, her recovery journey and what she can offer those who are currently struggling. To learn more about JL, her upcoming book, or to try the Anorexia Unlocked program, visit her website here. You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Dr. Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or Twitter.Read Manic Kingdom here.Listen to her short audio parody on the wellness industry here.Subcribe to her newsletter here!Support the show
Oct 30, 2020 • 1h 2min
Early At-Home Treatment for COVID-19 Can Save Lives, so Why Isn't the Media Talking About It? With Dr. Peter McCullough
Send us a textDisclaimer: Causes or Cures is for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, and no medical claims are being made. Always talk to a qualified healthcare provider about your personal health.While most people are focused on vaccines, face masks and lockdowns, some doctors are trying to get people to focus on, or at least consider, early ambulatory treatment for COVID-19. This means care that is initiated right when a person is diagnosed or starts to show symptoms, while he/she is still at home or self-isolating, and well before a person has to go to the hospital. These doctors believe early ambulatory treatment would significantly reduce hospitalizations and deaths.In this podcast, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Peter McCullough, an internist, cardiologist and epidemiologist who authored a paper on this topic that included a protocol for early treatment. The protocol lists specific drugs to use and when to use them. Dr. McCullough discusses the rationale behind this protocol, what other countries are doing for early ambulatory treatment ( things that the US is not doing), and why the media is not addressing early ambulatory care since he believes it could save many lives.Dr. McCullough is the Vice Chief of Internal Medicine at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Tx and a consulting cardiologist. He is a Principal Faculty in internal medicine for the Texas A&M University Health Sciences, has over 1000 publications and over 500 citations in the National Library of Medicine. You can read his full bio here. Keep in mind that this podcast is information only and not medical advice. At this time, several of the drugs mentioned are not approved by the FDA for use against COVID-19. If you have questions about treatment, please check in with your doctor. You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Dr. Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or Twitter.Read Manic Kingdom here.Listen to her short audio parody on the wellness industry here.Subcribe to her newsletter here!Support the show
Oct 23, 2020 • 38min
How the Pandemic is Changing the Opioid Epidemic, with Dr. John Kelly
Send us a textPrior to the current pandemic, the news cycle was dominated by the opioid epidemic, a beast that has taken the lives of many people from all walks of life. Just yesterday, the Sackler family's Purdue Pharma, the maker of Oxycontin, plead guilty to federal criminal charges related to the marketing and selling of opioids. Universities, like NYU, just announced that they are removing the Sackler family name from their campuses. Many other drug companies face serious legal issues. Prior to COVID-19, the opioid crisis was the top public health issue that everyone was talking about. National, state and local governments were desperate to find ways to address it. It was a top election issue. Since COVID-19, the opioid epidemic has been removed from the spotlight..., but it has not gone away. In fact, it's gotten significantly worse. We just aren't talking about it as much. In this podcast, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. John Kelly about the current state of the opioid epidemic. Dr. Kelly will identify who is getting hit the hardest, why the epidemic is getting worse, overdose deaths, why stress and isolation affect a person struggling with opioids more than a person who is not, and if someone is in recovery, when is the most critical time period he or she is most likely to relapse. He will also discuss changes to treatment, telemedicine, digital Apps and what he thinks is the best path forward for putting a major dent in this public health crisis. Dr. Kelly is a Professor of Psychiatry in Addiction Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He is the Founder and Director of the Recovery Research Institute at the Massachusetts General Hospital, the Associate Director of the Center for Addiction Medicine, and the Program Director of the Addiction Recovery Management Service. He is a former President of the American Psychological Association's Society of Addiction Psychology and has served as a consultant to U.S. federal agencies and non-federal institutions, as well as foreign governments and the United Nations. He has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles, reviews, chapters and books in the field of addiction medicine. Finally, he was the author on the U.S. Surgeon General's Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health. You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Dr. Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or Twitter.Read Manic Kingdom here.Listen to her short audio parody on the wellness industry here.Subcribe to her newsletter here!Support the show
Sep 30, 2020 • 1h 1min
The Scientific Evidence for The Shroud of Turin, with Barrie Schwortz
Send us a textIn this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks discusses the scientific evidence for The Shroud of Turin with Barrie Schwortz. The Shroud of Turin is a cloth that has an image of a man ( a negative image) that some people believe was the burial shroud of Jesus of Nazareth. Of course, others do not believe that. To this day, no one can explain how the image was created. In this podcast, Dr. Eeks and Barrie Schwortz discuss the evidence base for the Shroud, possible theories that could explain the characteristics of the image, the 1988 Carbon dating, as well as eye-opening, new details that emerged related to it, why he believes it is authentic and the future of Shroud research.Barrie Schwortz was the Official Documenting Photographer for the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP), the team that conducted the first in-depth scientific examination of the Shroud in 1978. Today, he plays an influential role in Shroud research and education as the editor and founder of the internationally recognized Shroud of Turin Website, the oldest, largest and most extensive Shroud resource on the Internet, with more than fifteen million visitors from over 160 countries. In 2009 he founded the Shroud of Turin Education and Research Association, Inc. (STERA, Inc.), a non-profit corporation, to which he donated the website and his extensive Shroud photographic collection, as well as many other important Shroud resources, in order to preserve and maintain these materials and make them available for future research and study. He currently serves as the President of STERA, IncThanks for listening! You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Dr. Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or Twitter.Subcribe to her newsletter here!Support the show
Sep 29, 2020 • 56min
Medicating Normal: A Conversation with Director Wendy Ractcliffe and Combat Veteran Angela Peacock
Send us a textIn this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Wendy Ractcliffe and Angela Peacock about the documentary film, Medicating Normal. Wendy is a director and executive producter of the film and Angela, a combat veteran, is featured in the film. Angela is also a social worker and part of the film's outreach team. From the website, Medicating Normal is the "untold story of what can happen when profit-driven medicine intersects with human beings in distress." The documentary follows Angela, a Naval Academy Graduate and his wife, a teenager and a waitress as they struggle with unexpected prescription side effects, polypharmacy, dependency and withdrawal symptoms from drugs that were taken as prescribed. This podcast covers what "medicating normal" means, the importance of informed consent, the struggle to be heard and taken seriously, while not being labeled "anti-psychiatry," how people overcame their unexpected struggle with prescription medication, the future of mental health and what optimal, long-lasting healing looks like. Angela also shares her insight on how these topics relate specifically to the veteran community. You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Dr. Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or Twitter.Subcribe to her newsletter here!Support the show
Sep 22, 2020 • 29min
Beware of Wellness Paranoia Syndrome!
Send us a textIn this episode, Dr. Eeks discusses Wellness Paranoia Syndrome. (WPS for short, because acronyms are wonderful.) Please note that this isn't a real syndrome recognized by any reputable medical organization. But it is a "thing" that can suck the enjoyment out of your life, and it is a thing that marketers can use against you in the business of "Wellness." Take a listen with a healthy sense of humor and sarcasm. :) You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Dr. Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or Twitter.Read Manic Kingdom here.Listen to her short audio parody on the wellness industry here.Subcribe to her newsletter here!Support the show
Sep 11, 2020 • 51min
The Metaphor of Medicare for All, with Dr. John McDonough
Send us a textIn this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. John McDonough about Medicare for All. They discuss what the slogan really means, the details of Medicare, who would be covered, what role private insurance companies would play, quality of care, personal values, how much it would cost over ten years and who will pay for it. Dr. McDonough is a professor of practice at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health in the Department of Health Policy & Management and Director of the HSPH Center for Executive & Continuing Professional Education. Between 2008 and 2010, he served as a Senior Advisor on National Health Reform to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions where he worked on the writing and passage of the Affordable Care Act. Between 2003 and 2008, he was Executive Director of Healthcare For All, a Massachusetts consumer health advocacy organization, where he played a leading role in the passage of the 2006 Massachusetts Health Reform Law. From 1998 through 2003, he was an associate professor at the Heller School at Brandeis University. From 1985 to 1997, he was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives where he co-chaired the Joint Committee on Health Care. His articles have appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine, Health Affairs and other journals. He has written: Inside National Health Reform in 2011 and Experiencing Politics: A Legislator’s Stories of Government and Health Care in 2000, both by the University of California Press and the Milbank Fund, and Interests, Ideas, and Deregulation: The Fate of Hospital Rate Setting in1998 by the University of Michigan Press. He holds a doctorate in public health from the University of Michigan and a master’s in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Dr. Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or Twitter.Read Manic Kingdom here.Listen to her short audio parody on the wellness industry here.Subcribe to her newsletter here!Support the show
Sep 3, 2020 • 26min
Wellness is a Luxury Brand
Send us a text Wellness is a Luxury Brand. Dr. Eeks explains why. Please come with a sense of humor and an open mind. ;) You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Dr. Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or Twitter.Read Manic Kingdom here.Listen to her short audio parody on the wellness industry here.Subcribe to her newsletter here!Support the show
Aug 31, 2020 • 42min
Mass Shooters, Shootings, The Media's Response & Best Preventive Strategies, with Dr. Jaclyn Schildkraut
Send us a textIn this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Jaclyn Schildkraut about the characteristics of mass shooters, mass shootings, the media's role and its impact, and the best, evidence-based prevention and response strategies. Dr. Schildkraut discusses her recent research on school lockdown drills and provides advice on how to conduct them. She also provides trusted websites to visit for helpful tips. Dr. Schildkraut is a national expert on mass shootings. She earned her Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Texas State University and is currently an associate professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at the State University of New York at Oswego. She is highly published in numerous peer-reviewed journals, and the majority of her research focuses on mass and school shootings, media effects, social problems, moral panic, school safety and survivor needs. She's made numerous media appearances and is the author of several books, including Columbine, 20 Years Later and Beyond: Lessons from Tragedy, Mass Shootings, Media, Myths and Realities, and Lights, Camera, Execution!: Cinematic Portrayals of Capital Punishment. Hope you listen, share and subscribe! You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Dr. Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or Twitter.Read Manic Kingdom here.Listen to her short audio parody on the wellness industry here.Subcribe to her newsletter here!Support the show
Aug 28, 2020 • 29min
The Impact of Obesity on COVID-19, a Discussion with Dr. Rami Nakeshbandi and Rohan Maini
Send us a textIn this episode, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Rami Nakeshbandi and Rohan Maini about their research and the paper they recently published in the International Journal of Obesity, The Impact of Obesity on COVID-19 Complications: A Retrospective Cohort Study. The CDC and other health organizations have unequivocally stated that obesity is a significant risk factor for increased severity of COVID-19 infections and clinical outcomes. While it's well established that obesity is a significant risk factor for numerous health problems, Dr. Nakeshbandi and Rohan Maini will discuss the results of their research, particularly differences noted between men and women, ages, fat deposition, what outcomes were significantly impacted, and, perhaps most interestingly, why and how obesity impacts COVID-19 and its link to inflammation. They also use their sample population to elaborate on the causes of obesity and what we can do to prevent or slow down the USA's rising obesity rates. Dr. Nakeshbandi is the Interim Chief Medical Officer at Suny Downstate Medical Center and the Chief Quality Officer. He is also the Director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program and is the Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine and Infectious Diseases. Rohan is a 4th year medical student at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, where he cofounded a Street Medicine organization and serves as the director of a student-run asylum clinic. He will be applying for an Internal Medicine residency this year. You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Dr. Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or Twitter.Read Manic Kingdom here.Listen to her short audio parody on the wellness industry here.Subcribe to her newsletter here!Support the show
