The Dose

If someone near you goes into cardiac arrest, your quick actions could help save their life. Dr. Roopinder Sandhu, professor in cardiac sciences at the University of Calgary, shares what you need to know about basic life support and how to prevent cardiac arrest. For transcripts of The Dose, please visit: lnk.to/dose-transcripts. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. For more episodes of this podcast, click this link.

Measles cases are on the rise around the world — including countries with ready access to vaccines. Here in Canada, several cases have been reported, with public health officials encouraging residents to get vaccinated if they aren't already. Infectious diseases specialist Dr. Zain Chagla explains the dangers of measles and provides insight into why a disease thought to be eradicated in some countries is surging once again.For transcripts of The Dose, please visit: lnk.to/dose-transcripts. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. For more episodes of this podcast, click this link.

Most of us assume that our memories get worse as we grow older, but it's not as simple as that. Natasha Rajah, a TMU psychology professor who conducts neuroscience research, helps explain why some of our memories often remain just as strong in old age as when we're younger, as well as how changes in our brain as we get older influence our ability to retain and retrieve information.For transcripts of The Dose, please visit: lnk.to/dose-transcripts. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. For more episodes of this podcast, click this link.

Sleep apnea is a medical condition in which breathing stops and restarts many times during sleep. Despite being a fairly common condition, an estimated eight out of 10 Canadians living with sleep apnea are undiagnosed. Sleep physician Dr. Sachin Pendharkar explains how sleep apnea works, as well the options available for diagnosing and treating the disorder.For transcripts of The Dose, please visit: lnk.to/dose-transcripts. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. For more episodes of this podcast, click this link.

Dopamine is often associated with helping us feel pleasure, though its role in the body is far more complex. The neurotransmitter is essential for memory and learning, as well as reward-related behaviours. But some of those behaviours can be problematic. Patricia Di Ciano, a scientist with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, breaks down how dopamine functions, and whether dopamine fasting actually works.For transcripts of The Dose, please visit: lnk.to/dose-transcripts. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. For more episodes of this podcast, click this link.

Millions of people around the world suffer from chronic back pain everyday, often not knowing if they'll ever recover. Pain specialist Dr. Brenda Lau offers advice on how you can manage chronic back pain, as well as some of the newer treatment options that can offer relief.For transcripts of The Dose, please visit: lnk.to/dose-transcripts. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. For more episodes of this podcast, click this link.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder – or ADHD – is a common diagnosis in children. But more and more adults are also being diagnosed with ADHD. Family physician Dr. Ainslie Gray explains some of the tell-tale signs you might be living with undiagnosed ADHD, as well as some of the ways you might be unknowingly coping with the condition.For transcripts of The Dose, please visit: lnk.to/dose-transcripts. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. For more episodes of this podcast, click this link.

Everyone knows that physical exercise is necessary for a healthier life, but recommendations for how much exercise seem to vary from person to person. Sport medicine physician Dr. Jane Thornton outlines global exercise guidelines, while explaining why short bursts of physical activity are often enough to help us keep active.For transcripts of The Dose, please visit: lnk.to/dose-transcripts. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. For more episodes of this podcast, click this link.

Many of us ring in the new year, pledging to live healthier and better lives. Unfortunately, new year's resolutions often fail. Clinical psychologist Taslim Alani-Verjee tells us how we can structure our resolutions for success — and make sure we actually accomplish our goals.For transcripts of The Dose, please visit: lnk.to/dose-transcripts. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. For more episodes of this podcast, click this link.

It's the time of year when many people like to raise a glass. But Canada's new guidelines say more than two drinks a week can raise your risk of some very common types of cancer. Addiction medicine specialist physician and UBC professor of medicine Dr. Evan Wood tells us what we should know about how alcohol can affect our health. (Guidelines here: https://www.ccsa.ca/canadas-guidance-alcohol-and-health )For transcripts of The Dose, please visit: lnk.to/dose-transcripts. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. For more episodes of this podcast, click this link.

The menstrual cycle can cause many physical, mental and emotional changes — from cramps and bloating to mood changes and more severe symptoms. Dr. Alison Shea, an obstetrician gynecologist and reproductive mental health specialist, shares information about the cycle and how people who menstruate can handle those shifts.For transcripts of The Dose, please visit: lnk.to/dose-transcripts. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. For more episodes of this podcast, click this link.

Nearly a quarter of Canadians have hearing loss — and many others may not be aware that they have it. Young people are increasingly at risk of hearing loss because of unsafe listening practices. Audiologist Emma LeBlanc talks about how to prevent and treat hearing loss.For transcripts of The Dose, please visit: lnk.to/dose-transcripts. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. For more episodes of this podcast, click this link.

Respiratory viruses are circulating in Canada, and hospitals are starting to fill up with young children and older adults. Dr. Lisa Barrett, an infectious diseases doctor and researcher at Dalhousie University, shares what you need to know, and tips for how to stay healthy. For transcripts of The Dose, please visit: lnk.to/dose-transcripts. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

It's that time of year when sunlight is hard to come by. If you're prone to seasonal depression or the winter blues, this can be a tough time of year. But there are ways to deal with, and maybe even prevent the symptoms. This week, we speak with Dr. Raymond Lam is a professor of psychiatry at UBC, and an expert and researcher in seasonal mood disorders. For transcripts of The Dose, please visit: lnk.to/dose-transcripts. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Regular Pap tests will soon be a thing of the past in Canada, as they get replaced by more effective HPV tests to screen for cervical cancer. And soon, there will also be the option in some provinces to do your own free HPV test at home. Obstetrician gynecologist Dr. Kim Alexander explains why the switch is happening and how the at-home test will work. For transcripts of The Dose, please visit: lnk.to/dose-transcripts. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Antibiotics treat bacterial infections and save lives when used appropriately, but when they aren’t needed, they can cause adverse effects and other harms — including antibiotic resistance, a growing global health threat. Dr. Lynora Saxinger, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton, explains what conditions antibiotics do — and don’t — treat, why new antibiotics are limited and how resistance is affecting patients in hospital. For transcripts of The Dose, please visit: lnk.to/dose-transcripts. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Blood sugar levels can be affected by stress, sleep and a lack of exercise. But what role does food play when it comes to blood glucose? This week on The Dose, registered dietitian Anar Allidina talks about the role diet plays, how eating certain foods can help regulate your blood sugar and when to know it's time to see a doctor. For transcripts of The Dose, please visit: lnk.to/dose-transcripts. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Oral cold and cough medicine containing a popular decongestant was pulled from some U.S. pharmacy shelves this week. This comes after a panel of experts said phenylephrine is no better than a dummy pill at relieving congestion. But what actually works to treat cold symptoms? Family doctor and CBC Radio house doctor Dr. Peter Lin provides tips on how best to treat a cold or cough, and weighs in on popular home remedies. For transcripts of The Dose, please visit: lnk.to/dose-transcripts. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

It's RSV season and this year, seniors have the option to get a newly approved vaccine to protect against the respiratory virus. But the new vaccine comes at a cost to most seniors in Canada. Nurses and doctors are worried that cost will prohibit people from getting the RSV vaccine. This week on The Dose, we hear from Anne Summach, a nurse practitioner and assistant teaching professor in the University of Alberta’s nursing department.

Some countries are moving towards stopping the next generation from ever legally being sold cigarettes. The British government recently proposed a ban on selling cigarettes to anyone currently 14 or younger, in hopes of creating the first "smoke free generation." New Zealand has passed a similar law. Michael Chaiton, senior scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, weighs in on these bans and speaks to the Canadian context.

We may know it’s important to take breaks at work, but sometimes when deadlines pile up, it feels impossible to find the time. Katharine Coons, national senior manager at the Canadian Mental Health Association, explains why that ten-minute break is so important — and how it can improve your mental health. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-dose-transcripts-listen-1.6732281

Many of us aren't sleeping enough, and that can have a big impact on our physical and mental health. Dr. Michael Mak, staff psychiatrist and sleep medicine specialist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, talks about how to know if you're getting enough sleep — and what you can do to improve your night's rest.

There are many factors that influence our mood, but one we may not think about is our diet. It turns out the emotions you feel have a lot to do with what’s happening in your gut, or your gastrointestinal tract. Dr. Mary Sco., a family doctor with a PhD in nutrition, breaks it down for us. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-dose-transcripts-listen-1.6732281

We know that energy drinks are popular with teens and pre-teens. What are the health risks that come with these caffeinated, sugary drinks? Pediatrician and clinician scientist Dr. Olivier Drouin shares what you need to know. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-dose-transcripts-listen-1.6732281

With fall on the horizon and kids back in school, cases of COVID-19 are starting to tick up in some parts of the country, and there are new subvariants popping up too. So should you get another COVID booster shot now, or wait until the updated vaccines come out this fall? Infectious diseases physician and epidemiologist Dr. Allison McGeer shares what you need to know. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-dose-transcripts-listen-1.6732281

Noises like traffic, airplanes passing and construction don’t just harm our hearing. They can also have other long-term effects on our health. We speak to a researcher about those effects and why we need more awareness about the noise in our environment. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-dose-transcripts-listen-1.6732281

An estimated one in three women and one in five men in Canada will break a bone due to osteoporosis. So how can we prevent it and keep our bones healthy? Dr. Carrie Ye, a rheumatologist and medical director of the Multidisciplinary Bone Health Clinic in Edmonton, shares what you need to know. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-dose-transcripts-listen-1.6732281

Whether you’re taking a plunge into cold water or stepping into an icy shower, cold-water immersion has become more popular. But what do we actually know about its health effects? Stephen Cheung, professor of kinesiology at Brock University, breaks it down for us. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-dose-transcripts-listen-1.6732281

Heart disease is a leading cause of death for women in North America — and yet, it’s still sometimes thought of as a man’s disease. Cardiologist and women’s health expert Dr. Beth Abramson talks about the differences in heart disease between women and men and why women need to pay attention. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-dose-transcripts-listen-1.6732281

Wildfire smoke is becoming a bigger source of air pollution for all Canadians. What’s in wildfire smoke that makes it bad for your health, and who is most at risk? Epidemiologist and public health researcher Sarah Henderson shares what you need to know. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-dose-transcripts-listen-1.6732281

Ticks are appearing earlier in the year in Canada and sticking around longer, thanks to climate change. And that means cases of Lyme disease are rising. Infectious diseases physician Dr. Isaac Bogoch walks us through what we need to know about Lyme disease and how to avoid and detect tick bites. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-dose-transcripts-listen-1.6732281

Researchers have been working on a vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, for decades. This week, the first ever RSV vaccine was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. We speak about that and other potential RSV treatments with Sabina Vohra-Miller, founder of the website Unambiguous Science. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-dose-transcripts-listen-1.6732281

Melanoma is the deadliest of all skin cancers, and rates of melanoma are growing in Canada. But melanoma is one of the most preventable cancers out there. Dermatologist Dr. Julia Carroll shares what you need to know. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-dose-transcripts-listen-1.6732281

For many of us, coffee is an essential part of our day. So what impact is it having on us, beyond just waking us up in the morning? To try to answer that question, we speak to Thomas Merritt, a geneticist and professor at Laurentian University in Sudbury. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-dose-transcripts-listen-1.6732281

Regular eye exams can help screen for symptoms of serious eye diseases. And you should be getting them even if you see well, and don’t wear glasses or contacts. Ophthalmologist Dr. Lesya Shuba from Dalhousie University explains why, and what else we can do to take care of our vision. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-dose-transcripts-listen-1.6732281

Fatty liver disease is not well-known among the general public, even though it’s estimated one-quarter of all Canadians have it. So this week on The Dose, hepatologist Dr. Alnoor Ramji tells us what fatty liver disease is, and how you can both prevent it and treat it. For transcripts of The Dose, please visit: lnk.to/dose-transcripts. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. For more episodes of this podcast, click this link.

Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in Canada, yet it’s often misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed. Dr. Shawn Aaron, a respirologist at the Ottawa Hospital, talks about the causes and symptoms of asthma and the best way to diagnose it. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-dose-transcripts-listen-1.6732281

There are a lot of myths out there about urinary tract infections or UTIs. We want to debunk some of those myths, so this week Dr. Peter Lin, a family physician based in Toronto, addresses what you should know. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-dose-transcripts-listen-1.6732281

The keto diet is one of the most popular diets out there, and has been for several years now. Proponents love it, but every so often concerns are raised. Registered dietitian Andy De Santis shares what you need to know. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-dose-transcripts-listen-1.6732281

Chances are you're eating too much salt — and that can lead to health problems such as high blood pressure and heart disease. Registered dietitian Samantha Chabior talks about how excess salt affects our bodies and shares her tips on how to cut back. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-dose-transcripts-listen-1.6732281

For most people, Daylight Saving Time disrupts their sleep schedule. But thankfully Dr. Elliott Lee, medical director of the Sleep Disorders Clinic at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, has some ways to prepare for the time change this weekend. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-dose-transcripts-listen-1.6732281

Cases of norovirus are increasing in Canada after a pandemic lull. If you haven't had it before, it's a highly-contagious virus that causes several unpleasant symptoms. Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan's Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, shares what we know about the virus and how best to avoid it. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-dose-transcripts-listen-1.6732281

There is no shortage of protein powders, shakes and bars on the market. But are they the best way to get protein into your diet? Registered dietitian Anar Allidina shares her thoughts on protein supplements. Clarification: When referencing the recommended dietary allowance of protein, Anar Allidina meant 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, not eight grams. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-dose-transcripts-listen-1.6732281

We've been hearing about a specific red food dye, red dye No.3, that a consumer advocacy group in the U.S. is trying to get removed from food and drinks. But what do we know about the health effects of food dyes more broadly? Joe Schwarcz, a chemistry professor and director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society, has the answers. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-dose-transcripts-listen-1.6732281

Ovarian cancer is considered the "most serious" women's cancer. Its symptoms are often generic, there is no routine screening procedure and when detected, the cancer is often in later stages. This week, Paige Gibbings, a registered nurse and clinical coordinator for the ovarian tumours surgical program at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, shares what people should know about ovarian cancer. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-dose-transcripts-listen-1.6732281

It’s been said that Canada and other developed nations are in the grip of an epidemic of loneliness. The good news is that things like volunteering to help others and even chatting with someone you don’t know can be good for your health. Kate Mulligan, senior director of the Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing, shares what we know about how socializing can benefit our health. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-dose-transcripts-listen-1.6732281

This week, we're answering your questions about perimenopause and menopause symptoms and treatments. Dr. Shafeena Premji, a family doctor and medical director of Mahogany Clinic in Calgary, shares her best advice on how to manage symptoms and when to speak to a health-care provider. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-dose-transcripts-listen-1.6732281

Intermittent fasting is becoming more widely discussed, with research still emerging. This week, Dr. Jason Fung, a nephrologist and expert on intermittent fasting, shares his tips on who should fast and how to do it. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-dose-transcripts-listen-1.6732281

Across Canada, we’ve seen high numbers of people sick with flu and a lot of kids sick with RSV or Group A strep. In some cases, people have both COVID and another viral illness. Allison McGeer, an adult infectious disease physician at the Sinai Health System, goes through what you should know about co-infections.

If you've ever struggled to keep your New Year's resolution to exercise more, experts say to start small and to schedule time to workout are key. Mary Jung, an associate professor at UBC’s School of Health and Exercise Sciences, shares her tips on how to make exercise a habit.