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The People's Pharmacy

The People's Pharmacy

By: Joe and Terry Graedon
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Empowering you to make wise decisions about your own health, by providing you with essential health information about both medical and alternative treatment options. 921997Copyright 2018 Joe and Terry Graedon Alternative & Complementary Medicine Hygiene & Healthy Living Physical Illness & Disease
Episodes
  • Show 1478: The Outdoor Prescription for Fighting Dementia, Depression and Heart Disease

    Show 1478: The Outdoor Prescription for Fighting Dementia, Depression and Heart Disease
    Jun 25 2026
    Too many of us are spending our days staring at screens. Little screens on our phones, big screens on the television, medium-size screens on our computers at work. Our modern lifestyles mean that we spend the vast majority of our time indoors–93%, on average. What is the time inside doing to our health? Is there an outdoor prescription to reverse dementia and depression? At The People’s Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up to date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies and health systems. While these conversations intend to offer insight and perspective, the content is provided solely for informational and educational purposes. Please consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your medical care or treatment. How You Can Listen You could listen through your local public radio station or get the live stream at 7 am EST on Saturday, June 27, 2026, through your computer or smart phone (wunc.org). Here is a link so you can find which stations carry our broadcast. If you can’t listen to the broadcast, you may wish to hear the podcast later. You can subscribe through your favorite podcast provider, download the mp3 using the link at the bottom of the page, or listen to the stream on this post starting on June 29, 2026. What Is Our Indoor Time Doing to Us? Humans used to spend a lot of time outside and had their circadian rhythms synchronized with sunlight. Living indoors as most of us do can disrupt that natural rhythm. Bright indoor lighting as well as our favorite screens in the evening can make sleep more elusive. Another consequence of focusing on screens rather than on a distant horizon of land, sea or sky is an increased risk of nearsightedness. Beyond that, screen exposure can increase the chance of brain fog, insulin resistance and immune system abnormalities. If you are spending all your time inside, your body may process that as captivity and begin to rebel. The Outdoor Prescription Dr. John La Puma pioneered culinary medicine, making the connection between what we eat and the state of our health. His analysis of the research indicates that spending just 17 mindful minutes outside each day can help reverse the damage we suffer from living indoors. He offers seven types of outdoor prescription, starting with morning light. Greeting the Sun as the Day Begins Dr. La Puma encourages us all to start our day by stepping outside for at least a few minutes under the open sky. Before coffee, before screens, morning light gets us off to the right start and helps us sleep better at the end of the day. That light exposure, even on an overcast day, helps us with deeper sleep at night. Deep sleep is critical for maintaining the brain with the glymphatic system as well as for bolstering the immune response. Before checking your email or your social media, perhaps while the coffee is brewing, make it a point to step outside for a few minutes. If that is too difficult, standing in the doorway or just looking outside through a window screen (not glass) may be enough. Bright morning light exposure is helpful in treating major depressive disorder (JAMA Psychiatry, Jan. 2016). Although the study utilized standardized indoor lights, natural light outside is brighter, even on a cloudy day. New research shows that bright light during the day reduces the risk of dementia among older people (General Psychiatry, June 24, 2026). The benefit was especially clear for those who spent more time in brighter light (at least 5,000 lux) such as one would get on an overcast day. It was even able to mitigate some of the risk associated with APOE4 genes. What Is Forest Bathing? Another practice in Dr. La Puma’s outdoor prescription pad is forest bathing. This idea comes from Japan. Spending time outdoors in a forest environment is extremely healing. It can help modulate the immune system, lower blood pressure and counteract stress. Forest bathing does not require a huge investment of time, either. One Japanese study found that spending just two hours a month in a forested environment can lead to lower blood pressure and reduce techno-stress. A review has found forest bathing beneficial against stress and burnout (International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, July 28, 2017). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28788101/ No Forest? No Problem Many people do not have an actual forest handy. Dr. La Puma describes his outdoor prescription for Sarah, who felt stuck inside her city apartment all the time while she cared for her elderly mother. What he prescribed for her was mindful time in the courtyard of her building, starting with very short periods of five to ten minutes. Gradually her heart rate slowed and blood pressure lowered and she began to recover from some of the chronic problems she had been suffering. Forest-bathing doesn’t really require a forest. One tree, or in a pinch, a shrub, can be pressed into service. Meet Your ...
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Show 1477: Answering Your Questions About Vision Problems

    Show 1477: Answering Your Questions About Vision Problems
    Jun 18 2026
    Humans have five senses, but for most of us, sight dominates. That’s why vision problems are so distressing. Have you been dealing with difficulties with your eyes? During this broadcast episode, our guest expert is ready to answer your questions about vision problems. At The People’s Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up to date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies and health systems. While these conversations intend to offer insight and perspective, the content is provided solely for informational and educational purposes. Please consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your medical care or treatment. How You Can Listen You could listen through your local public radio station or get the live stream at 7 am EST on Saturday, June 20, 2026, through your computer or smart phone (wunc.org). Here is a link so you can find which stations carry our broadcast. If you can’t listen to the broadcast, you may wish to hear the podcast later. You can subscribe through your favorite podcast provider, download the mp3 using the link at the bottom of the page, or listen to the stream on this post starting on June 22, 2026. On this episode, we will be taking calls from listeners. You can ask your question ahead of time by emailing radio@PeoplesPharmacy.com. Or call 888-472-3366 directly between 7 and 8 am EDT on Saturday, June 20, 2026. Are More People Nearsighted? Myopia, the technical term for nearsightedness, is increasing at a rapid rate. Globally, 23 percent of the world’s population had myopia in 2000. By 2020, that rate had risen to 34 percent. Some experts estimate that it could reach 50 percent by 2050. Rates among children and adolescents are even higher in some places, reaching 70 percent among East Asians and an alarming 86 percent among Singaporean Chinese youth 15 and under (British Journal of Ophthalmology, July 2016). Why are so many people, including young people, myopic? Are there implications beyond a need for corrective lenses (glasses or contacts)? Can we reverse this trend by limiting screen time or encouraging more time outdoors? Are there treatments that can help children and adolescents improve their vision? Which Vision Specialist Should You See? Eyes are complicated, and caring for vision problems has become increasingly specialized and technically sophisticated. As a result, ophthalmologists (eye doctors) now often treat just one part of the eye, such as the retina or the cornea. Some surgeons specialize in removing cataracts. Others, like Dr. Sharon Fekrat, are expert in retinal surgery. There are also pediatric ophthalmologists who treat children. In addition, some people need to consult a neuro-ophthalmologist or someone who specializes in inherited retinal degenerations, uveitis or ocular oncology. How can you determine which type of eye doctor you should see to address your particular problem most effectively? What Is in a Complete Eye Examination? Dr. Fekrat will describe the elements of a complete eye examination. Why is each one included? What further steps are needed if trouble is detected? This will give you an idea of how vision problems are assessed and where to turn for treatment. Managing Dry Eyes One of the most common complaints is dry eyes. This condition is uncomfortable as well as common, affecting up to half of adults in the US. What are the causes? Are there treatments? People often use eye drops to alleviate the discomfort. Which ones work best? What can a person do if they have severe dry eye problems and are referred to a dry eye specialist with an appointment months in advance? Is it dangerous to postpone dry eye care? What to Do About Blepharitis When the problem is more the eyelid than the eye itself, doctors call it blepharitis. One typical symptom is crust on the lids, which may feel itchy or scratchy. Some people find that applying warm compresses morning and evening is helpful. Others need medication. You may have seen ads for Xdemvy, which is aimed at reducing the population of Demodex mites living in the follicles of the eyelashes. Mites are not the only problem, however. Sometimes bacterial infections are the underlying cause of blepharitis. Rosacea and seborrheic dermatitis that affect skin elsewhere on the face may also show up with the same symptoms. Topical ivermectin cream has been used off-label on the eyelid margins and may help reduce Demodex mites, but it is not an FDA-approved eye treatment and should only be used under an eye clinician’s direction because it is not intended for instillation into the eye. How Will the Doctor Diagnose Glaucoma? Glaucoma is generally understood as a condition in which pressure inside the eye rises and damages the optic nerve. This disease can lead to vision loss. That’s why intraocular pressure measurement should always be part of the eye exam. But this simple diagnostic technique alone may be incomplete. We’ll ...
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    58 mins
  • Show 1476: Tell Me Where It Hurts: A Roadmap for Managing Chronic Pain

    Show 1476: Tell Me Where It Hurts: A Roadmap for Managing Chronic Pain
    Jun 11 2026
    Pain is an important warning signal, helping you protect your body from damage. That’s why we can view acute pain as an asset. Chronic pain, though, can be debilitating. In this episode, a pain psychologist offers a roadmap for managing chronic pain. At The People’s Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up to date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies and health systems. While these conversations intend to offer insight and perspective, the content is provided solely for informational and educational purposes. Please consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your medical care or treatment. How You Can Listen You could listen through your local public radio station or get the live stream at 7 am EST on Saturday, June 13, 2026, through your computer or smart phone (wunc.org). Here is a link so you can find which stations carry our broadcast. If you can’t listen to the broadcast, you may wish to hear the podcast later. You can subscribe through your favorite podcast provider, download the mp3 using the link at the bottom of the page, or listen to the stream on this post starting on June 15, 2026. Managing Chronic Pain Nobody likes feeling pain. Joe remembers that as a child, he would ask the doctors and nurses if the procedure was going to hurt. They always lied and told him it would not. As a result, he ended up not trusting them. We often think of pain as located in the body part that hurts (hence, tell me where it hurts). In actuality, though, pain is a complex phenomenon the brain and its interpretation of the situation at least as much as the body. That is why Dr. Rachel Zoffness maintains that pain is biopsychosocial–the result of three overlapping circles in a Venn diagram: biological, psychological and sociological. The biological circle includes our genetics, tissue damage, diet, sleep and movement. Psychological factors are never just psychological. The brain uses the same limbic system to process emotions and pain, so our feelings about our situation have a major impact on our pain experience. In the sociological realm, we find access to care, a history of trauma, and factors like racism or poverty. One result is that pain is incredibly subjective, varying from one individual to another and even from day to day. Another example of the power of the brain to generate pain is phantom limb pain. You may have heard of someone whose foot hurts even though the leg was amputated. Dr. Zoffness tells us about a boy with hand pain after a fireworks accident that resulted in his arm being amputated. The hand wasn’t there, but the pain was real. What Is Your Pain Recipe? In managing chronic pain, it helps to know what your pain recipe is. What factors contribute to a bad pain day? A few common ones are poor sleep, too much junk in the diet, lots of stress, too little movement. Once you have the recipe for a bad pain day, you may be able to turn that around to find the recipe for a low pain day. If you get enough sleep, does that turn down the pain dial? How about diet? We also discuss the power of self-hypnosis and biofeedback. If you can practice warming your hands up, as Dr. Zoffness has learned to do, you can also practice making yourself more comfortable. She shares another story of a teenager who suffered from crippling migraines, social anxiety and generalized body pain. He had not been to school in years, but taking very small steps at first–just standing in the sun on his front porch–he was gradually able to build himself a low-pain recipe. Taking the dog to the dog park helped him move his body and his brain started producing chemicals like dopamine and serotonin. Eventually Sam was able to return to high school, even graduating. Using Pain Medicines in Managing Chronic Pain Physicians have often learned that managing chronic pain is something of a prescription puzzle. Which drug will work best for this patient? A decade or more ago, the answer was frequently opioids. That’s no longer the case. As a result of the overdose epidemic, doctors usually try to prescribe some other type of medication. Two of the most popular are gabapentin and tramadol. When our listeners tell us about their experience with gabapentin, the results range widely. For some people, it seems to be a life-changing medication. For many others, it is lackluster at best, and for some, the side effects of brain fog, dizziness, breathing problems, edema and an increased risk of dementia are too much. Dr. Zoffness has heard similar reports about gabapentin. Her guideline for pain medicine is to try it for three months and see if it makes a (positive) difference. If not, ask the prescriber to help you taper off. Stopping any pain medicine suddenly could be a mistake. For managing chronic pain, people need a healthcare professional who can help them create a personalized pain management plan. For improving sleep, which is often a key ...
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    1 hr and 12 mins
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