Mayo Clinic Health Matters

The COVID-19 virus spreads through respiratory droplets. This means treating patients who have diseases or injuries involving the ears, nose or throat, or the head and neck, requires particular precautions. "COVID-19 taught us all to be more nimble," says Dr. Devyani Lal, a Mayo Clinic otolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon. She says the COVID-19 pandemic required Mayo Clinic's Department of Otolaryngology to pivot quickly and require that patients be tested for COVID-19 before appointments. In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Lal explains more about COVID-19 safety measures that have been implemented and encourages not to delay treatment. She also details how extensive the otolaryngology practice is at Mayo Clinic. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Millions of people in the U.S. are being vaccinated for COVID-19. However, discussion is ongoing as to whether people who are immunocompromised, such as patients undergoing cancer treatment, or people who have autoimmune diseases, should be vaccinated for COVID-19."Both of those categories (of people) should be vaccinated," says Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. "Those are not contraindications. Those are indications to get the vaccine." He adds that research is ongoing, but current information demonstrates the benefits far outweigh the theoretical risks.In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Poland talks about vaccine hesitancy, and patients who are immunocompromised or have autoimmune conditions. Also, he discusses next steps in the journey to vaccinate children for COVID-19. And he reviews recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Control about in-person gatherings.Research disclosures for Dr. Gregory Poland. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Inflammatory bowel disease is common, and it is becoming more common in many populations. Dr. William Faubion Jr., a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist, says inflammatory bowel disease is an umbrella term that covers Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and that inflammatory bowel disease is an emerging public health problem. "The most recent estimates would be that, depending on where you live and what region in the world you live, as many as 1 in 250, to 1 in 300 people may be affected with inflammatory bowel disease," says Dr. Faubion. Dr. Faubion points out that inflammatory bowel disease is a combination of a complex genetic disease and an immunologic disease, as well as environmental variants or triggers. In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Faubion explains that inflammatory bowel disease is very different from irritable bowel syndrome. He also describes symptoms, tests and treatments for inflammatory bowel disease, including how researchers are using artificial intelligence to determine the right medication for each patient. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Your kidneys remove waste from your blood and regulate a healthy balance between water, sodium and minerals in your bloodstream. "Kidneys filter intoxicants, drugs and waste products out of your blood," says Dr. Scott Cheney, a Mayo Clinic urologic surgeon. "We would actually die within about a week without having good kidney function." Poor kidney function could mean kidney cancer, but signs or symptoms are rare in its early stages. Patient are sometimes informed about kidney cancer tumors when they are discovered during CT scans or other imaging techniques for unrelated ailments. In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Cheney discusses different types of kidney cancers, how smoking can affect the kidneys and why treatment usually involves surgery. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Being a new parent is a time filled with excitement, exhaustion, and questions as children grow and develop rapidly during the first few years of life. Typical concerns for parents with infants and toddlers include eating, sleeping, common illnesses, immunizations and safety. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, a special edition of "Ask the Mayo Mom" focuses on parenting questions during the first few years of life. Dr. Angela Mattke a Mayo Clinic pediatrician and host of "Ask the Mayo Mom" is joined by Dr. Kelsey Klaas, a pediatrician at Mayo Clinic Children’s Center. Dr. Klass is the co-medical editor of the updated 2nd edition of Mayo Clinic's Guide to Your Baby's First Years. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed how quickly life can change. That's evident in people's personal lives and across the scientific community. Remarkable advances have been made in science over the past year, guided by international research collaborations."When you look at nine months from when we first identified this pathogen to having a vaccine, that's as close to a human miracle, if I could use that term, as as one could expect," says Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group.But he says there have been some frustrations. "As soon as we make some progress, everybody wants to open up and relax restrictions," says Dr. Poland. "Opening up and getting back to normal is not a light switch."In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Poland talks about lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that vaccinations aren't enough to beat the COVID-19 virus and variants. He also says that communicating science and public health messaging needs to improve in the future.Research disclosures for Dr. Gregory Poland. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Fatigue and what's being called "brain fog" are turning out to be some of the most common issues for long-hauler patients recovering from COVID-19. The National Institutes of Health calls these and other symptoms, which can last for several months, post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2, or PASC. Those suffering from brain fog may experience short-term memory loss, confusion, difficulty concentrating, or just feeling different than they did before they had COVID-19, even if it was a mild case of the infection. And Dr. Billie Schultz, a Mayo Clinic physical medicine and rehabilitation expert, says, though older patients more often to have these symptoms more often, younger people are also showing up with brain fog. In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Schultz says brain fog seems to be more inflammatory than infection, but there are more questions than answers about this neurological concern. Meanwhile, efforts are underway to develop rehabilitation programs to help patients recover.     Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

At Mayo Clinic in Arizona, the COVID-19 pandemic means expanding virtual capabilities, increasing innovation, communicating and coordinating even more than usual, and streamlining patient care. Dr. Richard Gray, CEO of Mayo Clinic in Arizona, says the medical teams and staff continue to be nimble and flexible, and they are learning each step of the way. "I think that all of the creative solutions and accelerations in health care transformation will be what we'll carry with us," says Dr. Gray. "Because those will still be a day-to-day part of how we're taking care of patients and how we're performing our research and education duties." Dr. Gray adds, "It's validated a lot of our thoughts of what the future should look like for Mayo Clinic and in a patient-centered way." In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Gray talks about the empathy and bravery of staff, as well as patients. And he expands on how the lessons learned will affect the "Arizona. Bold. Forward." strategy. That strategy will include adding space for inpatient care, outpatient care areas, emergency department and laboratory space, and expanding Mayo Clinic's education and research footprints. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

"People seem to be decreasing travel. More folks are wearing masks. They're following that hand, space, and vaccinate paradigm," says Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. "And it's working."But he warns that this is not the time to let down your guard during the COVID-19 pandemic.Dr. Poland says there are three COVID-19 vaccines and receiving whichever one is available to you, is the way out of this pandemic. He also reminds people to continue wearing masks, even after being vaccinated for COVID-19.In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Poland answers more questions from listeners, including concerns about persistent post-COVID-19 symptoms following COVID-19, whether a COVID-19 vaccination is needed after having COVID-19, and if COVID-19 vaccines will become seasonal like the flu vaccine.Research disclosures for Dr. Gregory Poland. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed, canceled and delayed many parts of people's lives, including when or if they seek medical care. Dr. Robert McWilliams, a Mayo Clinic medical oncologist, says there are various reasons patients may be avoiding or delaying care. But he emphasizes that coming to medical institutions is safe, and that ignoring symptoms or delaying exams can result in more severe illness or even death. "Early on in the pandemic, we said to postpone elective care," says Dr. McWilliams. "Unfortunately, I think a lot of people view cancer screening as part of elective care. It's really not." On this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. McWilliams talks about the importance of cancer screenings, which cancer patients are at higher risk of COVID-19, whether patients receiving cancer treatment should be vaccinated for COVID-19 and how the acceleration of telehealth has been a silver lining of the pandemic. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy