The Science of Health Podcast

Vaping: Safe Alternative to Smoking or Hazardous to Your Health?

Not so long ago, vaping – or inhaling vapor from an electronic cigarette – was seen as a healthier alternative to smoking cigarettes made with tobacco. After all, solid research showed that smoking tobacco causes lung disease and cancer. But recent reports have linked serious lung injury – and even deaths – to vaping. UH emergency room physician Benjamin Boswell, DO, explains how e-cigarettes cause illness and why people are coming to the ER after vaping.

Kids and Screen Time: Don’t Let It Be a Battleground

Many parents try to limit the time their children spend online gaming or watching videos, especially before bedtime, in the belief that too much screen time is bad for their kids’ mental and physical health.

A recent study, however, turns that belief on its head, saying researchers could find no evidence that time on electronic devices has any negative effect on teens’ well-being.

Carolyn Ievers-Landis, PhD, a clinical psychologist at UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s, discusses why parents should pay attention to the study’s results and how to keep screen time from becoming a parent-child battleground.

How Parents Can Help Their Young Athletes Avoid Burnout, Overuse Injuries

As parents, we want to encourage our kids to participate in sports. There are great health advantages to exercising and being active. And, for some kids, there is the chance to play in college or earn scholarships.

However, with the increasing pressure on kids and parents to participate in club, travel or year-round teams, burnout and overuse injuries are becoming more common in younger athletes. James Voos, MD, Chairman, Department of Orthopedic Surgery at University Hospitals, gives advice on what we can do about it.

Low Testosterone Therapy: Is It For You?

Low energy, fatigue, slack muscle tone, not sleeping well – these symptoms are common to many aging men. Could the cause be low testosterone? Many younger men looking for answers to similar problems are seeking treatment for Low T too.

Learn about the risks and benefits of testosterone therapy from University Hospitals urologist Aram Loeb, MD, and why it’s important to see a urologist for this treatment.

The Keto Diet & Intermittent Fasting: Do They Work?

Many people are trying diets like the keto diet or intermittent fasting to lose weight. These diets aim to put your body in a state of ketosis – when your body’s preferred fuel source changes from carbohydrates to fat. Ketosis, the thinking goes, melts away the body fat.

But do diets that focus on ketosis work? UH registered dietitian Meghann Featherstun, MS, RD, CSSD, LD, tells us about these diets – and whether science backs up the weight-loss hype.

The Vaccine That Can Keep Your Child From Getting Cancer

If you could vaccinate your kids against cancer, would you? Although the human papillomavirus (HPV) has been shown to cause cancer, many parents don’t vaccinate their children against HPV, a common infection spread by skin-to-skin contact. The reasons vary: vaccine safety; worries their child will become sexually active; unawareness of HPV’s link to cancer.

UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital pediatrician Douglas Fleck, MD, explains the link between HPV and cancer and why getting the vaccine is so important for children.