Dr.Garber’s Blog

Welcome back!

As of this writing there are no fewer than four major blazes around Southern California, creating some really bad air even here at the beach where I live. Don’t let those beautiful sunsets fool you - this can impact your health significantly. But there are actions you can take to protect yourself.

The American Lung Association recommends remaining indoors if you are in close proximity to the fire. In surrounding areas, if you can smell the smoke or your eyes or throat feel irritated, don’t exercise. Children need to be especially careful as their lungs are more susceptible to smoke. For those with existing respiratory conditions or heart disease, there are even more precautions to be taken. Details can be found on the American Lung Association’s Forest Fires and Respiratory Health Fact Sheet.

Another thing you will find very helpful in protecting your lungs from air turned acrid from fire, or just the pollution of every day air, is Dr. Garber’s Natural Solutions for Lungs. I will tell you that many of my patients with sensitive respiratory symptoms have found that taking this formula when the air is bad prevents the irritation that would otherwise trigger an asthma attack. The same goes for those whose reaction to bad air is sinus congestion or headache.

And don’t forget you pets. They are as susceptible to bad air as you are. Use the same precautions for them as you do for yourself. Keep an eye out for any signs of respiratory distress, especially in older animals, which may present as sneezing, coughing or wheezing. If you notice any of these, bring them inside if they have been out and give them some of my lung formula as well.

The number of Americans using antidepressants doubled in only a decade, while the number seeing psychiatrists continued to fall, a study shows. About 10% of Americans — or 27 million people — were taking antidepressants in 2005, the last year for which data were available at the time the study was written. That’s about twice the number in 1996, according to the study of nearly 50,000 children and adults in today’s Archives of General Psychiatry. Yet the majority weren’t being treated for depression. Half of those taking antidepressants used them for back pain, nerve pain, fatigue, sleep difficulties or other problems, the study says.

Click here to read the whole story from USA Today

Dr. Garber’s Comments:

The information in this article raises so many issues it’s hard to know where to even start. More and more people are being prescribed antidepressants, not necessarily for depression and not necessarily by psychiatrists. There are serious consequences to taking these drugs as I have discussed many times before. The whole concept of the “off-label” use of drugs and how the pharmaceutical companies promote it is finally coming under scrutiny, as recently witnessed by Pfizer’s $2.3 billion fine for it’s dangerous off-label promotion of several of it’s drugs. The fact that many people who would benefit from psychiatric care don’t get it because of inadequate or no insurance coverage for that type of care, and end up being prescribed potentially harmful drugs by by doctors who’s expertise lay elsewhere, is just one small piece of the current health care delivery mess we have now.

Click here to learn about Dr. Garber’s safe and effective homeopathic depression formula

Can’t sleep? You have plenty of company. About half of all adults experience insomnia on occasion, and 1 in 10 battle insomnia on a regular basis, according to the Cleveland Clinic. If you fall into one of those groups, chances are you’re already following the tried-and-true rules for a good night’s sleep: Don’t have too much caffeine (especially late in the day), don’t exercise late at night, keep your bedroom at a cool, comfortable temperature, and make sure your bed, pillows and linens are comfy. Those are all good tips, but there are lesser-known things you can try to help you get more rest.

Click here to read the whole story from Woman’s Day

Dr. Garber’s Comments:

Of the tips presented in this article, some are tried and true while some may surprise you. For instance, not trying to clear your mind. Trying to clear you mind of the persistent thoughts keeping you awake can backfire if you’re not able to do it. Along those same lines, looking at the clock only forces your mind to calculate how much, or rather how little, time you have left before you have to get up, further stimulating your mind awake. Something I stress to everyone is never watch the news on TV before going to sleep - it’s sure to adversely effect the quality of your sleep. One topic conspicuously absent from this article is that of beds and mattresses. Physical comfort and support is extremely important to a good night’s sleep. I will be discussing these and more in a tele-seminar on sleep later this year. Keep an eye out for details.

Click here to learn about Dr. Garber’s safe and effective homeopathic sleep formula