First of all, I want to say to all you podcast listeners that an unboxing video is included in the video version of this episode. You can see it on the blog page at http://RunningAFEVER.com/385 if you want to watch it.

Well, since there was an unboxing, I guess you can figure out that I got my own pulse oximeter. It's pretty simple to use; you turn it on and clamp it on your finger, and the display shows a percentage number. But what does it mean, and why is it important? It must be important in some way because every time I get my vitals taken at a medical provider's office, they use it on me. I had no idea until I started researching this episode, so now I can share that info with you, and you'll know, too.

Read the full post at: http://RunningAFEVER.com/385

Image by ai subarasiki:
https://pixabay.com/users/subarasikiai-21956773/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=6582524

First of all, back problems are not new to me. I've had my share for sure. I know that going back to episode 53, that was when I started having pain in my arm and pain in my back. I went to a neurosurgeon, and that was when my Forestier's was diagnosed. Recently, in the past few months, I guess, when I have gone out on the Lake Fayetteville trail, where I have been hundreds of times, I would go out, and before I was halfway through, my back would start hurting, and I would have to rest, sometimes making it all the way through. I was in some back pain there. And it was soreness, and I thought it was all muscular because I was overweight and out of shape. I thought I should keep on exercising and I would work through it.

Read the full post at http://RunningAFEVER.com/384

The topic I am addressing today is near and dear to my heart because I have been obese for most of my adult life. It is also such a large topic with a volume of information that makes it impossible to address in a single episode. Perhaps a short series may be a better way to address it at some point in the future. But for now, I want to give an overview of the situation as best I can, and I hope to hear some feedback from you on what areas you would like to hear more about. Please comment on this video and I promise to read every one.

Read the full post at http://RunningAFEVER.com/383

Photo by Polina Tankilevitch:
https://www.pexels.com/photo/fast-food-in-close-up-shot-4109256/

As I mentioned in the last episode, these topics have been a long time coming. They were first brought up in Episode 220. Check that out at http://RunningAFEVER.com/220. That episode also mentioned a study that had just started called the CORAL study.

Read the full post at http://RunningAFEVER.com/382

I've wanted to do an episode on Long COVID since way back in July of 2020. It was actually episode 220 when I first mentioned it. At that time there was essentially no knowledge of the long-term effects. Which makes sense, because the episode was recorded only 8 months after the first appearance of COVID-19 in November of 2019.

Now it's been almost five years, and there is now a wealth of data. In episode 220 I also mentioned a study called the CORAL study that had just been up and running for a month at that time. There are actually several of these studies, and I will devote the next episode to them.

Read the full post at http://RunningAFEVER.com/381

So, the big news is I've got braces. I've got braces for the first time in probably 45 years. I can't remember exactly how old I was when I had my braces the first time, but I was very young.

Why am I getting braces? Well, I'm concerned about my appearance. I have to look good for the podcast. I have to look handsome for you people and have a bright smile, and have everything in place. So that's why I'm doing this. I have some plastic surgery coming up too. Just kidding!

Read the full post at http://RunningAFEVER.com/380

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-gray-tank-top-laughing-3812740/

Going into this series I knew good oral care was important. That's why I chose to do the series. But I honestly had no idea how important it really is. I'm concerned about my risk of stroke and heart disease. I've been overweight most of my life, I have high blood pressure, and my parents have both had strokes. I really didn't know the extent to which bad oral care (or genetic factors in oral health) could impact my risk in those areas in particular. It gives me new motivation to treat my teeth and gums better. Possibly we need an episode on inflammation in general as well.

Read the full post at http://RunningAFEVER.com/379

The dental area is not a stand-alone system. It interacts with the other systems in the body. Dental problems are so closely tied to disorders in other parts of the body that sometimes your dentist may be the first to notice the problem because dental conditions can lead to other diseases in the body.

Read the full post at http://RunningAFEVER.com/378

Photo by Christopher Campbell
https://unsplash.com/@chrisjoelcampbell?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash