Ty Johnston, Pharmacy Student Earwax is a composition of two substances secreted from the ear (cerumen and sebum), old skin cells, sweat, and foreign substances such as dirt and shampoo. Earwax is beneficial as it’s meant to lubricate and protect the ear by repelling water, preventing damage to the ear canal, and preventing the growth…
Ty Johnston, PharmD Student Trying to lose weight can cause people a huge deal of stress. Some people just don’t have the time to maintain a specific diet or find time to get in a workout. But there’s no denying the obesity rates in Canada, which have been trending up for the last several years.…
Ty Johnston, PharmD Student Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common gastrointestinal disorder that affects 10-25% of Canadians.1 The symptoms can be very burdensome and disruptive to a person’s everyday life. Despite the condition being poorly understood, there are some simple measures that can reduce symptoms. What is IBS? IBS is a disorder that causes…
Ty Johnston, PharmD Student Three months from now, you’ll look out your window and see nothing but white. Snow on the left, snow on the right, snow on your walkway, but your mind will be on a beach in Mexico. It seems that we work all winter to enjoy the perks of summer, and now…
Ty Johnston, PharmD Student Have you been wanting to leave the 9 to 5 grind, but been too afraid of the consequences to take the leap? Well, maybe cat feces can reduce your fear and help give you the push that you need. In all seriousness, a newly published study this week shows that a…
Ty Johnston, PharmD Student In our previous article, Alcohol Use Disorder: Stigma and Identification, we talked about how to identify someone that may be suffering from alcohol use disorder and provided practical tips on how to talk to someone about their illness. Today’s article is more personal as I share a patient’s experience. As a…
Ty Johnston, PharmD Candidate “I had to drink so as not to go crazy. It didn’t make me feel good; it didn’t fill me with warmth and good cheer. It had become a dreary necessity.”1 Do you know someone who seems to be struggling with a drinking problem? Is there someone in your life…
Ty Johnston, PharmD Candidate This is part 2 of a two-part series about performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). In part 1, we talked about ways athletes get away with doping, while here we talk about commonly abused PEDs; what they are, their medical uses, how they’re abused, and the risks behind their abuse. What is a Performance-Enhancing…
Ty Johnston, PharmD Candidate Competitive Edge For as long as sports have been around, so has been the desire to gain a competitive edge. With huge financial incentives and relentless pressure from the sports industry, the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) has been increasing.2 In the light of Robinson Cano’s game suspension,1 part one of this two-part…
Ty Johnston, PharmD Candidate What Is Bulletproof Coffee: Bulletproof coffee is an emerging trend, which was first popularized by David Asprey, the creator of the company Bulletproof Coffee. Essentially, it’s butter and oil added to coffee but in high amounts. Here are the ingredients:1 2 cups of coffee 2 tablespoons of grass-fed, unsalted butter 1-2…
