Frankincense Oil

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

This week we will take a look at a very worthwhile essential oil, frankincense. It is derived from the Boswellia genus of trees. It starts as a milky white sap extracted from the bark. The sap hardens into a resin after a few days. This raw resin is then steam distilled to produce the essential oil.

Frankincense oil is used for many health improvements. Inhaling the vapors has a sedating effect that induces relaxation and decreases stress. This oil promotes healthy skin, treats dry skin, and reduces stretch marks and scars when topically applied. It can help stop wounds from bleeding, speed up healing of cuts, acne, insect bites, and more. I’ve even read it can get rid of ganglion cysts. One can also take the oil internally.

Opioid Drug Use

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

One of the topics seen headlining our local daily newspaper is that of the many heroin or opioid drug overdose deaths in the area. We are not alone. There were over 28,000 deaths in America in 2014 from opioid overdose. The numbers include heroin and prescription opioids, with prescription overdoses being about half. This is an epidemic, as even the CDC terms it.

Since 1999, the number of opioid prescriptions has quadrupled, as have the deaths from such drugs. You would think that with all these meds being pushed by doctors, the overall self-reported pain levels would have decreased in people, but they have stayed steady during that time, according to the CDC.

The majority of overdoses in the young are heroin related, but 12 million Medicare beneficiaries, or 1 in 3, received at least 1 opioid prescription in 2015, or about 4.1 billion dollars’ worth. Of those, most received more than one refill or prescription, and the average was 5 per user!

Diabetes

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

Type II Diabetes is a serious disease, which, if not controlled can be life threatening. It is often associated with long term complications that can affect different body systems. It can contribute to eye disorders and blindness, heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, amputation and nerve damage. It makes pregnancy more difficult and can cause birth defects.

But, diabetes is not the hopeless disease most people think it is. It can be a long and losing battle if you blindly listen to your medical provider, and take no responsibility for your own health. The big drug companies do not really want you or your doctor to become aware of the real causes of diabetes. It certainly doesn’t want you to have information that can reverse or prevent diabetes.

There are many benefits to finding ways to reverse diabetes and prevent it. According to the American Diabetes Association, the combined cost of medical care and lost productivity due to diabetes exceeded 174 billion dollars in 2007. People with diabetes pay 2.3 times as much for health care as non-diabetics.