medical – The Loh Down On Science

Itchy Skin

October 15, 2024 Elaine Lai

Got an itch you can’t scratch? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We all get itchy, but if you’ve got a skin condition, that’s the worst. The bacteria S. aureus is especially irritating. It produces an enzyme called V8 which sparks the pain. Is there

Shocking Hearts

September 16, 2024 Jonathon Hakimian

Defibrillation in my circulation? Hotwire my heart! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Our hearts control how blood flows through our bodies. But what can we do if it stops? Sheldon Cheskes from Sunnybrook Hospital explored how heart attacks can be treated by. . .

Viral Addiction

February 20, 2024 Claudia-Francisca Lopez Camara

Has addiction gone VIRAL? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Retroviruses like HIV make us sick by inserting their genes into our cells. Usually, these genes cause cells to make new copies of the retrovirus. But occasionally, the genes mutate and can’t make new viruses.

Mobile Medic

June 6, 2023 Claire Freimark

Could the next medical breakthrough be… in your pocket? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Anemia is a blood condition that reduces hemoglobin, which moves oxygen through the body. In children, it can slow development and deplete immune systems. Diagnosing anemia usually requires a blood

Bandage Diagnosis

May 20, 2021 Ying Huang

Image shows the microneedle-based skin patch from article which can be used for rapid medical testing.

Doc – it’s been two days! Where are my medical results? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. You’ve come down with a bug, so you took a blood test. Now, you’re waiting for the results AND a huge medical bill. Is there a faster —

Painless Proboscis

September 25, 2020 Van Wifvat

Mosquitos! What a pain! Or…are they? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Mosquitos are a familiar foe. They bite and leave behind itchy reminders of their presence. But how is it we never notice them sucking our blood until it’s too late? At the Ohio

Diabetic Lenses

August 28, 2020 Claudia-Francisca Lopez Camara

An eyeball with a contact lens with electrodes

Is that sugar in your…. EYE!? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. More than thirty million people in the US have diabetes – which can lead to vision trouble, among other things. Keeping track of blood sugar levels means pricking your finger several times every

Tell-tale Tattoo

November 1, 2019 Maria Montchal

Want a tattoo your parents would approve of? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. For diabetics, tracking blood sugar is important – but annoying. Finger-pricking is painful. Patches that monitor blood sugar are expensive and can come unstuck. Is there a better way? Enter Ali

Ink of My Heart

October 1, 2019 Jaclyn Beck

What if a tattoo could save your life? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Heart disease patients need continuous heart monitoring for optimum treatment. But traditional monitors are bulky and uncomfortable to wear. Electronic, or E-tattoos, are a comfortable, wearable alternative. These thin devices are

More Fat, Less Stress

September 5, 2019 Kendra Walters

Euh! A lock of grey hair! I blame my teenagers. This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Worse than going grey, stress-induced inflammation can cause problems like allergies or depression. But there’s hope in the strangest form! Mycobacterium vaccae, a species of bacteria found in soil,