In this episode of The Smartest Doctor In The Room, host Dr. Dean Mitchell sits down with world-renowned allergist and immunologist Dr. Thomas Platt's Mills to explore the shocking true story behind a healthy airline pilot who died after what seemed like a simple steak dinner. The cause was not choking or food poisoning. It was a delayed, deadly allergic reaction from a condition many people and even many doctors still overlook.

Dr. Mitchell and Dr. Platt's Mills walk listeners through the mystery of alpha gal syndrome, also known as red meat allergy syndrome, a unique allergy triggered by tick bites that can cause severe reactions hours after eating beef, pork, lamb, venison, and other red meats. They discuss how this condition was discovered in the 2000s, its link to the lone star tick, why abdominal pain is often the main and most confusing symptom, and why standard autopsies may completely miss fatal anaphylaxis.

You will hear how epidemiologic clues, patterns across the southern United States, and unexpected reactions to the cancer drug cetuximab helped Dr. Platt's Mills and his team uncover that alpha gal, a sugar molecule found in mammalian meat and certain medications, can become a target for IgE antibodies. The conversation also explains how to interpret alpha gal blood test levels, why total IgE matters, when tryptase can help confirm severe reactions, and how alcohol, NSAIDs, and exercise can make symptoms worse.

Dr. Mitchell and Dr. Platt's Mills also touch on related allergy puzzles, including pork cat syndrome, dust mite cross reactivity with shellfish, and how children and adults may present differently. If you or your patients have unexplained nighttime abdominal pain, hives, or severe reactions hours after a steak dinner or other red meat, this episode will help you think like a medical detective and consider alpha gal syndrome as a possible answer.

In this episode of The Smartest Doctor In The Room, Dr. Dean Mitchell sits down with neurologist and author Dr. Ray Dorsey to explore why Parkinson’s disease has become the world’s fastest growing brain disorder. Dr. Dorsey explains what Parkinson’s looks like, the early signs many people miss, and why it is not simply a disease of aging or genetics.

They dive into the mounting evidence that environmental exposures are driving the rise in cases. Dr. Dorsey breaks down the roles of air pollution, pesticides, dry cleaning chemicals, contaminated drinking water, and repeated head trauma in increasing risk. He also discusses how Parkinson’s may begin in the nose or the gut years before symptoms appear, and why loss of smell, constipation, or acting out dreams can be important early clues.

Drawing from his books Ending Parkinson’s Disease and The Parkinson’s Plan, Dr. Dorsey offers practical, science backed steps to lower your risk, clean up your environment, and protect your long term brain health.

Book website:
https://pdplan.org/

Purchase page: https://www.amazon.com/Parkinsons-Plan-Path-Prevention-Treatment/dp/1541705386/

Explore how EMDR therapy can help heal deep psychological trauma with psychiatric nurse practitioner and EMDR expert Susan Sullivan. In this episode of The Smartest Doctor In The Room, host Dr Dean Mitchell talks with Susan about her unique path from trauma intensive care nursing to advanced work in psychiatry and psychotherapy.

Susan explains what EMDR really is, how adaptive information processing works in the brain, and why EMDR can be so powerful for people who feel stuck after years of traditional talk therapy. She shares how EMDR intensives differ from weekly sessions, and why careful preparation, parts work, and attachment focused support are essential for complex PTSD and childhood trauma.

You will also hear how somatic practices, vagus nerve regulation, and nervous system education help patients understand what their bodies are trying to say and finally move toward healing. If you have ever wondered whether EMDR is right for you or how to find a properly trained EMDR therapist, this conversation offers clear, compassionate guidance.

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