William Person is a retired Team USA Olympic bobsledder that competed in 9 seasons, from 1998 to 2007. Throughout his career, he obtained countless concussions and traumatic head injuries due to the nature of the sport. In his thirties, Person says he started to experience extremely concerning symptoms, such as severe brain fog, confusion and disorientation, memory problems, depression, light sound and smell sensitivities, and other "dementia-like" symptoms. In his efforts to learn more about what was happening, he came across a New York Times article describing his symptoms exactly, and connecting it to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) in athletes, but particularly bobsledders.

From then on, William learned more about his condition and found Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) through Joe Namath, a former NFL player with the same condition. He says that this therapy was able to restore his ability to think clearly, to complete daily tasks, and gave restored a sense of purpose to his life.

Now, William is on a mission to raise awareness of brain damage in sports, the military, and other lifetime collisions, and share the importance of protecting and healing the brain. He’s currently working on opening a nonprofit CTE Recovery Center to help athletes, veterans, and civilians heal from brain injuries for free. Every donation to William's GoFundMe goes directly to supporting free treatment therapy for affected individuals whose insurance doesn't cover it.

Today, William joins our host, Dr. Karp, and student producer, Kaya Basatemur, in a deep conversation about CTE; Why do people get CTE? How does it affect their lives? How can this lifelong detrimental condition be treated? Listen in to this week's episode of Health 411 to find out the answers to these questions and more!

William Person on social medias: @onemanwithachamber

GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/93ff9c6e

Facebook:

1. • https://www.facebook.com/one.man.with.a.chamber.hbot?mibextid=wwXIfr&mibextid=wwXIfr
   • https://www.facebook.com/william.person.792233

LinkedIn:

1. • https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-person-4072b417/

Instagram:

1. • https://www.instagram.com/willp1234567?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

YouTube:

1. • https://youtube.com/@braininjurysurvival?si=KfTK-iFXlhLORgQC

TikTok:

1. • https://www.tiktok.com/@hyperbarichealing?_t=ZT-8zD0dNeEvPi&_r=1_

According to the AAFA (Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America), approximately 28 million people in the U.S. have asthma, which is about 1 in 12 people. Additionally, over 100 million have some kind of allergy (food, seasonal, eczema, or environmental), and that's about 1 in 3 people! With allergies and asthma being so prevalent in the United States, it's important to know what they are, why they happen, and what to do if you or a loved one has either of these conditions.

Dr. Reneé Matthews is an MD who is dedicated to making health information readily available and digestible for the American public. She hosts Out of Office, a TV show that broadcasts to more than 45,000 doctor's offices across the U.S., and she also hosts her own TV show, the Ask Dr. Renee Show, which is a weekly online show. She's been recognized as a renowned advocate for women's health, black health, allergies, asthma, and self-advocacy in the healthcare industry.

Today, Dr. Reneé Matthews joins Dr. Jonathan Karp and student producer Kaya Basatemur to discuss what allergies and asthma are, how they affect people and young children, how treatments for these conditions have changed over the years, and recent discourse over allergies and asthma in various health communities and political contexts.

Dr. Reneé Matthews has two published books on allergies and asthma, has been on the Oprah Winfrey Show, has been featured as a medical correspondent on SiriusXM radio, and has many more accomplishments that you can read about on her website, https://askdrrenee.info/media/

Don't miss this incredible episode of Health 411, and make sure to check out Dr. Reneé Matthews!

Are smart watches actually good at monitoring your heartbeat?

With the age of new and emerging medical technology, diagnostics are getting more and more specialized, leading to more specialization opportunities for doctors as well. Dr. Zabeer Bhatti is a cardiologist with Capital Health who subspecializes in electrophysiology. Electrophysiologists typically see patients who have arrhythmias, which are disorders that disrupt the heart's natural rhythm.

Today, Dr. Bhatti joins Dr. Jonathan Karp and student producer Kaya Basatemur to discuss how to become a cardiologist, what being an electrophysiologist means, and medical procedures and technology designed to further increase diagnostic and treatment efficacy for arrhythmia patients. Don't miss this week's episode of Health 411!

In the 1970s, the term "Holistic Medicine" started popping up in the United States. Holistic Medicine refers to the practice of treating a patient by focusing on the entire body and interactions between systems, and not just the individual symptoms. This is typically done using natural vitamin and mineral supplements, medicinal herbs, making diet and lifestyle changes, and increased mindfulness and meditation. One of the lesser known ways to use holistic medicine however, is by spending time in infrared saunas. According to the CEO of Relax Saunas, Phillip Wilson, this is an incredibly helpful tool to utilize in holistic medicine. From helping with migraines to increasing your energy, infrared saunas can help, says Wilson. Wilson has been in the field of Holistic medicine for 55 years, has owned a Natural Food Store for 45 years, and has owned his infrared sauna company for 23 years. Listen in to this week's episode to find out more about how Phillip Wilson got to where he is today, how infrared saunas work, and the health and wellness benefits of using one.

Phillip Wilson: https://www.phillipawilson.com/about/

Relax Saunas: https://relaxsaunas.com/

Use code "Rider" for $100 off your first order!

Getting scared is part of life. Whether it's animals, heights, the dark, bugs, or flying in an airplane, we all experience fears. Sometimes, you have a bad experience and get scared-- but then when you do it again, you realize it's not actually scary or dangerous. Maybe you visited a haunted house as a kid and you felt nervous, convinced something bad was going to happen, or that you would get hurt. Then, as an adult, you went back to the haunted house and nothing bad happened, so you weren't afraid or anticipating danger anymore.

While this is just an analogy, this is applicable to real life in many different scenarios. Just as there is a neural circuit for establishing fear, there is also one to overwrite a fearful memory with a new memory that signals to you that you are safe.

In this episode, Dr. Jonathan Karp and student producer Kaya Basatemur discuss a recent paper that figures out what these circuits are, how they work, and how we can eliminate fearful memories faster. In the future, this could possibly lead to more research for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which is a disorder in which a person cannot forget traumatic memories. Tune in to the latest episode of Health 411 to find out more about these recently discovered neural circuits and what makes them so important!

Article Link: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250428220605.htm

This week on Health 411, Dr. Jonathan Karp and student producer Kaya Basatemur are joined by a Reiki Master, Taylor Smith, from Belmar New Jersey. According to Smith's description of her practice,

"Reiki (pronounced ray-kee) is a Japanese healing practice based on the idea that a universal life force energy flows through all living things. The word itself means universal (Rei) life force energy (ki) . Reiki is about channeling this energy through the hands to bring balance and harmony to the body, mind, and spirit. It’s a gentle, calming practice that helps clear energetic blockages and supports the body’s natural ability to heal, leaving you with a deep sense of peace and relaxation.

From a scientific point of view, Reiki is seen as a form of biofield therapy, which means it works with the body’s natural energy. Studies show that Reiki can help trigger the body’s relaxation response, lower stress, and bring the nervous system into balance. In simple terms, it helps your body shift out of stress mode and into a state where it can rest, restore, and heal itself more easily."

Listen in on this exciting and informative conversation to learn about how Smith became a Reiki Master, the reasons behind her passion, and her incredible journey.

You can find out more about her after the episode on Instagram @RisingSol.Offerings

With more and more new research coming out on cancer treatments, it seems that we're bound to have some sort of breakthrough soon. Today Dr. Jonathan Karp and student producer Kaya Basatemur discuss an article that might just be one of the newest and best concepts that we have right now for advancement of cancer treatment. This article was published on October 9th, 2025, in the Cell Reports Medicine journal; since its publication it has become very well-discussed and brought up in the press. So what is this "cancer vaccine"? Does it work for all types of cancer? Is this a viable concept to continue researching in hopes of a cure for cancer? Tune in to this week's episode of Health 411 to find out!

Happy Public Health Workforce Week!

The process to become a medical professional is never easy, nor is it linear. There are so many different positions and areas of study that it can be overwhelming to decide where you want to end up. Dr. Nadeem Obaydou, an Emergency room MD from Capital Health may be able to help. This week on Health 411, Dr. Jonathan Karp and student producer Kaya Basatemur are joined by Dr. Obaydou to discuss everything from undergrad and medical school, to growing up in Syria during the Civil War, to how the Emergency room operates and what makes this position different from other areas of medical care. No matter if you want to become a doctor, nurse, or just curious about the in-and-outs of the ER and patient care, Dr. Obaydou is here to answer all of the questions you may have. This is the perfect episode to tune into to celebrate Public Health Workers Week!