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Germ & Worm

Germ & Worm

By: Drs. Paul Pottinger and Chris Sanford
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Internationally-renowned travel health experts, Drs. Paul Pottinger and Chris Sanford, answer your most pressing (and most embarrassing) questions on maintaining good health during your global travels.Copyright 2025 Drs. Paul Pottinger and Chris Sanford Hygiene & Healthy Living Physical Illness & Disease Social Sciences Travel Writing & Commentary
Episodes
  • 82: Staying Healthy on the Hill--Brought to you by Climbing the Seven Summits
    Jan 6 2026

    Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford talk with Caroline Pemberton, Co-Owner of Climbing the Seven Summits. Our focus: How to stay healthy when pursuing tall mountains on big expeditions. Questions we tackle include:

    1. How does the immune system work?
    2. What can people do to prevent infections before they leave home?
    3. What vaccines are useful?
    4. Should someone isolate from others in the month before departure?
    5. Is it possible to overtrain?
    6. What tricks can people use to stay healthy when approaching base camp?
    7. Is it advisable to take acetazolamide?
    8. What about stress and anxiety--how can these be managed?
    9. How about vitamins--helpful, or a scam?
    10. Macronutrients--how many calories do you need per day?
    11. How can you stimulate your appetite?
    12. What if you get sick on the upper mountain?

    We hope you enjoy this podcast! If so, please follow us on the socials @germ.and.worm, subscribe to our RSS feed and share with your friends! We would so appreciate your rating and review to help us grow our audience. And, please visit our website: germandworm.com where you can find all our content and send us your questions and travel health anecdotes. Or, just send us an email: germandworm@gmail.com.

    You can also catch this episode on our YouTube channel, or at the CTSS webinar page.

    Our Disclaimer: The Germ and Worm Podcast is designed to inform, inspire, and entertain. However, this podcast does NOT establish a doctor-patient relationship, and it should NOT replace your conversation with a qualified healthcare professional. Please see one before your next adventure. The opinions in this podcast are Dr. Sanford’s & Dr. Pottinger’s alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the University of Washington or UW Medicine.

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    1 hr and 32 mins
  • 81: Deep Dive with Dr. Greg Davis on SCUBA Health
    Dec 30 2025

    Ungil tutau! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Greg Davis, Paul Pottinger, and Chris Sanford answer your SCUBA health questions, including:

    • How should someone get into SCUBA diving?
    • What should you look for when choosing a diving operator?
    • What ENT issues should someone be aware of when diving?
    • What if someone has a cold or allergy symptoms before they dive?
    • What if you get a bloody nose when diving?
    • When descending, what sings tell me that I should head for the surface?
    • What can people do if they have Eustachian tube dysfunction?
    • What are the chances that Eustachian tube dilation will work permanently?
    • What is DAN?
    • How soon can someone fly home after diving?
    • Can we trust dive computers, instead of tables?
    • What would you include in a dive boat first-aid kit?
    • What are the best ways to equalize your ears when you dive--beyond Valsalva?

    Please learn more about Dr. Davis's practice at www.gregdavismd.com.

    We hope you enjoy this podcast! If so, please follow us on the socials @germ.and.worm, subscribe to our RSS feed and share with your friends! We would so appreciate your rating and review to help us grow our audience. And, please visit our website: germandworm.com where you can find all our content and send us your questions and travel health anecdotes. Or, just send us an email: germandworm@gmail.com.

    Our Disclaimer: The Germ and Worm Podcast is designed to inform, inspire, and entertain. However, this podcast does NOT establish a doctor-patient relationship, and it should NOT replace your conversation with a qualified healthcare professional. Please see one before your next adventure. The opinions in this podcast are Dr. Davis's, Dr. Sanford’s & Dr. Pottinger’s alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the University of Washington or UW Medicine.

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    34 mins
  • 80: Germ & Worm's New Years Travel Resolutions
    Dec 22 2025

    Alii! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford answer your travel health questions, including:

    1. Why should I visit Antarctica?
    2. What new-years travel resolutions should I embrace?
    3. Probiotics: Will they prevent traveler’s diarrhea?
    4. Tell me more about the new iPhone earbud interpretation feature (babelfish?)
    5. What is going on with pneumonia vaccine approval process at FDA?
    6. Tips for avoiding getting scammed when traveling?
    7. What is up with a new coronavirus discovered in Brazil?

    We hope you enjoy this podcast! If so, please follow us on the socials @germ.and.worm, subscribe to our RSS feed and share with your friends! We would so appreciate your rating and review to help us grow our audience. And, please visit our website: germandworm.com where you can find all our content and send us your questions and travel health anecdotes. Or, just send us an email: germandworm@gmail.com.

    Our Disclaimer: The Germ and Worm Podcast is designed to inform, inspire, and entertain. However, this podcast does NOT establish a doctor-patient relationship, and it should NOT replace your conversation with a qualified healthcare professional. Please see one before your next adventure. The opinions in this podcast are Dr. Sanford’s & Dr. Pottinger’s alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the University of Washington or UW Medicine.

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    31 mins
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