Christian Heesch - Childhood Vaccines and Autism Are Unrelated

Christian Heesch is an internist who questions the claim that there is a link between childhood vaccinations and autism. While there is solid evidence debunking such a claim, rumors and misguided information have continued to spread via the World Wide Web, causing concern to parents who are wondering whether they should have their children vaccinated for common illnesses.

Christian Heesch has a strong response against these claims, alleging that they are not based on reliable evidence. Having worked in areas with shortages of these vaccinations and having seen the impact that a lack of vaccination has on the health of children, he urges parents to vaccinate their children in order to avoid the spread of disease and the unnecessary suffering that comes with it. Heesch says that we take advantage of the vaccinations we have available in the United States, and he has seen lots of suffering in other parts of the world that could have been prevented with the presence of these vaccinations.  

Christian Heesch understands that parents want to make good decisions for their children, which is why he urges them to do the necessary research and make sure they are receiving information from credible resources, such as the Center for Disease Control and more.

Christian Heesch - Vaccinating Children Does Not Cause Autism

There are many people who believe that common childhood vaccines are linked to the development of autism. Christian Heesch is a doctor who believes the contrary, and offers a number of reasons why he finds this claim to be false.

While Christian Heesch is not a specialist in vaccines or pediatric diseases, he has his fair share of experience in both. He says that the unavailability of vaccines for children can cause even bigger health concerns. We take the availability of vaccinations for granted in the United States, as many parts of the world do not have as much access to these vaccines and are therefore more vulnerable to certain diseases.

Not only is the potential of an outbreak reduced by vaccinations, but the severity of certain diseases supports the need for vaccinations as well. Chickenpox, measles, mumps and other such diseases often contracted throughout childhood may pass their course through many patients without causing long-term effects; however, there are complications from time to time that could cause permanent damage or even death to a child.

In response to the criticism and questions that many modern parents are raising over vaccinations, Christian Heesch urges these parents to seek their information from credible sources, such as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, or the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Author: Robert Strong

Christian Heesch - Addressing Vaccination Concerns

In a recent interview, internist Christian Heesch touched base on the issue regarding vaccination concerns, and how parents should look at the issue through what has happened around them, rather than getting their information off the Internet from unofficial sources.

 “There is no reliable evidence for such a connection. In fact, all the solid evidence shows that such a connection does not exist.  Quite the opposite:  much suffering could be prevented if all parents were to accept all those vaccinations recommended for their child by his or her pediatrician,” says Heesch. “I am of a generation where those vaccine series that are routinely recommended now were not yet available.
Having gone through most infectious childhood diseases myself, I can testify first hand that they can make you miserable.  Of note, this refers only to a normal and benign course of these diseases, which is not a given.  In fact, many parents do not know that common childhood diseases such as mumps, measles, or chickenpox can have complications and/or take a bad course.  Much unnecessary suffering could be preempted if parents were to follow the vaccination advice of the pediatrician taking care of their child.”

Christian Heesch asserts that the CDC, The Mayo Clinic, and other credible authorities will provide the best resources on this issue.

Author: Robert Strong

Christian Heesch Refutes Vaccine-Autism Myth

Christian Heesch is a doctor and internist who find the recent rumors surrounding the safety of vaccines to be detrimental to a process that helps save an innumerable amount of lives. In a recent interview, he addressed the questions being raised about the safety and necessity of vaccinations. “I can state with certainty that so-called ‘common childhood diseases’ can be devastating, and even lethal,” Heesch says.

What Christian Heesch is talking about, more specifically, is a personal experience he had while providing healthcare in an area that is short on vaccines. “I once attended to a young mother and her infant child in a hospital in West-Africa, in a rural area where routine childhood vaccinations had not been available to many.  Both, the mother and her child had come down with measles, and both died of the disease – it was a horrible experience. That was not an isolated case, and even in the United States, infectious childhood diseases may take a course that is anything but ‘routine’ and benign. Severe complications are not unusual, and may include permanent disability and death.  Mumps can lead to meningitis, many childhood infections can be complicated by pneumonia, or lead to permanent nerve damage.  There is a long list of potential bad outcomes, apart from the fact that many of those childhood diseases, even if the course is benign, can make children quite miserable for at least a few days.  In a good turn of events, ever since routine childhood vaccination programs have been introduced, many millions of cases of unnecessary suffering, and many thousands of cases of permanent disability or even death have probably been prevented.”

In closing, Christian Heesch urged the public to use credible sources when doing research on the topic. “There is really no evidence to suggest that there is any foundation to the childhood vaccine/autism rumors.  Rather, autism often is first diagnosed during childhood, and childhood vaccines are administered during that same time frame, without there being the least causal connection. Given the potentially disastrous outcome of childhood infection, and given the suffering they can cause for the child, it is my strong recommendation that parents follow the vaccine recommendations of the Centers of Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics.” 

Author: Robert Strong

Preventive malaria protection needed for travelers to West-Africa, Christian Heesch says

Chloroquine-resistant falciparum malaria is seen in most malaria-prone countries across the globe, according to Christian Heesch, a physician with international work experience.  Effective and safe malaria prevention for those traveling to West Africa might include treatment with either doxyxycline, or Mefloquine (Lariam), or Atovaquone/Proguanil (Malarone), Christian Heesch suggests.  He also emphasizes that all of these drugs have important contraindications and side effects, and physician consultation is mandatory for those considering malaria prophylaxis with any of them.  He suggests to visit http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/ and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/malaria-prevention-guidelines-for-travellers-from-the-uk for further information on how to prevent the disease.

Lifestyle changes to keep the heart healthy: advice of heart specialist Christian Heesch

We recently spoke to heart specialist Christian Heesch about changes people can make that will prevent them from every developing heart attacks or strokes. Here is what he had to say:

“Nothing in life works all the time”, Christian Heesch said, “at least when it comes to cardiovascular prevention there are no fool proof prevention measures. Nonetheless, with a sensible diet, with regular exercise, and with the right preventive medicines, if needed, a lot can be accomplished, and our lifetime risk for cardiovascular diseases can be drastically reduced.”

“Exercise is an important piece of the puzzle”, Christian Heesch continued. “We are talking about aerobic exercise, for about 45 minutes, four or five times a week. This will help most patients lower their risk of heart disease significantly. Obviously, if you are elderly, or if you are sick already, you need to check with your doctor to make sure that what you are planning on doing is safe for you. Some patients may need a stress test before they can start an exercise program.”

“A cardiac and cardioprotective diet contains plenty of fruits and vegetables, and leaves out most meats, especially processed meats”, Christian Heesch added. “Also, consider adding nuts, peanuts, and fish to your diet, as these appear to confer independent protective effects. Lastly, if you have chronic health conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure, these need to be brought under control. Talk to your doctor about a comprehensive risk reduction plan for you, involving diet, exercise, and possibly medications. You doctor will know your personal health history, and will be able to advise you on safe and effective steps to take.”

Author: Robert Strong


Heart specialist Christian Heesch: Stress is an important cardiac risk factor

Most people are aware of classic cardiac risk factors such as hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, family history, and smoking. “Psychosocial stress is now emerging as an important and independent risk factor not only for heart disease, but also for other chronic health conditions”, Christian Heesch, a physician specializing in the treatment of disorders of the heart and vascular system told us.

“The good news is that many of the lifestyle modifications that are commonly used to treat the classic cardiac risk factors can also help reduce stress”, Christian Heesch continued. “As an example, regular aerobic exercise is a great way to help treat stress and depression, thereby reducing our risk for heart attack and stroke. At the same time, aerobic exercise may help many diabetics control their glucose levels, it is a great adjunct therapy to control blood pressure, and it can help reduce weight. Few lifestyle modifications are as beneficial as regular cardiovascular exercise.”

“While the emphasis on stress reduction is important, any effort to reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke needs to include medication in many patients”, Christian Heesch clarified. “Obviously, every patient is different. Some may need no medication at all, whereas others may need a carefully balanced medical regimen, in conjunction with a heart healthy diet and exercise, to help provide long-term reduction of cardiovascular risk. The best person to discuss these issues is always the personal physician, who has known us for years and is familiar with our health history and individual risk profile. Once a good strategy for cardiac risk reduction is identified, it is important to stay with the program in the long run to derive its benefits.”

Author: Robert Strong

Simple ways to reduce our risk of stroke and heart attack. Interview with Christian Heesch.

We recently talked to Christian Heesch, a physician treating patients with heart and blood vessel disorders, about the importance of lifestyle changes in preventing and managing cardiovascular diseases. Here is what he had to say:

“Treatment may never be needed if prevention begins early enough”, Christian Heesch said. “Anyone beginning to stick to a healthy diet in his or her twenties, anyone who makes aerobic exercise a daily activity, and anyone who abstains from cigarette smoking and the inhalation of second hand smoke substantially reduces the lifetime risk of ever becoming a cardiac patient.”

“Obviously, many of us may be past our twenties when we realize that prevention efforts have to be made. It is never too late”, Christian Heesch added. “Make sure that any chronic conditions you may have are adequately controlled, particularly obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. In many patients, regular exercise may be an important component in managing all three of these conditions.”

“Every person’s dietary requirements are different, and so is every person’s health history and background. Our personal physician is the right partner to work with us to identify a diet, exercise program, and possibly medical regiment that is tailored to our individual needs and background”, Christian Heesch concluded. “Once you have a plan for health maintenance and prevention, it is important to stick to it in the long run.”

Author: Robert Strong