that's all for today. thanks so much for joining me. until next time, i hope you're learning to be more of a healthy you. time now for sunday "housecall." >> welcome. joining us today as always dr. mark seagal professor of medicine at nyu medical center. and author of "unlocking the secret code of sickness and health." >> and joining us live from orlando, florida, chairman and professor of urology of lennox hill hospital. >> good to see you guys. >> okay. happy to see you and happy to be here. we want to start with -- should we start with this mers outbreak? it's spreading.

and officials in the middle east are now confirming at least three more deaths this week. now, this is coming as a third person here in the u.s. testing positive for the virus. and doctor, i want to start with you on this. i want to make sure you agree with the cdc that it's not easily transmitted, right? these gentlemen had 30 to 40-minute face-to-face meetings, right? >> this is middle eastern respiratory system, it's been around since 2012. there's been 570 cases. it's a corona virus, which is the same as the common cold, also the same as sars which scared us in 2003. ended up infecting 8,000 people before it petered out. this one, we're still trying to get a beat on it. and there's been three cases in the united states. and what you're talking about, the third case that occurred, it turns out when he went to a business meeting on april 25th

before he was hospitalized, he sat for 40 minutes with another business person and he transmitted it to him to the point where it showeded up on an antibody screen, a blood test. the guy didn't get sick, he wasn't coughing from it. his respiratory secretions were negative. that brings up an important point here. and to answer your question directly, the cdc in a press conference friday said we don't think it's changed how it's transm transmitted. it's not casual contact. it's prolonged contact. what does that mean? you can get it from touching surfaces. if they sat 40 minutes together, maybe they touched the same surface multiple times, shook hands, maybe there was coffee. we don't really know exactly what. i don't -- i agree with the cdc on this. i don't consider this a change in the viral pattern. but i'm really glad they're tracking it so carefully that they're looking to see where it's going. they're going to isolate this guy. anybody that has been exposed should be isolated. but it brings up one final point here. ment there's something called

subclinical infection. you don't have to end up in the hospital. you don't have to die from something. you may get a mild case and not even know you have it. so when we're reporting 30% mortality with this virus, it may actually being a lot less than that because plenty of people may be exposed to it and not know it. the more the cdc goes around testing for it, the more they're going to find the mild cases. >> amazing. it really is amazing. basically, bottom line is, it's hard to get. and it really is over in the middle east. not like it's spreading or the cdc said it's not a danger to the public. >> eric, actually, so far we've had three cases as mark mentioned. the second one is actually a 44-year-old man who is right here in orlando. and for a lot of people who want to know why i'm here in orlando this week just like last year, we have the american neurologic association where about 15,000 urologists from all over the world, including saudi arabia and other middle eastern countries are coming here for a big conference.

this is why in orlando we're reporting a lot of exciting news. >> are they talking about mers? >> nobody -- no -- well, occasionally the topic has come up. but, you know, obviously if someone is from saudi arabia or any of the arabian peninsula, if there are symptoms of fever, cough -- at the hospital, but, you know, there's no issue going on over here. this man in orlando, the 44-year-old who has mers is actually doing well and he's -- there's no serious complication from this. but what i'm concerned about is that we're going to see more of these cases coming out in u.s. as a result of global travel. and that's a big concern. the big issue with this virus is that 30% of them die, out of 570 out there, 170 have died. and the transmission is very challenging. the receptors for this virus as

opposed to sars and flu, it's not in the nose or nasal area, it's deep inside -- you have to spend not just casual touch and feel, but really prolonged time to be able to get this virus. so cdc is not changing any of the travel issues. people don't have to worry. but you have to be careful if you have fever, chills, cough, see your doctor, because the next step would be pneumonia. and the reason why people die a lot of times is kidney failure. keeping them in isolation is the way to go. >> at least the cdc is on top of this and tracking the cases. when they say it's not a danger to the public, but it certainly is around there. speaking about another deadly disease that happens to be measles. the mayo clinic has come up with an amazing new discovery they say could use the measles virus, they think can deal with cancer patients on that. what's the breakthrough with this news? >> eric, this is an amazing story. this is where the modern medicine is going to go on.

you know, when you talk about measles, it always was a major danger to kids until 1963 when we started having the vaccine. and since then, obviously, we got control of measles. now in the disease called multiple myloma where in the bone marrow, you have plasma cells that grow. that's a dangerous cancer. this is not a -- a woman in minnesota who had multiple miloma went through chemotherapy and stem cell. now using the measles virus as a factor, as an agent, the mayo clinic researchers were able to actually get to the cancer cells and use the virus in order to kill the cancer this is a noble job. and in the field of urology, we are familiar with this in the past we have used some of the tuberculosis virus in order to cure bladder cancer.

to be able to get to the cancers and she's actually cancer-free. >> doctor, thank you. i want to bring dr. seagal in on this. what is myeloma. >> 25,000 cases a year, up to 45% don't survive five years. it's the cancer of the bone marrow cells. that's the inside of your bones, factory making blood cells in your body. when they get cancerous, you're in trouble. and that's why the mortality rate is so high. those cancer cells have on the surface receptors that attract the measles virus. the measles virus. we've always known this. the measles virus goes for those bone marrow cells. enters the bone marrow. if it sees them outside, goes for the measles, makes a beeline for these type of cells. well, a researcher at mayo has been working on the measles

virus, taking the measles virus we use in the vaccine, modifying it and now finally this year he has it to the point where if he gives a dose 10,000 times the dose you would get with the measles vaccine. he gets it to go into the body, right for the cancer cells. the virus multiplies in the cancer cells, kills the cancer cells. shoot a guided missile. hits the cancer cells. then your own immune system comes in. >> if you've been diagnosed with myeloma, do you ask for this treatment? >> we're not there yet. and as david pointed out, we are, at least, away from -- this is a phase one trial meaning two people were given this. the first one, as david mentioned, totally cured. the second one, it came back, but weaker. now the second phase, we'll give it to thousands. >> how long until we get there? >> women, five years. >> eric, i would tell you that

the good news about this, the side effects they saw after this was fever, headache and chills. so to give that much of this vaccine to a patient, this is a noble job and they should be congratulated and using virus to kill cancer is going to be hopefully the way of future. >> indeed. >> that woman was cured. >> absolutely. okay. thinking of taking a sleeping aid to help you catch some zs? well, first you want to hear the fda's latest warning about one of the most popular sleeping drugs on the market right now. my name is michael, i'm 55 years old and i have diabetic nerve pain. the pain was terrible.

um, i remember my feet hurt so bad that it felt like i had hot pins and needles coming from the inside out of my skin. when i did go see the doctor and he said, "i think i can help you" and prescribed lyrica. it helped me. [ male announcer ] it's known that diabetes damages nerves. lyrica is fda-approved to treat diabetic nerve pain. lyrica is not for everyone. it may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. or, swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, changes in eyesight, including blurry vision, muscle pain with fever, tired feeling or skin sores from diabetes. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. those who have had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. having reduced pain is great and i'm grateful for it.

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starting on the popular sleeping drug lunestra. this after the patients who took the drug at the current dose of 3 milligrams had a greater risk of next day drama and impairment. and those who took a smaller dose. doctor, a lot of people take sleeping pills to get to sleep, stay asleep. what happens if you take too much of this? >> well, first of all, i want to start by saying, i don't think everyone taking sleeping pills actually needs them. we give out 60 million prescriptions a year for sleeping pills. i want to ask people, are you going to bed the same time every night, having caffeinated beverages, drinking alcohol before you go to sleep? are you using your iphone, ipad right up until the time you go to sleep? we've got to get sleep hygiene in there, and you have to speak to your physician about that. and then -- >> quickly, what time do you cut off the alcohol intake? >> i'd say -- after dinner, you don't -- you try not to drink alcohol. a drink before dinner rather than after dinner.

i don't like when you're approaching bedtime. cut out that alcohol, especially that caffeine. some people can tolerate it better than others. now, with these drugs, these are called sedative hypnotics. it's more than just lunesta. there was a drug called ambien that the fda said, hey, this is affecting people the next day. they're taking 10 milligrams to sleep, next day, they can't drive, they're groggy, excess dreaming, waking up in the middle of the night from this. same issue with lunesta which is even longer acting. the fda is now wisely suggesting that instead of taking 3 milligrams a night, use 1 milligram, maybe 2 milligram. >> cut it in half? >> well, you can also get it in the 1 milligram dose. start with a lower dose, try not to take it every night. work on sleep hygiene first and get your doctor in the loop. and doctors out there, stop prescribing so much of this stuff. that's my message.

>> that's a strong message. what do you think about taking lunesta or the sleep aids? are you for it? >> well, i think we have encouraged people to be able to sleep seven hours, at least, because if you really have insomnia and can't sleep well, the health hazard is tremendous and it can affect you. but i agree with marc that you should not take these medications, somewhere between 30 million to 50 million of these prescriptions are falling out there and people are overusing it. and that's why the fda actually made the right call by cutting down the dosage from 3 milligram to 1 milligram. but i've always talked to "housecall" about the other use. i want you to look into some of the herbals that will help you to get sleep. you can use tea to get to sleep. and the best one i like is

melatonin. it would give you a nice good night's sleep without side effects. the effect of this will stay inside your body for 7 to 11 hours. the next day, you're not going to be able to function. if you're a pilot, driving a car, you're going to be jeopardizing your life and many others. and that's why you've got to be very careful to take a low dose under the supervision of doctors before you go up to 2 milligram or 3 milligram. >> i want to echo david's point about some of the herbal issues. absolutely, even benadryl may be better. i have people taking valium that were previously on lunesta. what is the right treatment? >> tylenol p.m. sometimes it's right. depends on the patient. >> i will tell you to stay away from coffee and taking a lot of sugar and try to take magnesium. anything with magnesium would be

calming and soothing. >> i like magnesium. >> melatonin. don't forget. >> get a sleep machine with the great sound. >> there you go. have someone read to you. bedtime story. >> that's the best idea. >> now we're talking. >> now we're talking. >> got to get tucked in. all right. well, have you ever been forced to deal with a case of swollen feet? well, the doctors will weigh in coming up next on what swollen feet means and what you do if you have it. plus, dr. david somadi will fill us in on prostate cancer developments coming up next. (woman) the constipation and belly pain feel like a knot. how can i ease this pain? (man) when i can't go, it's like bricks piling up. i wish i could find some relief. (announcer) ask your doctor about linzess-- a once-daily capsule for adults with ibs with constipation or chronic idiopathic constipation.

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and ba n >> back now with "sunday house calls." a new development on the fight against prostate cancer. in was an international conference in purr -- puru. what are the new developments? >> the field of prostate cancer where thousands of doctors are coming together talking about robotic surgery versus open surgery, that discussion has stopped. we see the robotic surgery has many advantages. a trip to peru was interesting and exciting. we were invited by the national library of peru. they had conferences about robotic surgery where a lot of doctors participated. we were able to share some of our robotic prostate surgery experiences. we were able to visit the

hospitals such as el slud, a thousand-bed hospital. in the united states we are being very aggressive and finding the disease early. here we are a big advocate for screening and find the disease early and treating it. that is not true in peru and many other countries. people are coming with advanced prostate cancer and surgery may not be an option always for them and they have to get radiation. we are going to change that. we are going to collaborate with a lost doctors in dominican republic but, now, also, in peru and other countries to bring everyone on board. very exciting. >> and some are just recognizing the p.s.a. and the importance? >> in peru it is the leading cause of cancer death among membership. a reason is that the p.s.a. test

you mentioned. you have to do that test early and figure out what to do with the results. >> what do you look for? >> you follow a trend. there is a number, a psa under four but it depends on the patient. you follow a trend and check it. you figure out what to do. if you get a biopsy you figure what to do. in peru they are figuring that out. to echo another point, when you know you have prostate cancer, then what do you do? in the right hands you have the option of get someone in and out of the hospital in a day. no blood. they go back to work. >> if you ask cholesterol number, people know that number. everyone walks around proud it. no one really knows what the p.s.a. number is. >> they should. >> at what age do you check? >> david and i check at the age of 40 and also, digital rectal

exam. the national library of peru is venerable. it was founded in 1821, with 7,000 volumes. a huge library. >> david talked about the number. what is your recommendation? four or under? above? what do you do? >> the younger you are, the numbers should be lower. look at the doubling time and what it takes for the number to double. if it doubles in a short people we are concerned. as far as sexual function and urinary control we have come a long way and in the hands of experienced suns, people that do thousands of these, robotic prostate surgery is the way to go. use radiation as a backup plan. this trip to peru was exciting. i meant so many urologist. the national library of per treasure has over seven million books and they want to go for

the history and education but, also, medicine. >> i promise, i will bring in my numbers one of these days. >> next week. >> we are waiting. >> i want to know your numbers asap. >> it is a common cause for concern: swollen feet. what, exactly, causes it? what can you do about it? we will ask our doctors to weigh in on coming up in "should i worry." when it comes to good nutrition...i'm no expert.

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now for "should i worry," our weekly segment about everything that worries viewer our weekly segment on everything that worries us. my feet are swollen. should i worry? >> i am asked this each week by patients. the answer is, sometimes you worry about this.

sometimes you don't have to. if you are overweight your election will swell. fur on calcium channel blockers or antidepressants, they will swell. in the sun too long. and blood contracts cause your feet to swell. infections, they swell. i don't want you guys diagnosing yourself on this. if your feet are swelling and not swelling before, it could be heart failure. i have to see you. you will have ekg, urinalysis. >> should i worry? david? >> a lot of people are standing and sitting a long-term and they do not need to worry. they can elevate their feet and move around or wear the stockings and that can help. there are cases where you could be on water pills and if you do not take enough and the fluid is

backing up you could have a problem. we will talk more about this. >> that does it for us. thank you for watching. >> new details of why "new york times" abruptly fired a reporter as the first female editor after she complained about being paid less than males. and a publisher hitting back feeling portrayed and flipping her for badment and denying charges on unqualify pay. we go behind the p.r. nightmare with the most influential paper. karl rove questions hillary clinton's health in the wake of the concussion she suffered. he is widely attacked for a low blow. >> she had a serious upsold, a serious health episode. if you go through a serious health episode, it causes you to look at life differently.

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