skepticism about government health pledges, or advice. that's it for this week's show. thanks to my panel and for all of you for watching. i'm paul gigot. hope to see you right here next week. ♪ and time now for "sunday housecall." i'm eric shawn. >> and i'm after sella neville. welcome. dr. david samadi is chairman and professor of neurology at lenox hill hospital and chief of robotic surgery. >> and dr. marc siegel, nyu's langone medical center and author of "the inner pulse: unlocking the code of sickness and inner health." >> great to see you both. we have an action-packed show. the hollywood movie shedding light on a debilitating disease. take a look. >> it's called motorneuron disease. life expectancy is two years. >> the brain.

what about the brain? >> the brain isn't affected. your thoughts won't change. it's just no one will know what they are. >> that was a clip from the oscar-nominated film "the theory of everything," depicting the life of physicist stephen hawking, following his diagnosis of motorneuron disease, also known as als or lou gehrig's disease. dr. smadi, hocking's an unbelievable person, his perseverance, intelligence, his brilliance, but this terrible disease. >> eric, but even more powerful than this is when you pay attention to this movie, you learn so much not just as a patient but also as a doctor. what is the message that we all learned from this? is that "the theory of everything." it's love is everything, life is everything and hope is everything, which is what you need as a doctor to take care of these patients. and without that, there's no chemotherapy, there's no medication that we can give to survive. so, it's a wonderful movie and a great message. what is als?

ami amio tropeic. there's no nutrition to the muscles. and you saw the muscle spasm in that movie. they get twitches. and over time, they die from respiratory failure. a lot of times, two to five years is the period. in this particular case, he went on for over ten years, which is very unusual. and so, you know, it's the message that this whole ice challenge brought in, brought this disease to the surface, and we are learning a lot from this. the good news, let me just say that as a result of all of these donations, now we're getting closer to finding the gene. researchers have come up with a gene called tbk-1, which is going to hopefully really break this disease and come up with a lot of hope. >> you know, marc, hocking adopted unbelievably, still writing his books and his studies, his research. first of all, what are the symptoms, how to know if you get it and is there any way to avoid

it? >> firstly to hocking, his famous expression was look up at the stars, not down at your feet. and that's how he lived his life. he gets this diagnosis. he says his brain is powerful, he keeps thinking. he raises a family, even though he had this. and he has lived to 73 and he's still alive, which is unbelievable. two to five years is the usual lifespan, and it's because the first point i want to make is als is unpredictable. in some cases, it burns out. in some cases, it's more severe. it involves the lateral aspects of the spinal cord. those are the areas of nerve cells which lead directly to voluntary muscle movement. to all your muscles, your legs, your arms, respiratory muscles, as david said, your lungs. swallowy is involved, your speech is involved. he can't speak. so, he was able through eye movements to develop -- they developed a system where you can use a computer-aided voice. now, believe it or not, in this film, they actually used stephen hawking's actual voice. he lent it to the film because

he was so impressed with the job that eddie redmayne has done portraying him, showing the falling, showing the weakness, and the muscle -- what happens in the disease is that the motorneurons, which are the central nerves that lead directly to these muscles, atrophy, they die off, and then the muscles die off. we've made very little progress in this, except to emphasize the point that was just made. now we're figuring out which mutations occur, which genes are involved. it's often familial. it often runs in families. and if we can get genetic modulation going -- >> so, what should you look for? >> here's what i look for first and foremost in the office. i look for what's called tongue versiculations. if i see a tongue vibratvibrati that's telltale. if someone is having sudden weakness or falling, like they show in the film. you're walking along and you start falling. and i test you and your muscle

strength is diminishes and you're 30, 40 years of age, i'll send you to a neurologist. >> if there is no cure at this point, is there something that can help slow it down if there is early detection? >> no, there are no medications. there is a medication that only adds maybe three more months, but there is no real cure. and this is about 10% genetics, 90% we really don't know the cause. and this is part of the problem. now, we've come a long way in this particular disease. we've spoken about the fact that john martin sharko defined this in 1975. lou gehrig, baseball player in 1939, is the one that brought it to the surface. and now with this particular challenge, we have raised so much money to really put a dent in this disease. now, typically, you see this between 40 and 60, going back to what you were saying is the tingling feeling that starts from the feet and the legs and starts spreading to other things -- fortunately, they don't have any bladder or bowel issues, as we see in ms and any other kind of a disease.

but look, i think typically, you see about five years that they survive, ten years is an anomaly. to see a story like this is tremendous. >> and it can be two years. the reason that they don't do well is because of their breathing. they go on respirators. hawking went on a respirator in the 1980s and he's been on that ever since. they lose the ability to breathe spontaneously on their own and they lose the ability to swallow on their own. so, secretions start to build up. you get more and more infecti s infectious. it requires -- and the film shows this beautifully -- >> yes, quite. >> it requires exactly -- >> oh, my gosh, it made me cry. >> it requires support, support from a wife, from someone else around him. >> hope. the message of hope and there is always life and you fight for it and you love what you do. >> you love what you do. now, "empire," the show on fox, my favorite. i love this show. the lead character, lucious lion, played by terrence howard. there he is with taraji p. henson. this character, lucious lion,

has als. and he, in the character in the tv show, he is trying alternative drugs. of course, we don't -- >> well, i'm glad you're bringing this up, because i want everyone to come to my site and we posted the medication that we have. but your point is well taken. there are a lot of these medications outside u.s. that are experimental, and it may work. right now the fda is not approving this. so, it's important to have a conversation. we've brought als association online, we're having communication with them. this is a great awareness and a really good point you're bringing up. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> i want to get back to eric's point of how you know it. i told you one example of how i might look for it in the office. but if you're a person out there -- i'm not trying to anyone, because this is a very rare disease -- you start having falling episodes. why am i suddenly weak? why can't i hang on to anything? why can't i speak. >> is it sudden or gradual? >> well, it can be sudden, actually. it's a great question, great point, because if it's somebody

that isn't aware they have a problem, they may be building up weakness and not know it and suddenly fall. >> david mentioned tingling? >> well, usually it's motor. usually it's motor -- >> transition through the synapses or nerves are not working, so your muscles, because atrophy's muscle wasting. that's what happens. and if you don't have that kind of power, you could fall. >> a spectacular symbol, it's a fantastic movie -- >> great movie. loved the movie. >> i'm so glad we discussed this in the segment. >> very important. >> and a shout-out to all the loving caregivers as well. >> i think he should win the academy award for best actor for this role. >> say what you just said again. the power of support and the hope is what we all get as a doctor and also as patient. >> courage. mind over matter. >> love it. >> that's true. >> "empire," too. that's my favorite show. sorry about that. talk about mind over matter, this winter, the snow, the ice and cold. man, oh, man, is this a brutal weekend. >> yes. >> how can you protect yourself when it's so cold outside? 16 below in waterville, maine.

can you believe that? >> no. >> do you even feel that? what do you do? how do we protect ourselves? the doctors will have the answers coming up next. ourselv? the doctors will have the answers coming up next. daughter: do you and mom still have money with that broker? dad: yeah, 20 something years now. thinking about what you want to do with your money? daughter: looking at options. what do you guys pay in fees? dad: i don't know exactly.

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side effects include sore throat, cough, dry mouth and sinus infection. nothing can reverse copd. spiriva helps me breathe better. to learn about spiriva respimat slow-moving mist, ask your doctor or visit spirivarespimat.com and back now at "sunday housecall." you know, this winter is one of the most brutal on record. snowstorms every weekend. double-digit, subzero temperatures striking some places. and you know, the cold could put a lot of people at risk for dry skin. more serious is frostbite and hypothermia. dr. siegel, down in tennessee, there's been a rash of hypothermia deaths because the south is not used to this cold snap that they've had down there. >> and they don't know to dress in layers down there. they don't know to wear an extra sweater.

they don't have gloves and they don't know they have to have those wool hats that we wear everywhere. with but you know, the main secret here is that something called hypothermia is connected to something called frostbite. we talk about them as though they're separate. but they're connected. you know why? because when it's cold, your body wants to preserve blood flow to your brain, your liver, your kidneys, your vital organs. and if it gets cold, it's got to get that heat from somewhere. it takes it away from your fingers, from your toes, from your nose -- >> from your extremities, huh? >> from your extremities. so your extremities start to cold down. you get something called frost nip, which is your warning sign, and if you don't pay attention -- >> what's frost nip? >> that's when it starts to turn color and gets a little numb. but then when it starts to really -- the damage really starts to get in -- >> your nose starts to fall off. >> then you get deeper damage and your tissues get damaged and then you could even get scarring. so, i caution people, get it before it's even frost nip. >> but you know, dr. smadi, i think a lot of people don't

realize the damage that the cold wind can do to their skin and their system. they're out there playing around sometimes because it can be fun playing in the snow and they don't realize, or just trying to go about their business, how damaging that cold wind can be on the skin. talk to me about that. >> it could. obviously, it can cause a lot of numbing and tingling and the color can change. because if you don't get enough blood to the area, you're going to see this blueish color. that's really the time that you want to go inside and not play anymore. you want to make sure that you have layers. anything over 30 minutes and your temperature lower than 95, you're in deep trouble. so, use common sense. i mean, this is -- you know, you have very cold weather and it's going to take a lot of blood, as marc mentioned, away from your fingers and toes, and you're going to have a lot of pain. short term, you may recover, but if you go on for too much time, you're going to have some damages. and the worst thing you can do is to go in in hot water. because at that time, your sensations are not there, and if you're going to put your feet or your toes under hot water, you

can have the first-degree or second-degree burns. >> oh, wow. >> and that's a very important point. >> if you're outside, good point. >> if you're outside and you feel tired, is that a warning sign? >> that's a huge problem, huge. >> if you start to feel sleepy. >> exhaustion and you're not thinking cleary. the bit of good news is if you have a problem with hypothermia and you get to the hospital, we actually have more time to bring your heart back and to bring you back, because basically, the cold preserves your organs. one other thing that i want to tell everyone out there to do is be prepared for the loss of power in these situations. that's a terrible problem, if on top of the cold you lose your power? i want to reveal a secret. dr. samadi has a backup generator. everyone should get one. >> you can come to my house. you can put your nose by it. but i think your importapoint i important, eric, what a lot of people do is try to clean up the snow. and the rate of heart attacks, especially in older men, is very high. so, if you feel exhausted, go in. don't push yourself, because the next thing you know, you're going to be putting a lot of

pressure on your heart and have a massive heart attack. >> don't make snow shoveling the first thing you do. if you're not used to working out, don't pick up that shovel. >> and don't try to shake off the doldrums. you're depressed because you're inside. >> i'll make you soup. you're all welcome. >> all right. i'm going to have some. >> no salt. >> no salt? you know i love salt. tennis athletes like maria sharapova swear by it, an injection that's supposed to treat pain in your joints, but could it be right for you? our doctors tackle that when we come back. doctors tackle that come back. my name is michael. i'm 55 years old... and i have diabetic nerve pain. the pain was terrible. my feet hurt so bad. it felt like hot pins and needles... coming from the inside out of my skin. when i did go see the doctor, and he prescribed lyrica. it helped me. 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. ask your doctor about lyrica and visit lyrica.com to learn about our $25 co-pay offer

. time now for should i worry,

our weekly time now for "should i worry," our segment about everything that worries us. "i would like to know what the doctors think about platelet-rich injuries. this is not covered by insurance, soy i'd be interested whether the doctors think it is a procedure worth trying. dr. sammed ay, what do you think. >> a lot of nfl players and professional athletes have brought 24 to the surface. what we do the take 30 cc of blood, put it through a send frye fuge about 30 minutes and take the platelet rich plasma, which has growth factors to make sure that the tendon is healed. all the studies i've looked at doesn't prove any positive foointd findsings. this looks more like a placebo effect than anything else. i know there are those that swear by this. but there are other questions out there, how many you should get, how often you should be getting them and whether it

works or not. i don't finds any benefit for these particular patients. it's about $800. i'm not a fan. >> did you notice that lebron james was dribbling while dr. sammed ay was speaking? on topics like this which are surgical i would refer to dr. sammed ay who is a surgeon, and surgeons are the people injecting this. there is a study in the new england journal of medicine just in june that emphasized his point that saline or saltwater worked just as well as this stuff did and it is a placebo effect. the people who use it say, well, athletes benefit from it. but there has never really been until this june study a trial showing it. it looks like it may be hype. now, the theory behind it that when tendons are injured, they got chronically injured they don't heal well unless you can inject healing things into it. platelets when you break them down -- they used to make blood

clot platelets, somehow, in animals, that helps. in humans it hasn't been shown. >> arthel, this is someone who has gone through all the medical treatments. gone through physical therapy. on the way to surgy, if they want to shot maybe it's helpful. having said that, if you have blood cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, if you are on coumadin, it's contra indicated. you shouldn't be using night this problem is asking, they must have problems with their rotator cuff. any suggestions. >> i will make a list of all the herbs that over the years we have spoken about to take this. st. john's word or other things we are going to talk about, those herbs are better than this injection, do you agree. >> itlike looks like it's hype and people are making $800. >> it is only $800 shot in the office but it is not proven. >> i'd rather sit and watch tv. it may keep your house quiet

and the parents a much needed break. a new study says when you want to put your toddler down for a nap they are saying it is not a good idea. what are they talking about? we'll ask the doctors next. doc. right! now you're gonna ask for my credit card - doc. - so you can charge me on the down low two weeks later look, credit karma - are you talking to websites again? this website says 'free credit scores'. oh. credit karma! yeah, it's really free. look, you don't even have to put in your credit card information.

what?! credit karma. really free credit scores. really. free. i could talk to you all day. ♪ ♪ no one loves cars more than we do. well, almost no one. ♪

back to our "sunday housecall."

studies show that maybe mothers shouldn't have daytime naps for their toddlers and they would sleep better at night. if that's true, is that also the case for the relevant of of us? you have got to put the baby down, it's bad for the baby's health if the baby subject sleep, bad for my health, too. >> i agree with you. an australian studyry tried to prove you wrong. if they did prove it parents would be devastated because parents need the rest. theoretically the best kinds of sleep is uninterrupted sleep. at night you go into a recommend sleep and that's most resting. >> how long in does that start. >> you are not getting fritd a nap. boast sleep researchers believe that those naps, especially in young children, who need 11 to 13 hours of sleep a day are restoretive and help them with performance.

i'm completely on board with. that i think up to the age of fire at least you need that nap in the middle of the day. i have to confess i didn't get enough sleep last night coming in from boston. i took a nap this morning and here i am awake and alert. >> very precious refreshed. for babies, naps are good. what about us? i am a vampire. i rarely sleep. you all know that. what about famous people, burl scony -- >> he was working on two hours of sleep because he was working on 50 shades of grey. that's what he was doing. i think six hours is very healthy. you absolutely need sleep because that's when you do all the repair, et cetera. this particular one, talking about adults, i think power naps are the best thing. if you look at most studies coming out of europe every six to seven hours if you take a 50 minute nap it reboots your biologic clock and gifls you

better decision making. >> how long is too long to nap. >> over 45 minutes to an hour, that's going to change your cycle. >> you should do like an hour. but they say 20 minutes. >> 20 minute nap in the middle of the day. the power nap are the best thing you can do. for kids, it doesn't really interfere with their nightly sleep. i don't buy this australian study. kids need sleep to grow. and you should start taking at least four hours. >> you would be in good company -- >> i'm awake at night. it's horrible. >> thomas edison, power naps, margaret thatcher, power naps. four hours a night edson got. and then he invented the light bulb. >> if you can't sleep at night, get some milk and then -- >> no milk. >> no milk. >> get om bread. put butter on bread. pop it in the microwave, eat -- >> no bread.

>> a banana. >> do what i do -- this is what i do -- i'm dead asleep. >> we've got to go. >> oh, my gosh. i don't know what happened. we've got to go. i'm arthel neville. we've got to go. >> american shoppers on this sunday afternoon warned on the on alert. that after a terror group's new video calls for attack at western malls. al qaeda linked group al shabaab specifically naming the largest mall in our country, the mall of america as a potential target. that's in minnesota where 1200,000 people shop every day. they are now to increase security measures. this is america's us in headquarters. >> this is not the first time the somali based terror group has focused on shopping centers. al shabaab claimed responsibility for a deadly september 2013 attack at a