Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Discussions on a 'bendy-body' ailment and medical reasons why the time change ticks us off

WJCT

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a connective-tissue genetic condition known as rare, but is it really? Also, a sleep expert helps us understand the medical argument against daylight saving time.

On this episode of “What’s Health Got to Do With It,” a closer look at a group of genetic disorders labeled as rare but may not be: Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

The “bendy-body” ailment affects connective tissues with symptoms that may include joint hypermobility, stretched out skin and skin discoloration.

It affects about 1 in 5,000 Americans. That’s not exactly rare. More people are discussing the condition on social media, which may have helped raise awareness. That includes several celebrities who have gone public. Some people may not have suspected they have EDS until hearing about it from others.

To learn more, we talk to Dr. Dacre Knight, medical director of the Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Clinic at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville.

Also, WJCT senior producer Heather Schatz, who lives Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, joins the conversation and shares her experiences.

Afterward, we examine the medical argument against daylight saving time with Dr. Logan Schneider, consultant neurologist at the Stanford University/VA Alzheimer's Center and clinical assistant professor of sleep medicine at the Stanford University Sleep Center.

"What's Health Got to Do with It?" is a talk program from WJCT in Jacksonville that examines the intersection of health care and daily life. The host is neurologist Dr. Joe Sirven.

Click on the Listen button above to hear the program.

Originally founded in December 2006 as an independent grassroots publication dedicated to coverage of health issues in Florida, Health News Florida was acquired by WUSF Public Media in September 2012.