blunderbuss

First of all, as everyone else has stated already, anyone who tries to diagnose a problem from a forum post is probably not the wisest... But in the interest of an academic discussion... There are dietary deficiencies that can cause nail findings as the Cap'n stated. *But* these are rare in developed nations unless you're on a particularly unusual diet or an alcoholic. Frequently nail findings are associated with diseases. Nail infections (like fugal aka onychomycosis) are common in the general population and especially prevalent in people with significant disease burden such as Diabetes, immune compromise, etc etc. Psoriasis is notorious for causing nail findings, you can also google things like Beaus lines, Mees lines, Meuhrcke's nails just to look. But yeah, go see your doctor to address your concern because only they can actually look at your nails, hear your medical history, properly diagnose them, and offer you a plan.

So yes. Same as before. So pneumonia can come about from a variety of ways. It is frequently a bacterial superinfection after a virus (just like the ear infection example only this time in the lung.) For instance, influenza (the virus that causes the real "flu") had a major pandemic in 1918 killing millions worldwide. There's evidence suggesting after the flu damaged the delicate respiratory tissue necessary to keep bacteria at bay, it was bacterial infection that truly killed the majority of people. http://jid.oxfordjournals.org/content/198/7/962.full Some people get pneumonia because their immune system is functioning poorly. And some (most?) people get pneumonia for no discernible reason whatsoever other than living in society and sharing in the milieu of organisms. So in theory, if it's possible to get a cold from being cold, then, in turn, it would be possible to get a pneumonia. Note though, the previously mentioned articles don't mention anything about their test subjects ending up with deadly pneumonia just from being exposed to cold, so even if it were possible, it is none-the-less unlikely.

Well...in terms of organ failure, the solution is well known. Transplant or grow a new organ. While pharmaceutical research is declining, stem cell research is blossoming. It's not inconceivable that new organ creation will be possible in the next 50 or so years. Biomechanical interfaces are also expanding well with lots of novel research which is a new front. The pharmaceutical problem has a lot to do with economic, social, and political reasons rather than simply being unable. My big fear is lack of antibiotic research. We're losing more and more antibiotics to resistance than we are gaining in novel mechanisms. It sure would suck if after 100 years of steady biomedical advancements we end up dying of consumption in sanitoriums again...

Are you adding the calories for the substance that's causing the hangover?

The short and technically correct answer is quite simple. No you cannot get an ear infection from the wind itself, because air doesn't cause infection. But like all things catching a chill may actually "cause" a cold...albeit indirectly. It doesn't take an ace sleuth to notice that colds (viral URIs) are much more prevalent during the winter. That's why your mother (and my mother) thinks you get a cold from being cold. Interestingly, not all of this phenomenon is explained by simply being indoors and closer together. Many common cold viruses replicate best at lower temperature such as 30C (86F) and poorly at 38C+ (100.4F+). Cold weather cools the mucous membranes to about this or less. Not only do the viruses replicate better, but your nasal cilia, mucous production, and white cells function more poorly at these temperatures. Many of us are frequently exposed to viral URIs but have "subclinical" infection meaning asymptomatic infection. The above factors can transform a subclinical infection to a clinical one. Indeed, experiments have been done which show a drop in body temperature (catching a chill) may indeed lead to a cold. (Ive attached two recent references at the end). Wind can lead to a chill and therefore lead to a viral URI. As viral URIs are the most frequent cause of bacterial ear infections (from inflammation and blockage of the Eustachian tube) it is therefore possible to get an ear infection from the wind (again indirectly). There are also some wind bourne fungi such as Cocci in California and the southwest or Histo in the ohio river valley which can sometimes cause URI type symptoms. So the long answer is yeah, you can get an ear infection from the wind... As far as ear aches are concerned; cold temperatures can cause pain from cold sensing neurons as well as painful spasms of smooth muscles in the mucosa/ear brought by the cold. Ear aches from cold weather and *cold* wind are common. Ear aches from viral mediated ear inflammation are common as well, which is why we're trying to use less antibiotics just because someone has an ear ache and a common cold, and reserving it for more severe symptoms. I'd be at a loss explaining an ear ache from, say, the trade winds. Hope that helped. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17705968 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16286463