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) Northeast Ohio Health and Medical Consumer News
But about 10 percent of those who suffer from acid reflux will develop a precancerous condition known as Barrett's esophagus. In turn, about one in 200 of those cases will develop into a type of esophageal cancer that's one of the deadliest cancers to treat. And while those numbers may seem low, the rate of adenocarcinoma esophageal cancer is climbing at such a high rate that new attention is being paid to the cause and treatments for Barrett's and esophageal cancer.The esophagus is a long tube from the pharynx that contracts to help move food into the stomach. People with Barrett's have a damaged esophagus lining and a loosening of the esophageal sphincter, which helps keep food down.
White men over 50, with a history of chronic heartburn, have the highest risk for Barrett's. More>>
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) The Cider Vinegar Heartburn Cure?
The "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy" nutrition column in today's Health section explores ways to manage heartburn, acid reflux, and GERD through altering your diet. Losing weight and identifying those foods that seem to trigger your heartburn (and then avoiding those foods) are the prime tips offered by dietitian Elaine Magee, author of Tell Me What to Eat if I Have Acid Reflux.One remedy that doesn't appear in Magee's book is the apple cider vinegar cure, which has been circulating in home- and folk-medicine circles for decades and more recently has found a presence on the Internet. My friend Elizabeth, who, like me, has GERD but who, unlike me, prefers to manage it without taking a lot of medicine, got wind of this apple cider thing via a syndicated newspaper column written by Dr. More>>
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) Guidelines Bypass Endoscopic Cancer Screening for Chronic GERD
Recommendation of antireflux surgery for patients with an esophageal GERD syndrome responsive to acid suppressive therapy, but who cannot tolerate therapy. Empirical trial of twice-daily PPI therapy for patients with suspected reflux chest pain syndrome after carefully considering cardiac causes.The only other supported recommendations with grade B, fair evidence to support improved outcomes, included:
Weight loss for overweight or obese patients with esophageal GERD syndromes. Lifestyle modification including elevation of the head of the bed for selected patients, avoiding late meals and specific foods or activities tailored to the circumstances of the patient. Twice-daily PPI therapy for esophageal syndrome patients with an inadequate response to once-daily therapy. More>>
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) Night sweats common, but not always just a phase
Medical conditions such as acid reflux, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetics who may have low blood sugar at night may sweat at night.If none of these conditions are the cause of night sweats, then one is left with a diagnosis of idiopathic hyperhidrosis, which is only given to someone who has had an exhaustive, but thorough work up for night sweats, but no clear cause is found.
Finding the cause of nocturnal hyperhidrosis may be a diagnostic challenge for a lot of doctors. Sometimes, the answer may come simply from food as well as other substances that one may be ingesting such as alcohol and hot and spicy foods.
If you are having excessive night sweats, you need to talk to your doctor, who can systematically rule out serious causes of night sweats. More>>
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) The People's Pharmacy: The scoop on floating poop
A: Acid-suppressing drugs such as Aciphex, Nexium, Prevacid, Prilosec and Protonix can relieve reflux. Some people with this condition develop other symptoms, such as asthma or cough, as a result of acid irritation. If your medicine is not working, your condition might be aggravated.You have discovered one of the pitfalls of using an online pharmacy. Not all "Canadian" pharmacies are in Canada. Some online drugstores source their medicines from around the world to get a better price. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has no control over the quality of such medicines.
Q: I had been suffering in silence as my hair changed its texture from wavy to straight. Then my fingernails began to deteriorate. I read in your column that too much selenium in the diet could affect hair and nails adversely. More>>