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) Mini heart attack best treated like the big one
After ruling out those who are having acid reflux pain or an anxiety attack, doctors use an electrocardiogram (EKG) to assess the person's heart function and a blood analysis to reveal any damage to the heart muscle.These simple tests, coupled with obvious signs of distress, are often enough to diagnose a person suffering from a heart attack. Those patients are wheeled into a catheterization lab, where doctors thread a line from a leg artery up to the patient's heart to open the coronary artery blockage that is causing the heart attack.
But only about one-third of people who show up with some measure of heart distress have such clear warning signs of a heart attack, says Deepak Bhatt, chief of cardiology at the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System and an interventional cardiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. 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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) Doctor, doctor
The American Nurses Study, which churns out data on tens of thousands of women, links oestrogen-containing HRT with reflux of acid from the stomach into the oesophagus - the underlying cause of heartburn. Women taking HRT were some one and a half times more likely than those who had never taken it to report reflux symptoms. Raloxifene (an anti-breast cancer agent that acts on oestrogen receptors) and herbal medicines such as soya (often taken instead of HRT) produced similar results. Common to all treatments is a rise in blood levels of nitric oxide, which relaxes the muscle between the oesophagus and stomach. But don't stop the HRT: talk to your GP about heartburn relief. It should deal with your discomfort.I've just had a baby and have very painful wrists from constantly picking her up. More>>
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) Rare disease often gets misdiagnosed
Our mother, Pat Griffin, became part of this percentage, being first misdiagnosed with acid reflux. The treatment only delayed her true diagnosis.Two months ago, she started experiencing abdominal pain and unusual swelling in her side. Tests revealed that she actually had a tumor.
Unfortunately, even the type of tumor was misdiagnosed as colon cancer. It was not until her surgery that doctors finally discovered she was suffering from a very rare neuroendocrine tumor.
After surgery, her condition quickly worsened, and the late diagnosis prevented her from receiving the treatment she actually needed.
Abdominal pain, flushing, diarrhea, wheezing, skin rash, heartburn, fatigue, heart palpitations, low blood pressure, and weight changes are the most prevalent symptoms of carcinoid/NETs. More>>