34 results found for: Heartburn

Got Heartburn? Don’t Ignore It

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. – James Revier, of San Jose, Calif., had no idea his heartburn was anything more than a nuisance until six years ago, when a piece of beef became logged in his esophagus and sent him to the emergency room. The on-call internist removed the meat and suggested Revier see a gastroenterologist for the lingering redness. It’s a good thing he did. Revier had developed Barrett’s esophagus, a condition caused by prolonged acid reflux. Over time, it produces cellular changes which can lead to adenocarcinoma, a type of esophageal cancer. “I’d had acid reflux for 15 years but […]

Heartburn Versus Acid Reflux- Which Do You Have?

When my patients come in complaining of getting burning chest pain after eating spicy food, or burping up

Natural Relief from Heartburn!

If you have ever wondered why you see so many TV commercials for heartburn medications such as Prilosec®, Tagamet®, and Tums®, it is because a startling 40% of the adult population suffers from a condition known medically as gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD). For some people, heartburn causes minor discomfort after eating, while others experience pain so intense that they rush to an emergency room fearing a heart attack. A common misconception is that heartburn is caused only by excess stomach acid that regurgitates back up into the esophagus. What few doctors realize is that when the sphincter muscle at the […]

Heartburn Meds Linked to Increased Risk of Early Death

Although popular Fourth of July foods such as hamburgers and hot dogs can trigger heartburn, sufferers may want to rethink the use of popular over-the-counter remedies, which a new study links to early death. Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis concluded that prolonged use of proton pump inhibitors (PPI), which suppress the secretion of stomach acid and is found in popular heartburn medications such as Prilosec, Nexium and Prevacid, increased an early risk of death by 25 percent, compared to people who used H2 blockers, another known inhibitor of stomach acid. The study, titled “Risk of death among users of Proton […]

Can Heartburn Medications Harm Your Kidneys?

Extended use of acid-reflux medications such as Nexium, Prilosec and Prevacid is linked to an increased risk of kidney disease, according to a new study led by a resident doctor at Bassett Medical Center. These heartburn pills, known as protein pump inhibitors, are among the most widely prescribed medications in the world, and several are available over the counter. They work by reducing stomach acid production so the esophagus can heal, and are intended for short-term use. “I think the awareness has not been made public so patients will know,” said Dr. Raquel Rosen, head of nephrology at Bassett Medical Center. “When you’re […]

Do You Have Trouble Swallowing?

Sometimes I’ll see patients with the complaint that they’re having trouble swallowing, or a sensation that food is getting stuck in their throat and doesn’t go down easily.  The medical term for this is a hard word to pronounce –dysphagia (dis-faj-ah) – and could stem from a number of causes.  If you experience difficult swallowing, here’s what you should know about it. Dysphagia – What Trouble Swallowing Could Mean   Trouble swallowing – dysphagia – rarely occurs on its own.  It usually accompanies some other condition of which it is a symptom.  It most frequently occurs in older people, and those with […]

How to Eat for Better Sleep

        A good night’s sleep is one of the foundations of well-being. If you are battling an illness, sleep is your body’s time to repair and strengthen its defenses. If you are healthy, getting enough quality sleep helps to keep you feeling good and gives you the energy you need to tackle all the responsibilities of your busy life. One of the simplest tricks for improving sleep is modifying your diet. It couldn’t be easier. All you have to do is learn what foods help you sleep and what foods keep you from getting the rest you need. Foods […]

Don’t Let Indigestion Ruin Another Evening

A good friend of mine loves spicy food. A few years ago, though, he noticed that whenever he ate anything to spicy, he spent the rest of the evening with miserable indigestion. He asked me if there was any way he could enjoy the foods he loved without the unpleasant aftereffects. Fortunately, I was able to give him several recommendations that helped prevent his indigestion. As you get older indigestion becomes a more common problem. Six million Americans suffer with frequent indigestion. Whether you suffer from gas, frequent heartburn, or bloating these are all signs that something is not working quite […]

B-R-E-A-T-H-E and Heal Your Heart

John M. Kennedy, M.D., is on a mission to reduce cardiac conditions without invasive surgery or a daily regime of prescription drugs. As the leading cardiologist on the stress-heart disease connection, Dr. Kennedy’s first book divulges simple techniques to prevent and reverse the four major kinds of heart disease in just 15 minutes a day. The 15 Minute Heart Cure:The Natural Way to Release Stress and Heal your Heart in Just Minutes a Day teaches the BREATHE technique to help heal and protect your heart through specific stress-reducing breathing and guided imagery. A modern take on traditional meditation, this technique elicits […]

Fermented Foods Preserve Our Health

When I was a teenager, my mom and I made atchara together. Atchara is a sweet-and-sour pickle made from green, unripe papayas and other vegetables. Eaten with grilled pork or fried fish, it’s considered the national dish of the Philippines (see our family recipe below). We also used to make our own pickled cucumbers—both the sweet kind and the salty kind. And because there were almost no German delis at the time, my mother fermented her own sauerkraut and grinding and stuffing her own sausages. Fermentation—the process of converting sugars into ethanol—has a long history. Because fermentation preserves food, people […]