Many people are all-too familiar with acid reflux and how it can potentially affect us. We know the classic symptoms of indigestion and “heartburn” (GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease). Some of us experience less common symptoms that affect the throat, such as chronic cough, throat clearing, hoarseness, a feeling of a lump in the throat, and post-nasal drip (LPR or laryngopharyngeal reflux disease). (more…)
This April, we recognize National Irritable Bowel Syndrome Month. The International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD) began this campaign almost 20 years ago to help bring awareness to a common and often undiagnosed disorder. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a condition in which people experience hypersensitive guts, which causes a variety of digestive issues, such as chronic abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea or constipation. These symptoms can be severe and affect quality of life. (more…)
You’ve heard about it, everyone seems to be doing it, all the hot celebrities are endorsing it—but what exactly is a “cleanse”?
Technically, a cleanse is any dietary or lifestyle regimen that serves to remove toxins from the body and restore optimal health. Weight loss often is a desired side effect, but is not the primary goal. Cleansing, when done properly and not as an extreme crash diet, can be a healthy part of a routine that, many believe, will leave you feeling good, healthy and energized. Advocates also state that cleansing improves your immune system, fights cancer, treats depression and provides a spiritual experience. (more…)
Question:Why am I always coughing? Is it allergy? Is it asthma? Do I have an infection? I took 2 courses of antibiotics but my chronic cough did not go away, so I had a chest X-ray, which was normal. I took allergy medication, and it still did not go away. My doctor gave me inhalers to treat asthma and the cough is still there. The only thing that helps is cough syrup, but I am tired of taking that. Some days I feel better and I think the problem has resolved, but the next day the cough is back. (more…)
There are times during a hospital stay when the care team may ask a patient (or family member on behalf of the patient) to consider having a special feeding tube, or PEG, placed to prevent medical complications, such as dehydration, malnutrition or aspiration pneumonia. (more…)
If there was one thing you could do to almost guarantee you won’t get cancer, you’d probably jump at the chance to do it, right? There is such a screening. Colonoscopy has helped reduce the rate of colon cancer in recent years. (more…)