November 19th-25th is International GERD Awareness Week

GERD stands for Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease, one of the most prevalent of all gastrointestinal disorders. According to Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine (16th Edition), multi-national population-based studies have shown that up to 15% of the world's population may suffer from the symptoms of GERD on at least a weekly basis; approximately half of this large group experience daily symptoms.

The symptoms of GERD are caused by the backflow of gastric acid and other gastric contents past the inferior esophageal sphincter and into the esophagus. It is this abnormal reflux mechanism which causes the most prominent symptoms of GERD: frequent heartburn and a sour or metallic taste in the mouth. A person suffering from GERD may experience one or both of these symptoms at different intervals throughout the course of the disorder.

Sometimes, neither frequent heartburn nor sour taste is experienced by an individual with GERD. Such cases come to clinical attention through the evaluation of other signs and symptoms related to acid reflux such as: chronic cough, airway constriction, sore throat, or laryngitis.

Importantly, the ill effects of GERD are not limited to discomfort. Over time, chronic acid reflux can cause a change in the cells that make up the esophageal lining. This condition, known as Barrett's Esophagus, puts one at increased risk for the development of esophageal cancer.

Current treatment for GERD usually consists of medication therapy, with agents that block or decrease the production of stomach acid. Your primary care professional or gastroenterologist might also recommend antibiotic therapy to eradicate Helicobacter pylori. H. pylori is a bacterium which commonly resides in our stomach; it frequently causes the stomach to produce excess acid.

The International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders is sponsoring the International GERD Awareness Week, from November 19th through November 25th.

If you or a loved one suffers from frequent heartburn, or if any of the above symptoms are experienced on a recurrent basis, it is important to contact a health care professional right away.


GERD Logo Courtesy of the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders

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30 Years of Packing it In: The Great American Smokeout is Nov 16

It was 1976 when the California Division of the American Cancer Society asked one million smokers to stop smoking. Three decades later, the Great American Smokeout is still a national event. Of course it would have been nice if the program died a natural death, that is, there were no more smokers to urge to stop smoking. Still, if you have tried a hundred times before, we want you give it another go.

A recent report* by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that 42.5 percent of current smokers--19.2 million people--had stopped smoking for at least one day during the past year because they were trying to quit. And among those who had ever smoked, 50.8 percent--46.5 million people--had successfully quit.

No one is suggesting that quitting is easy. Sometimes it take a few hundred tries.

For help and tips, stop in and visit Freedom from Smoking Health Matters Healthblog to see what’s new in smoking cessation.

For ways to quell the cravings visit the American Cancer Society.

So save the date and good luck!

*CDC. Tobacco use among adults---United States, 2005. MMWR 2006;55:1145--8.

TAGS: Smoking cessation, Great American Smokeout, American Cancer Society, Smoking

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Fight of Your Life Club: Prematurity Awareness Month

Today 1,300 babies will be whisked away from their mothers in the delivery room to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) where an incubator will become his or her home for days, weeks or sometimes months. They can break your heart to see, no bigger than the palm of your hand. Sadly, as good as we are at saving these premature infants, some won’t make it. Still, many will survive, but with an increased risk of serious medical complications and other consequences down the road.

In observance of Prematurity Awareness Month, a campaign lead by the March of Dimes, Healthline wants to get the word out to everyone about keeping babies out of the NICU.

Risk Factors for Preterm Birth

• Previous preterm birth
• Pregnant with multiples
• Uterine or cervical abnormalities
• Poor prenatal care
• Smoking
• Alcohol consumption
• Recreational drugs Exposure to DES
• Physical, sexual or emotional abuse
• Lack of social support
• Stress
• Long working hours with long periods of standing
• Infections (especially urinary tract infections)
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Clotting disorders (thrombophilia)
• Under or overweight before pregnancy
• Short interval between pregnancies
  

Control Factors

• Control conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and infections
• Assess the risks of certain medications, herbal supplements and over-the-counter preparations before you become pregnant
• Start taking a multivitamin with folic acid daily
• Stop smoking before pregnancy or ASAP
• Stop using all recreational drugs and alcohol
• Manage stress
• Wait at least 6 months between delivery and the beginning of the next pregnancy
• Know the signs of premature labor

TAGS: Prematurity, March of Dimes, Preterm Birth, Prematurity Awareness Month, NICU

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New Campaign Launched for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

The fatigue that mounts from a long, hard week at work, or following an all-day bike ride can usually be quelled by a relaxing weekend or a quick nap. But for the one million Americans with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), there is no solace in that siesta.

There was a time when the mere mention of CFS gave some doctors and other skeptics an opportunity to dismiss CFS as an actual medical condition worthy of research dollars. No way, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who last week unveiled a new awareness campaign to educate the public about this disabling condition.

"CFS is a terrible illness that prevents many people from taking part in everyday activities and participating in the things they enjoy," said CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding. "Fortunately, there are therapies for CFS that can reduce much of the pain and suffering. For those to be helpful, we need to make sure people with this illness know they have it, and that's why this campaign is so important."

The campaign, called "Get Informed. Get Diagnosed. Get Help", is designed to increase awareness among the medical community and the general public.

People with CFS experience incapacitating fatigue, poor stamina, sleep difficulties, and problems with concentration and short-term memory. They can also have flu-like symptoms, joint pain, muscle pain, tender lymph nodes, sore throat and new headaches. These symptoms worsen during physical activity or mental stress.

There is no known cause and no diagnostic test. In fact, CFS can look like a lot of other conditions such as mononucleosis, chronic Lyme disease, lupus, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, primary sleep disorders, severe obesity and major depressive disorders. Medications can also cause side effects that mimic the symptoms of CFS. This can complicate a diagnosis.

But for now, the CDC recommends that your doctor consider a diagnosis of CFS if these two criteria are met:

1. Unexplained, persistent fatigue that's not due to ongoing exertion, isn't substantially relieved by rest, is of new onset (not lifelong) and results in a significant reduction in previous levels of activity.
   
2. Four or more of the following symptoms are present for six months or more:

• Impaired memory or concentration
• Postexertional malaise (extreme, prolonged exhaustion and sickness following physical or mental activity)
• Unrefreshing sleep
• Muscle pain
• Multijoint pain without swelling or redness
• Headaches of a new type or severity
• Sore throat that's frequent or recurring
• Tender cervical or axillary lymph nodes

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