Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), commonly referred to as “heartburn” because of its primary manifestation which is a painful or burning sensation in the esophagus, just below the breastbone caused by regurgitation of gastric acid. The pain often rises in the chest and may radiate to the neck, throat, or angle of the jaw. GERD is a condition in which acid from the stomach refluxes into the esophagus.
Various foods are frequently cited as aggravating factors. Avoidance of these triggers may provide significant relief of symptoms and should be considered by patients with GERD as theeMedicine newsletter listed them.
1. Dietary fat intake. Fatty foods have been implicated as precipitating factors in symptomatic GERD. Dietary fat has been shown to decrease LES pressure and may increase the sensitivity of the esophagus to refluxed acid.
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The FDA has recently approved Lybrel, the first low-dose contraceptive pill that gives women an option to stop their menstrual cycle for an indefinite period of time.
About Lybrel:
It is the newest form of birth control approved by the FDA. The drug is developed by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, which contains 90 micrograms of levonorgestrel and 20 micrograms of ethinyl estradiol, a combination similar to that found in other low-dose oral contraceptives.
It differs, however, with other contraceptive pills because it replaces the four- to seven-day placebo pill with continuous daily dosing for nonstop birth control with no menstrual periods.
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Rest and ice applied early after the injury help to decrease swelling and pain.
1. Ice helps to decrease swelling by constricting blood vessels, by decreasing fluid accumulation, and by cooling and numbing the area.
- Apply ice for 20 minutes an hour every hour while awake, for the first 24 hours. Ice should not be applied directly to the injury.
- To avoid potential cold injury to the site, wrap the ice in a cloth or use a commercial ice pack. A bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a cloth makes a good ice pack.
2. Protect the area from further injury. Stay away from athletic or other possibly injurious activities until after the eye has healed.
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Genital Warts (human papilloma viris or HPV) are the most common sexually transmitted infection.
The following factors can put you at a higher risk for getting genital warts:
- If you have multiple sexual partners
- If you do not know the status of your sexual partner
- If you start to become sexually active at an early age
- If you are a heavy smoker and drinker
- If you suffer from stress as well as other viral infections (such as HIV or herpes)
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Having a body mass index (BMI) in the overweight or obese range increases the risk of traumatic workplace injury, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center for Injury Research and Policy. Employer-sponsored weight loss and maintenance programs should be considered as part of a well-rounded workplace safety plan. The study was Advance Access published on May 7, 2007, by the American Journal of Epidemiology.
BMI is a measure of body fat based on an adult’s height and weight. It is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a BMI below 18.5 is considered underweight, 18.5 – 24.9 is normal; 25-29.9 is overweight and over 30 is obese.
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(HealthDay News) — While many people get enough vitamins from a healthy and balanced diet, others should take a multivitamin supplement to help maintain a healthy body.
Children and pregnant women need more vitamins than the average person, and may be prescribed a multivitamin by their doctors, says the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM).
Other candidates for a multivitamin include people whose illness prevents them from absorbing enough vitamins from food, or people who don’t or can’t eat enough vitamin-rich foods.
Multivitamins are available in chewable tablets, capsules, tablets you swallow, and in liquid form. It’s important to follow the package or doctor’s instructions when taking a multivitamin, the NLM says.
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Popular detox diets promise to flush poisons from your body, purge pounds of excess fat, clear your complexion and bolster your immune system.
But experts say there’s little evidence that extreme regimens such as the Master Cleanse or Fruit Flush do anything more than lead to unpleasant, unhealthy side effects.
Still, these super-restrictive eating plans are hotter than ever, thanks to being linked to lanky celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie. Beyonce Knowles attributed her 20-pound weight loss for the movie “Dreamgirls” to the Master Cleanse — a starvation diet whose adherents swallow nothing but a concoction of lemon juice mixed with maple syrup, water and cayenne pepper, as well as salt water and a laxative tea for 10 days.
The idea of detoxifying or purifying the body of harmful substances has been around for centuries and cycles back into popularity now and again. There are no hard numbers on how many people have tried the latest fashionable plans, much less stuck with them, but dozens of new do-it-yourself fasting books are glutting bookstore shelves.
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1. Apple cider vinegar is used to detoxify various organs in the body together with the blood stream. It aids in blood oxidization thereby keeping it from becoming thick. The health benefits of apple cider vinegar extend to healing wounds and skin lesions. Poultices of cider vinegar can be applied to a stubborn open wound.
2. Apple cider vinegar also promotes digestion and neutralizes any toxic substance taken into the body. Regular intake of cider vinegar and honey is said to provide relief to those suffering from arthritis and painful joints. Consumption of about 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water can restore natural clotting properties of blood.
3. Apple cider vinegar benefits those suffering from ear discharge and eczema. Apple cider vinegar is said to have miraculous effects on those suffering from hair loss by taking care of tissue salt deficiency. Apple cider vinegar has a potent supply of potassium that can help in remedying teeth decay and splitting of fingernails.
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Menstrual pains, medically known as dysmenorrhea, is characterized by cramping pains in a woman’s lower abdomen that occur when her menstrual period begins and may continue for 2-3 days. Symptoms can range in severity from a mild annoyance to severe pain that interferes with normal activities.
It is one of the common problems of women below 30 years old. Most of the time, it interferes with a woman’s activity which may lead to work absenteeism.
Don’t let that pain beat you. Here are simple ways to relieve your dysmenorrhea:
1. Use over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen or naproxen. These drugs blocks the formation of prostaglandin, which is the primary cause of your menstrual pain.
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What is a contraceptive patch?
A contraceptive patch is a transdermal patch applied to the skin that releases synthetic estrogen and progestin hormones to prevent pregnancy. They are thought to have the same effectiveness as the combined oral contraceptive pill. Currently the only publicly available contraceptive patch is marketed under the brand name Ortho Evra. Contraceptive patches are often referred to by the slang term “the patch”.
How does it work?
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The Health Blog launches its new blog feature which tackles on family planning. Basically, it will give information about the current methods of family planning, its advantages and disadvantages, etc. This is to help families to decide on which family planning methods to use.
Planning for your family basically means you love them. It means you are planning for their future. Further, you value the health of the mother. Through using contraception, a woman could avoid high-risk pregnancies thereby improving her health by making it possible for her to have children when she is physically and mentally prepared for it. Proper birth spacing allows the mother to have sufficient time to recover her health. Maternal risks related to pregnancy and child delivery are greatly reduced. At the same time, the baby is given enough care, attention, and nourishment before another child is born.
