Health News - Acid Reflux, Cancer, Diabetics and Skin Hare

Gastroesophogeal reflux disorder (GERD) or more commonly referred to as 'acid reflux' disease is a painful and common disorder in adults of all ages, particularly in people 40 and over. The disorder is caused by the juices of the stomach backing up into the esophagus, causing a burning sensation and sometimes damaging the lining of the esophagus itself. The burning sensation is also referred to as 'heart burn', since it is often felt in about the same place the heart rests in the chest cavity.

Many of the digestive enzymes of the stomach, such as pepsin, work best at an extremely low pH, or in other words a very acidic environment. It is for this reason that 'parietal' cells of the stomach lining produce and pump large quantities of the chemical hydrochloric acid into the stomach. Stomach fluids are therefore highly acidic, reaching pH's as low as 1, which is about ten times more acidic than common battery acid, and a million times more acidic than water. It is this acid that causes the discomfort and damage associated with acid reflux disease.

The disorder can develop for a number of reasons. There is a lot of evidence suggesting that a likelihood to develop the disease can be genetic. Also, any trauma or injury to the esophageal sphincter, the circular muscle responsible for keeping stomach fluids out of the esophagus, can lead to the disorder. Such injury can be caused by frequent vomiting, or by a hiatal hernia.

The bad news is that once you develop acid reflux disease, you are going to have it for life. The good news is there are a wide variety of excellent treatments for the disorder that are now available, some by prescription and some over the counter. There are also a number of measures people can take to reduce the symptoms of acid reflux in addition to the use of medication.

There are three basic medication types popularly used for acid reflux. The first and most famous being the 'antacids', which all use some kind of strong base such as calcium carbonate, or magnesium carbonate to neutralize the acid of the stomach. Though fast acting, these treatments only last a short period and are not recommended for use in treating reoccurring heart burn. Some examples of antacids include Tums, Rolaids, and Alka-Seltzer.

Like antacids, 'acid reducers' are available over the counter but they work by actually lowering the amount of acid produced by the stomach and are usually effective for a longer period of time. The more popular acid reducers include Zantac, and Pepcid AC.

Acid reducers are often enough to counter milder forms of acid reflux disorder, but more moderate forms of the disease may require a doctor prescribed 'proton pump inhibitor' (PPI). PPI's also function by lowering the amount of acid produced by the stomach, though by a different mechanism than acid reducers. For this reason they can be safely be used in conjunction with acid reducers. Some PPI's include Prilosec, Prevacid, and Aciphex. Prilosec has recently been made available over the counter, though its continued use should be only be done under the advice of a medical professional.

Gastroesophogeal reflux disorder (GERD) or more commonly referred to as 'acid reflux' disease is a painful and common disorder in adults of all ages, particularly in people 40 and over. The disorder is caused by the juices of the stomach backing up into the esophagus, causing a burning sensation and sometimes damaging the lining of the esophagus itself. The burning sensation is also referred to as 'heart burn', since it is often felt in about the same place the heart rests in the chest cavity.

Many of the digestive enzymes of the stomach, such as pepsin, work best at an extremely low pH, or in other words a very acidic environment. It is for this reason that 'parietal' cells of the stomach lining produce and pump large quantities of the chemical hydrochloric acid into the stomach. Stomach fluids are therefore highly acidic, reaching pH's as low as 1, which is about ten times more acidic than common battery acid, and a million times more acidic than water. It is this acid that causes the discomfort and damage associated with acid reflux disease.

The disorder can develop for a number of reasons. There is a lot of evidence suggesting that a likelihood to develop the disease can be genetic. Also, any trauma or injury to the esophageal sphincter, the circular muscle responsible for keeping stomach fluids out of the esophagus, can lead to the disorder. Such injury can be caused by frequent vomiting, or by a hiatal hernia.

The bad news is that once you develop acid reflux disease, you are going to have it for life. The good news is there are a wide variety of excellent treatments for the disorder that are now available, some by prescription and some over the counter. There are also a number of measures people can take to reduce the symptoms of acid reflux in addition to the use of medication.

There are three basic medication types popularly used for acid reflux. The first and most famous being the 'antacids', which all use some kind of strong base such as calcium carbonate, or magnesium carbonate to neutralize the acid of the stomach. Though fast acting, these treatments only last a short period and are not recommended for use in treating reoccurring heart burn. Some examples of antacids include Tums, Rolaids, and Alka-Seltzer.

Like antacids, 'acid reducers' are available over the counter but they work by actually lowering the amount of acid produced by the stomach and are usually effective for a longer period of time. The more popular acid reducers include Zantac, and Pepcid AC.

Acid reducers are often enough to counter milder forms of acid reflux disorder, but more moderate forms of the disease may require a doctor prescribed 'proton pump inhibitor' (PPI). PPI's also function by lowering the amount of acid produced by the stomach, though by a different mechanism than acid reducers. For this reason they can be safely be used in conjunction with acid reducers. Some PPI's include Prilosec, Prevacid, and Aciphex. Prilosec has recently been made available over the counter, though its continued use should be only be done under the advice of a medical professional.

Gastroesophogeal reflux disorder (GERD) or more commonly referred to as 'acid reflux' disease is a painful and common disorder in adults of all ages, particularly in people 40 and over. The disorder is caused by the juices of the stomach backing up into the esophagus, causing a burning sensation and sometimes damaging the lining of the esophagus itself. The burning sensation is also referred to as 'heart burn', since it is often felt in about the same place the heart rests in the chest cavity.

Many of the digestive enzymes of the stomach, such as pepsin, work best at an extremely low pH, or in other words a very acidic environment. It is for this reason that 'parietal' cells of the stomach lining produce and pump large quantities of the chemical hydrochloric acid into the stomach. Stomach fluids are therefore highly acidic, reaching pH's as low as 1, which is about ten times more acidic than common battery acid, and a million times more acidic than water. It is this acid that causes the discomfort and damage associated with acid reflux disease.

The disorder can develop for a number of reasons. There is a lot of evidence suggesting that a likelihood to develop the disease can be genetic. Also, any trauma or injury to the esophageal sphincter, the circular muscle responsible for keeping stomach fluids out of the esophagus, can lead to the disorder. Such injury can be caused by frequent vomiting, or by a hiatal hernia.

The bad news is that once you develop acid reflux disease, you are going to have it for life. The good news is there are a wide variety of excellent treatments for the disorder that are now available, some by prescription and some over the counter. There are also a number of measures people can take to reduce the symptoms of acid reflux in addition to the use of medication.

There are three basic medication types popularly used for acid reflux. The first and most famous being the 'antacids', which all use some kind of strong base such as calcium carbonate, or magnesium carbonate to neutralize the acid of the stomach. Though fast acting, these treatments only last a short period and are not recommended for use in treating reoccurring heart burn. Some examples of antacids include Tums, Rolaids, and Alka-Seltzer.

Like antacids, 'acid reducers' are available over the counter but they work by actually lowering the amount of acid produced by the stomach and are usually effective for a longer period of time. The more popular acid reducers include Zantac, and Pepcid AC.

Acid reducers are often enough to counter milder forms of acid reflux disorder, but more moderate forms of the disease may require a doctor prescribed 'proton pump inhibitor' (PPI). PPI's also function by lowering the amount of acid produced by the stomach, though by a different mechanism than acid reducers. For this reason they can be safely be used in conjunction with acid reducers. Some PPI's include Prilosec, Prevacid, and Aciphex. Prilosec has recently been made available over the counter, though its continued use should be only be done under the advice of a medical professional.

When it comes to weight loss, especially healthy weight loss, trying too hard can be counterproductive.

A couple of ground rules first. When I say to kick back and relax for weight loss, I don't mean to imply that there is no effort involved in losing weight. The old truths still remain. If you eat more calories than you use, you gain weight. If you use more calories than you take in, you lose weight. A combination of exercise and sensible nutrition are the key. Nuff said!However, trying too hard to lose weight can actually sabotage your weight loss efforts while possibly creating an unhealthy situation for you.

First of all some simple facts. If you cut your food intake too drastically or limit your food choices, in addition to potentially depriving yourself of essential nutrients, you may actually alter your metabolism so that your body learns to survive on fewer calories. Not only does this mean that strict dieting may result in only small losses, but, as so often happens, when you finally fall off the diet wagon your body will continue to use fewer calories for its daily functions and activities and store even more fat than before. This is why yo-yo dieters tend to gain weight over time.

Seriously restricting your food intake may also deprive you of energy. This can result in lowered ability and willingness to actually perform the very activities that can help burn calories. An extreme decrease in nutrients coupled with related psychological effects may also produce a mental unwillingness to keep going with the program. Since, at least it seems to me, one of the reasons for weight loss is to be happy, healthy, and enjoy life more, creating this sort of situation seems like a lose-lose proposition.

From the physical standpoint, trying too hard in terms of difficulty or amount of exercise may result in actual physical injury. At the very least, someone trying to do more than they are actually capable of may reach a point where their body and mind team up to demand that they "knock it off".

Now, let's talk about stress and weight loss.

If you are trying too hard, whether physically or mentally, you are stressed. In fact, as soon as you decide to "go on a diet" or "start trying to lose weight", you are under stress. Ever hear of "stress eating"? Well, it's real. There are psychological and physiological reasons why, but the bottom line is that when under stress, many of us are tempted to eat more. Chemicals in our bloodstream, such as cortisol, not only cause us to want more food, but even act as a drug, which they are, producing nearly irresistible cravings in some people.

So here's what you do.

Start your exercise program off at an easy pace. Slowly increase the difficulty or time. There's no hurry. The key to good weight loss results with exercise is to keep at it for weeks, months, and even years. In fact, if you're on the right track, you are creating a lifetime habit.

Make your nutritional choices wisely. There is no law anywhere that says a piece of pie or bowl of ice cream will send you back into the gutter. In fact, there is no reason why such treats cannot be an occasional reward for good behavior. The occasional nutritional indiscretion will not offset a daily lifestyle of exercise and good nutritional choices.

Try to relax. Try meditation, yoga, long walks, prayer, good conversations with friends...whatever works for you. Get a good night's sleep, because being short on sleep can actually trigger cortisol production. Yes, this is a bad thing. A good night's sleep can help your weight loss program immensely.

Last, but definitely not leastFree Web Content, recognize that you are only human and will err no matter how hard you try. You would tell your best friend to forget about it and just get back on track if she admitted to pigging out on a quart of Rocky Road. Be your own best friend and learn to forgive yourself.

If you want to lose weight, then you really need to look at detoxifying your bowels. Cleaning out the insides is a great way to really lose weight the right way
A good portion of North America is overweight because of a condition called autointoxication. This means that your intestines are holding too much material that is becoming toxic and as a result your body starts to act like a sponge and absorbs the toxic waste and stores it in your fat cells. If you eat 3 meals a day then you should be having about 3 bowl movements a day. If you are not then we need to exercise your bowels to start moving the waste more efficiently. Most health food stores have great detox programs. Dextoxification should really be done at least twice a year. This was a natural process for us 1000’s of years ago in the form of fasting. We consume to much for our bodies to efficiently eliminate wastes. We need to spend some time each year in a state of fasting. We can do this with any great colon/detox products. Research yourselfFeature Articles, go to your local health food store and find a product right for you. We feel there are 3 things important for cleansing. You first need a good fibre. The fibre products should have ground flax seed. Anything else is just gravy. The second product you need is product to rid the bowels of parasites. The last thing should be a tea that you take at the end of the day to help facilitate the bowels to contract over night to help with more efficient movments. Weight loss is tough especially if you your body is toxic. Rid the toxins and you will be in a wonderful place to start losing weight.