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Doctors have found that limiting or eliminating certain foods from your diet can help prevent painful and damaging reflux. But can following a gluten-free diet make any difference when it comes to GERD? Recent research has led some experts in the field to believe that there might be a connection. The GERD-Gluten Link An article published in the September 2011 issue of Diseases of Esophagus noted how a number of published studies have shown that a gluten-free diet can efficiently control esophageal symptoms and help prevent recurrence....

This North American task force, made up of more than a dozen rheumatologists and infectious disease experts, considered various recommendations to offer physicians of people with rheumatic disease. This includes those who have no exposure to the novel coronavirus, who do have exposure to it, and who have active symptoms of COVID-19. RELATED: 7 Foods That Fight Back: Immune System Boosters There Are Special Considerations for People With RA, Other Rheumatic Disease Having a disease such as rheumatoid arthritis in and of itself does not seem to put you at greater risk of poor coronavirus outcomes....

Treating acute attacksInducing remissionProlonging disease remissions Aminosalicylates These drugs are used to treat disease flares, and can help prevent future flares when taken as maintenance therapy. Because they work directly in the digestive system, aminosalicylates have a relatively low risk of negatively affecting other areas of the body. Corticosteroids Also known simply as steroids, corticosteroids are used to treat active disease. Because of their high risk of side effects, steroids are used only as a “bridge” to help UC symptoms while other, safer drugs are introduced....

High on that list, though you may not be aware of it, is stress. Whether it’s related to work, to relationships, or to some other aspect of your life, research has continually shown that emotional stress can cause blood sugar to surge, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA). And because consistent management of blood sugar is the key to living a healthy life with type 2 diabetes, it’s important to understand how stress affects you and to find healthy ways to cope when mental distress mounts....

But in some cases, despite your best efforts to manage the disease, issues can arise. Warding off the serious and sometimes fatal health complications linked with type 2 diabetes starts with being aware of their potential. Then it’s important to take steps to decrease their risk. It’s also important to maintain a healthy weight and good cholesterol levels. Possible Short-Term Complications of Diabetes Sexual Issues Diabetic Coma Even though diabetic comas are rare, there’s the risk of unconsciousness with hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia (abnormally low blood sugar)....

A genetic variant is a change that occurs in the DNA sequence. Genetic variants can lie inside one of these coding genes and can form sporadically, meaning they just pop up by chance. They can form in response to some form of environmental exposure, such as air pollution or tobacco smoke. They can also be inherited from one or both parents. (2) While most variants are harmless, some can cause or contribute to the formation of disease....

“It’s a big worry,” says Suring, a Berkeley High School climate activist in California. “Every fall, I associate the temperature and winds with fire season. If there is a wad of smoke, we have evacuation alerts. One day the sky was completely orange, and the sun never came up because of all the smoke,” says Suring. Although her residence was never physically threatened by wildfires, Suring says she has a looming sense of dread about her future because of climate change....

Probiotic supplements have become increasingly popular over the last two decades. “The research on probiotics has exploded over the past 15 to 20 years,” says Niki Strealy, RDN, LD, a registered dietitian nutritionist in private practice in Portland, Oregon, who specializes in digestive health. “The more we learn, the more we realize how much more there is to know.” A report published in February 2019 in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology stated that while 3....

“People who have migraines are more sensitive to stimuli such as light, smells, and sounds — not just during headaches, but also in between attacks,” says Gretchen Tietjen, MD, the director of UTMC Headache Treatment and Research Program at The University of Toledo in Ohio and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. Here are a few migraine prevention tips that may work for you. 1. Evaluate your ergonomics....

But prednisone comes with a range of unwelcome side effects, one of which is weight gain. According to a study published in January 2020 in the journal Lung, participants taking prednisone reported increased appetite resulting in weight gain. And a review published in February 2021 in the journal Obesity noted that long-term prednisone use affected body weight, appetite, and body composition. Weight gain from prednisone often appears as fat deposits on various parts of your body, such as at the base or back of your neck, around your abdomen, or as what’s called “moon face,” when changes in where fat lies make your face appear rounder and wider....

Most of the time, ear infections occur within the middle ear, which is the space behind the eardrum where the ear’s vibrating bones are located. (2) These ear infections are medically referred to as otitis media and can be caused by bacteria or viruses. (3) When someone complains about dealing with an ear infection, this is usually the type they’re talking about, says Sujana S. Chandrasekhar, MD, a partner at ENT and Allergy Associates in New York City....

They’re also more accessible and cost-effective than other treatment options for depression, says James Rachal, MD, a psychiatrist and senior academic chairman of the department of psychiatry at Atrium Health in Charlotte, North Carolina. The other FDA-approved SSRIs are: Citalopram (Celexa)Escitalopram (Lexapro)Paroxetine (Paxil)Sertraline (Zoloft) That said, not all weight gain is necessarily caused by the SSRI itself. For example, some people with severe depression may have lost weight before treatment due to loss of appetite, a common symptom of depression, Carroll explains....

— Carolyn, FloridaYou don’t say how much iron you are taking, but, I’ll presume that you take the Feosol iron product that’s available as a caplet. In general, it is okay to take Feosol caplets (or other oral iron supplements) with the high blood pressure medications you mention. There is no drug interaction that I am aware of that would have a negative impact on the effectiveness of either the blood pressure medications or the Feosol caplets....

The fermented process of brewing kombucha makes it a potential source of probiotics, which are live organisms that help balance good and bad bacteria in the gut. Proposed benefits of kombucha include its potential to reduce inflammation, boost immunity, and increase metabolism, according to the aforementioned review. (1) It’s important to note that there is not a wealth of human research on the potential health benefits of kombucha, as the Cleveland Clinic points out....

Heavier and more frequent doses of antibiotics had kept the infections in check, but by the time I was finally admitted for the nearly nine-hour procedure, I felt as though I had to crawl onto the operating theater table. I was physically unwell and at my wit’s end from the months of waiting … during a bleeding pandemic! This week, I am headed back into surgery — 18 months on and still in that damned pandemic — for a last bit of minor surgery to correct something the consultant decided could wait for another day....

Cirrhosis is always related to other liver diseases and often develops from chronic hepatitis, alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD), or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). If cirrhosis goes untreated, the liver will not be able to function well and liver failure may result. Scarring, or fibrosis, in the liver occurs when it is exposed to toxic substances — such as alcohol or other drugs — or to inflammation, which can be caused by any liver disease, says Christina Lindenmeyer, MD, a gastroenterologist at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio....

The disease belongs to a group of conditions called inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). There’s no cure for Crohn’s disease, but there are many treatments to help manage its symptoms. Ileitis This form of Crohn’s disease affects only the ileum. Crohn’s Colitis Also known as granulomatous colitis, this form of the disease affects only the colon. Gastroduodenal Crohn’s Disease This form of the disease affects both the stomach and the beginning of the small intestine (duodenum)....

If something repeatedly goes wrong in the pancreas — an important digestive organ in the body — you may develop exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), a condition characterized by a lack of digestive enzymes that can lead to problems such as malnutrition and weight loss. “When the pancreas is damaged to the point of [EPI], fats, proteins, and carbohydrates aren’t digested properly, and the body doesn’t absorb important nutrients it needs,” says John Affronti, MD, a professor of medicine in the department of gastroenterology and hepatology at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore....

Angina (pain, tightness, pressure, or discomfort in the chest)Shortness of breathExtreme fatigue with exertionLight-headednessPain in the jaw, throat, neck, upper abdomen, or back PAD can include these symptoms as well, though the most common signs are cramping of the lower extremities and pain in the leg or hip muscles while climbing stairs. Symptoms of arrhythmias include: Fluttering in the chest or the sensation of skipping a beat (palpitations)Racing heartbeat (tachycardia)Slow heartbeat (bradycardia)Chest pain or discomfortShortness of breathDizziness or light-headednessFaintingFatigue...

“[NE] is a manifestation of sensitive skin that is triggered by environmental factors, and it can also happen in almost anyone who practices poor skin care,” says Suzanne Friedler, MD, a board-certified dermatologist with Advanced Dermatology in New York City. NE can also occur in patients who regularly moisturize and practice good skin care, but whose skin lacks the proteins needed to lock moisture into the skin (such as collagen, elastin, and keratin, according to the Cleveland Clinic)....