Categories
Ailmemts & Remedies

Peptic Ulcer

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Alternative Names Ulcer – peptic; Ulcer – duodenal or gastric; Duodenal ulcer
Definition:
Click to see the pictures

A peptic ulcer is erosion in the lining of the stomach or duodenum (the first part of the small intestine). The word “peptic” refers to pepsin, a stomach enzyme that breaks down proteins. If a peptic ulcer is located in the stomach it is called a gastric ulcer.

Small ulcers may not cause any symptoms. Large ulcers can cause serious bleeding. Most ulcers occur in the first layer of the inner lining. A hole that goes all the way through is called a perforation of the intestinal lining. A perforation is a medical emergency.

It is also known as PUD or peptic ulcer disease is an ulcer of an area of the gastrointestinal tract that is usually acidic and thus extremely painful. As much as 80% of ulcers are associated with Helicobacter pylori, a spiral-shaped bacterium that lives in the acidic environment of the stomach, however only 20% of those cases go to a doctor (for it is not a dangerous case if caught in time and can be treated with surgery). Ulcers can also be caused or worsened by drugs such as Aspirin and other NSAIDs. Contrary to general belief, more peptic ulcers arise in the duodenum (first part of the small intestine, just after the stomach) than in the stomach. About 4% of stomach ulcers are caused by a malignant tumor, so multiple biopsies are needed to make sure. Duodenal ulcers are generally benign.

Causes
Normally, the lining of the stomach and small intestines have protection against the irritating acids produced in your stomach. For a variety of reasons, the protective mechanisms may become faulty, leading to a breakdown of the lining. This results in inflammation (gastritis ) or an ulcer.

The most common cause of such damage is infection of the stomach with a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori). Most people with peptic ulcers have this organism living in their gastrointestinal (GI) tract. On the other hand, many people have this organism living in their GI tract but they don’t get an ulcer.

Other factors can make it more likely for you to get an ulcer, including:

Using aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen
Drinking alcohol excessively
Smoking cigarettes and using tobacco
In addition, if you have a family history of ulcers or you are blood type O, you are more likely to get a duodenal ulcer. There is also a rare condition called Zolliger-Ellison syndrome in which a tumor in the pancreas secretes a substance that causes ulcers throughout the stomach and duodenum.

Many people believe that stress causes ulcers. It is not clear if this is true. While critically ill patients who are on a breathing machine are at risk of so-called “stress ulceration,” everyday stress at work or home doesn’t appear to cause peptic ulcers.

Symptoms:
Abdominal pain is a common symptom but it may not always be present. The abdominal pain from peptic ulcers can differ a lot from person to person. For example, the pain may get better or worse after eating a meal.

Abdominal pain, classically epigastric with severity relating to mealtimes, after around 3 hours of taking a meal (duodenal ulcers are classically relieved by food, while gastric ulcers are exacerbated by it);


Bloating and abdominal fullness

Waterbrash (rush of saliva after an episode of regurgitation to dilute the acid in esophagus)
Nausea, and lots of vomiting
Loss of appetite and weight loss;
Hematemesis (vomiting of blood); this can occur due to bleeding directly from a gastric ulcer, or from damage to the esophagus from severe/continuing vomiting.
Melena (tarry, foul-smelling faeces due to oxidized iron from hemoglobin)
Rarely, an ulcer can lead to a gastric or duodenal perforation. This is extremely painful and requires immediate surgery.
A history of heartburn, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and use of certain forms of medication can raise the suspicion for peptic ulcer. Medicines associated with peptic ulcer include NSAID (non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs) that inhibit cyclooxygenase, and most glucocorticoids (e.g. dexamethasone and prednisolone).

In patients over 45 with more than 2 weeks of the above symptoms, the odds for peptic ulceration are high enough to warrant rapid investigation by EGD (see below).

The timing of the symptoms in relation to the meal may differentiate between gastric and duodenal ulcers: A gastric ulcer would give epigastric pain during the meal, as gastric acid is secreted, or after the meal, as the alkaline duodenal contents reflux into the stomach. Symptoms of duodenal ulcers would manifest mostly before the meal — when acid (production stimulated by hunger) is passed into the duodenum. However, this is not a reliable sign in clinical practice.

Stress and ulcers:
Despite the finding that a bacterial infection is the cause of ulcers in 80% of cases, bacterial infection does not appear to explain all ulcers and researchers continue to look at stress as a possible cause, or at least a complication in the development of ulcers.

An expert panel convened by the Academy of Behavioral Medicine research concluded that ulcers are not purely an infectious disease and that psychological factors do play a significant role. Researchers are examining how stress might promote H. pylori infection. For example, Helicobacter pylori thrives in an acidic environment, and stress has been demonstrated to cause the production of excess stomach acid.

The discovery that Helicobacter pylori is a cause of peptic ulcer has tempted many to conclude that psychological factors are unimportant. But this is dichotomised thinking. There is solid evidence that psychological stress triggers many ulcers and impairs response to treatment, while helicobacter is inadequate as a monocausal explanation as most infected people do not develop ulcers. Psychological stress probably functions most often as a cofactor with H pylori. It may act by stimulating the production of gastric acid or by promoting behavior that causes a risk to health. Unravelling the aetiology of peptic ulcer will make an important contribution to the biopsychosocial model of disease.

A study of peptic ulcer patients in a Thai hospital showed that chronic stress was strongly associated with an increased risk of peptic ulcer, and a combination of chronic stress and irregular mealtimes was a significant risk factor (PMID 12948263).

A study on mice showed that both long-term water-immersion-restraint stress and H. pylori infection were independently associated with the development of peptic ulcers (PMID 12465722).

Diagnosis:
An esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), a form of endoscopy, also known as a gastroscopy, is carried out on patients in whom a peptic ulcer is suspected. By direct visual identification, the location and severity of an ulcer can be described. Moreover, if no ulcer is present, EGD can often provide an alternative diagnosis.

The diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori can be by:
Breath testing (does not require EGD);
Direct culture from an EGD biopsy specimen;
Direct detection of urease activity in a biopsy specimen;
Measurement of antibody levels in blood (does not require EGD). It is still somewhat controversial whether a positive antibody without EGD is enough to warrant eradication therapy.
The possibility of other causes of ulcers, notably malignancy (gastric cancer) needs to be kept in mind. This is especially true in ulcers of the greater (large) curvature of the stomach; most are also a consequence of chronic H. pylori infection.

If a peptic ulcer perforates, air will leak from the inside of the gastrointestinal tract (which always contains some air) to the peritoneal cavity (which normally never contains air). This leads to “free gas” within the peritoneal cavity. If the patient stands erect, as when having a chest X-ray, the gas will float to a position underneath the diaphragm. Therefore, gas in the peritoneal cavity, shown on an erect chest X-ray or supine lateral abdominal X-ray, is an omen of perforated peptic ulcer disease.

Exams and Tests :

To diagnose an ulcer, your doctor will order one of the following tests:
An upper GI — a series of x-rays taken after you drink a substance called barium.
An esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) — a special test performed by a gastroenterologist in which a thin tube is inserted through your mouth into the gastrointestinal tract to look at your stomach and small intestines.
During an EGD, the doctor may take a biopsy from the wall of the intestines to test for H. pylori.

Your doctor may also order:

Stool guaiac cards to test for blood in your stool
Hemoglobin test to check for anemia
Treatment :
You should see a doctor if you have symptoms of an ulcer. Treatment often involves a combination of medications to kill the Helicobacter pylori bacteria, reduce acid levels, and protect the GI tract. This combination strategy allows your ulcer to heal and reduces the chance it will come back. Take all of your medications exactly as prescribed.

The medications may include one or more of the following:
Antibiotics to kill Helicobacter pylori
Acid blockers (like cimetidine, ranitidine, or famotidine)
Proton pump inhibitors (such as omeprazole)
Medications that protect the tissue lining (like sucralfate)
Bismuth (may help protect the lining and kill the bacteria)
If a peptic ulcer bleeds a lot, an EGD may be needed to stop the bleeding. If bleeding cannot be stopped using an EGD procedure or the ulcer has caused a perforation, then surgery may be required.

Causes And Treatment Of Peptic Ulcer

Effective Peptic Ulcer Treatments for Quick Pain Relief

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Home Remedies for Peptic Ulcer

Symptoms & Treatment of Peptic Ulcer

Homeopathic Treatment Of Peptic Ulcer…………………………………(1)………….(2).……(3)

Prognosis:
Peptic ulcers tend to come back if untreated. If you follow the treatment instructions from your doctor and take all of your medications, the Helicobacter pylori infection will be eliminated and you are much less likely to get another ulcer. Your symptoms will also improve if you follow some preventive lifestyle steps.

Possible Complications:
Bleeding internally
Perforation of the intestine and peritonitis
Bowel obstruction
When to Contact a Medical Professional

Call 911 if you:
Suddenly develop sharp abdominal pain.
Have symptoms of shock like fainting, excessive sweating, or confusion.
Are vomiting blood or have blood in your stool (especially if maroon or dark, tarry black)
Have a rigid, hard abdomen that is tender to touch.
Call your doctor if:
You have ulcer symptoms.
You feel dizzy or lightheaded.
Prevention :
Don’t smoke or chew tobacco.
Limit alcohol.
Avoid aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen. Try acetaminophen instead.

Epidemiology:
In Western countries the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infections roughly matches age (i.e., 20% at age 20, 30% at age 30, 80% at age 80 etc). Prevalence is higher in third world countries. Transmission is by food, contaminated groundwater, and through human saliva (such as from kissing or sharing food utensils.)

According to Mayo Clinic, however, there is no evidence that the infection can be transmitted by kissing.

A minority of cases of Helicobacter infection will eventually lead to an ulcer and a larger proportion of people will get non-specific discomfort, abdominal pain or gastritis.

History
In 1997, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with other government agencies, academic institutions, and industry, launched a national education campaign to inform health care providers and consumers about the link between H. pylori and ulcers. This campaign reinforced the news that ulcers are a curable infection, and the fact that health can be greatly improved and money saved by disseminating information about H. pylori.

Helicobacter pylori was rediscovered in 1982 by two Australian scientists Robin Warren and Barry Marshall. In their original paper, Warren and Marshall contended that most stomach ulcers and gastritis were caused by colonization with this bacterium, not by stress or spicy food as had been assumed before.

The H. pylori hypothesis was poorly received, so in an act of self-experimentation Marshall drank a petri-dish containing a culture of organisms extracted from a patient and soon developed gastritis. His symptoms disappeared after two weeks, but he took antibiotics to kill the remaining bacteria at the urging of his wife, since halitosis is one of the symptoms of infection. This experiment was published in 1984 in the Australian Medical Journal and is among the most cited articles from the journal.

In 2005, the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to Dr. Marshall and his long-time collaborator Dr. Warren “for their discovery of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori and its role in gastritis and peptic ulcer disease”. Professor Marshall continues research related to H. pylori and runs a molecular biology lab at UWA in Perth, Western Australia.

John Lykoudis was a general practitioner in Greece who treated patients from peptic ulcer disease with antibiotics long before it was commonly recognized that bacteria were a dominant cause for the disease .

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.This is purely for educational purpose

Resources:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000206.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peptic_ulcer

Categories
Healthy Tips

Seven Foods to Keep You Young

Secrets of long life from around the world : ByPeterJaret,EatingWell.com.

1: Olive oil
Four decades ago, researchers from the Seven Countries Study concluded that the monounsaturated fats in olive oil were largely responsible for the low rates of heart disease and cancer on the Greek island of Crete. Now we know that olive oil also contains polyphenols, powerful antioxidants that may help prevent age-related diseases.

2: Yogurt
In the 1970s, Soviet Georgia was rumored to have more centenarians per capita than any other country. Reports at the time claimed that the secret of their long lives was yogurt, a food ubiquitous in their diets. While the age-defying powers of yogurt never have been proved directly, yogurt is rich in calcium, which helps stave off osteoporosis and contains “good bacteria” that help maintain gut health and diminish the incidence of age-related intestinal illness.

3: Fish
Thirty years ago, researchers began to study why the native Inuits of Alaska were remarkably free of heart disease. The reason, scientists now think, is the extraordinary amount of fish they consume. Fish is an abundant source of omega-3 fats, which help prevent cholesterol buildup in arteries and protect against abnormal heart rhythms.

4: Chocolate
The Kuna people of the San Blas islands, off the coast of Panama, have a rate of heart disease that is nine times less than that of mainland Panamanians. The reason? The Kuna drink plenty of a beverage made with generous proportions of cocoa, which is unusually rich in flavanols that help preserve the healthy function of blood vessels. Maintaining youthful blood vessels lowers risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease and dementia.

5: Nuts
Studies of Seventh-Day Adventists (a religious denomination that emphasizes healthy living and a vegetarian diet) show that those who eat nuts gain, on average, an extra two and a half years. Nuts are rich sources of unsaturated fats, so they offer benefits similar to those associated with olive oil. They’re also concentrated sources of vitamins, minerals and other phytochemicals, including antioxidants.

6: Wine
Drinking alcohol in moderation protects against heart disease, diabetes and age-related memory loss. Any kind of alcoholic beverage seems to provide such benefits, but red wine has been the focus of much of the research. Red wine contains resveratrol, a compound that likely contributes to its benefits  and, according to animal studies, may activate genes that slow cellular aging.

7: Blueberries
In a landmark study published in 1999, researchers at Tufts University’s   Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging fed rats blueberry extract for a period of time that in “rat lives” is equivalent to 10 human years. These rats outperformed rats fed regular chow on tests of balance and coordination when they reached old age. Compounds in blueberries (and other berries) mitigate inflammation and oxidative damage, which are associated with age-related deficits in memory and motor function.

Categories
News on Health & Science

Testing Kit To Fight Food-Poisoning

LONDON: An Indian-origin researcher is leading a research team in Scotland to develop a testing kit, which will help save thousands of lives by detecting a host of fatal food-poisoning bugs in as little as five hours. Dr Brajesh Singh says that the device will be capable of dramatically reducing the detection time for food-borne diseases like E coli, campylobacter, listeria and salmonella from the current six days routinely required. The device has been tested successfully in the laboratories of the Macaulay Institute in Aberdeen.

Dr Singh hopes that the new device may eventually be helpful in detecting human pathogens, including the killer MRSA bug. “The conventional methods for detecting food contamination used by industries and regulatory agencies are labour-intensive, time-consuming and costly,” the Scotsman quoted him as saying.

“Our technology offers for, the first time, at low cost, the simultaneous detection of multiple contaminants within five to eight hours and has the potential to revolutionise the food safety industry and save lives through prevention of food-poisoning epidemics,” he added.

He also revealed that £246,000 have been provided by Scottish Enterprise for the project. According to him, the testing kit may be launched in the markets by 2010 through a spin-out company.

The new system will work by analysing DNA samples extracted from samples of food, water or soil. It will run a DNA sequence to discover the presence of bacteria. “The potential of this method is massive. Early detection could help save lives,” said Dr Singh.

Source: The Times Of India

Categories
Featured

Staying Young: Develop a Memorable Memory

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Dr. Oz shares seven ways to prevent memory loss and keep your brain operating at maximum efficiency.
By Michael Roizen & Mehmet Oz

Our brains sure do have a way of messing with our minds. One moment, you can be spitting out the names of your entire third-grade class, the batting statistics from the 1974 St. Louis Cardinals, the color dress you wore to the eighth-grade Sadie Hawkins dance, or the entire script from your favorite Seinfeld episode. The next minute, you space on the name of your cat.

Call them what you want—senior moments, doomsday, dementia—but the truth is that we all experience these neurological hiccups as we age, and we all wonder exactly what they mean. Some of us write them off to stress, fatigue, or some kind of neurological overload that’s caused by the ogre who signs our paychecks, while others worry about whether a spat of forgetfulness means we have a first-class ticket on the express train to Alzheimer’s.

No matter what we may think causes our decline in mental acuity, most people share a pretty big assumption about our gray matter: Either our brains are genetically determined to be Ginsu sharp for the duration, or that we’re eventually going to live life putting on our underwear last. That is, we believe that our genes completely control our neurological destiny. That simply isn’t true.

Like babies and brats, all your brain wants is this: attention. Feed it, challenge it, care for it, and you’ll smack a bad genetic destiny square in the face with five knuckles of good information and smart action. One of the key things to do is constantly stretch your mind—be it through crosswords, Scrabble, chess, or learning how to speak Chinese (if you don’t already). Thankfully, there are many ways to keep your brain operating at maximum efficiency, maximum power, and maximum quality.

As a reminder, always consult your doctor for medical advice and treatment before starting any program.

Teach a Lesson:
In life, we have all kinds of teachers—first-grade teachers, biology teachers, ballet teachers. While they may have been responsible for teaching us how to read, how to dissect a frog, or how to do the perfect plie, they also taught us perhaps one of the most important lessons about aging: Teaching can save your brain. You’re far more likely to retain information if you have to explain it to somebody else. The degree to which you can effectively explain information indicates how well you’ve actually learned it.

The lesson: Take advantage of mentoring opportunities—whether it’s instructing a class in your favorite hobby at a community college, or inviting the neighborhood teens over to teach them how to change a tire or make a soufflé. Teach the next generation, and you’ll power up your own generator.
Be a Lifelong Learner
Yeah, sure, we know what your ideal picture of retirement looks like: One hammock, one baby-blue ocean, four naps a day. That’s great and all, but one of the best ways to ensure that your mind doesn’t liquidate into the consistency of a pina colada is to continue to give it a reason to function. Work it. Challenge it. Teach it new things.

When you increase your learning during life, you decrease the risk of developing memory-related problems. That means your brain has a fighting chance—if you keep it active and engaged, if you keep challenging it with new lessons, if you learn a new game or new hobby or new vocation. You have to challenge your mind—even making it a little uncomfortable by pushing yourself to learn tasks that may not come naturally. Doing tough tasks reinforces the neural connections that are important to preserving memory. Like a clutch athlete, your mind has a way of rising to the occasion. Challenge it, and it will reward you.

Stop and Think About Thinking
Like breathing, thinking is designed to be an automatic process. Don’t believe us? Then do this. Don’t think of a bruised banana. Don’t picture it. Don’t let the image cross your mind. Ha! The only thing you can think of right now is that darn banana. The other vantage point here is that you can’t do anything but think when you’re thinking. Thinking is an involuntary reflex; while you can often control what you think about, thinking is as natural as an ocean’s ecosystem—stuff just kinda floats around and goes where it wants to go.

Now, try this when you’re doing a simple activity, like waking up. Instead of just rolling out of bed, splashing water on your face, and dreading your 8 a.m. meeting, think about your surroundings—listen for birds, notice the drips of water beading down your leg in the shower, savor the sips from your orange juice, think about every tooth you’re brushing. It doesn’t take any more time; it just helps train your brain. We’re not trying to go all philosophic on you; thinking about the thought process is really about awareness and is one of the tools you can use to strengthen your neural connections.

Live in the Moment
When it comes to your brain, stress acts as noise in your system—only it comes in the form of nagging tasks, job dissatisfaction, bills, and fights about who’s going to which family’s house for the holidays. One of the keys to having a healthy mind is to live as much as you can in the moment—that is, thinking about what you’re doing right now, not worrying about the mistakes you made yesterday or the headaches that await you tomorrow.

More stress means the inability to concentrate, and that’s been shown to contribute to a shrinking of the pre-frontal cortex. Is living in the moment hard to do? Of course it can be, but it’s a behavior you can learn with practice, similar to our previous strategy of thinking about thinking. Example: When you’re playing with your kids and letting tomorrow’s work day weigh on you, force yourself to concentrate on Candyland—making it a great experience for your kids rather than a distant one for you. It takes some time and effort, but in the end, the act of living in the moment rewards not only you, but also the people around you.

Feed on Brain Food
While physics would dictate that your food would travel down after you eat it, a certain amount travels up to your brain (via arteries after it’s been through the digestive process, of course). One of the best nutrients to help keep your cerebral power lines strong are omega-3 fatty acids—the kinds of fat found in fish like salmon and mahi mahi. These healthy fats, which have been shown to slow cognitive decline in people who are at risk, not only help keep your arteries clear, but also improve the function of your message-sending neurotransmitters. Aim for 13 ounces of fish a week, or if you prefer supplements, take 2 grams of fish oil a day.

Add a Dash of This and That

Several substances have been shown to help cognitive function. These are the ones we recommend:

*Carotenoids and flavonoids, which are vitamin-like substances that can act as antioxidants. Not essential for life, they tend to give color to fruits and vegetables.

*Lycopene and quercitin. Good sources include tomatoes, pink grapefruit, watermelon, leafy green vegetables, red apples, onions, cranberries and blueberries.

*Resveratrol, found in red wine, although the high doses that have been researched might require too much alcohol, so also consider a high-dose purified product as a supplement.

*A variety of flavonoids found in dark chocolate made with at least 70 percent pure cocoa (just don’t overdo it, because chocolate is high in calories).

*Turmeric and curcumin, spices found in Indian and curried foods. Mustard also contains turmeric and can reduce Apo E4 levels.

Detox Your Life:
If you’re experiencing memory problems that are causing you alarm, eliminate some key chemicals from your lifestyle first, before adding anything new. That includes such things as artificial foods (like sweeteners), MSG, and even shampoo (better to make sure the inside of your head is clean, isn’t it?).

Finally, despite their life-saving benefits, statin drugs can uncommonly cause reversible memory loss, a discussion that you should pursue with your doctor if you are more concerned about your memory than your heart.

Surprising tidbit: Even over-the-counter cold and allergy medications can contribute to memory problems; in fact, injecting lab animals with the active ingredient in Benadryl (diphen hydramine) is a research model for memory loss that immediately simulates Alzheimer’s

Categories
Featured

Fighting Cold and Flu

It’s cold and flu season, and the sounds of coughing, sneezing and runny noses can be heard in nearly every home, office and shopping mall across the country. But don’t run to the doctor and stock up on prescriptions just yet.

Colds, flus, most sore throats and acute bronchitis are caused by viruses, and antibiotics do not help fight viruses. Your prescription medication won’t fight the virus, make you feel better, yield a quicker recovery or keep others from getting sick. In fact, because of the potentially serious side effects, taking antibiotics to treat a virus can do more harm than good.

In addition to failing to solve your problem, taking unnecessary antibiotics can result in an increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change in some way that reduces or eliminates the effectiveness of drugs, chemicals or other agents designed to cure or prevent infections. This means the next time you really need an antibiotic for a bacterial infection, it may not work.

When the scratchy throat, sinus headache and sniffles get to be too much to handle this season, resist the urge to reach for the easy answer. Talk to your doctor about natural alternatives for treating your cold or flu.

For more information, go to: http://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=971

Sources:Health Newsletter (dctyh@mail4.mpamedia.com)

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