Karnataka Gastro Centre

Fatty liver, or hepatic steatosis, is a term that describes the buildup of fat in the liver. The most common cause of fatty liver is alcohol use disorder and heavy drinking. Higher body weight, a high processed sugar diet, high triglycerides, diabetes, low physical activity, and genetics all play a role.

Feeling acidic after eating a heavy meal can often make you regret those last few morsels. This acidic sensation is known as acid reflux or Gastroesophageal reflux disease, better known as GERD. GERD occurs when the functioning of the lower oesophagus muscles is restricted. This makes the undigested food in the stomach and stomach acids leak back into the oesophagus.

Thankfully, this is not something you have to live with and a few simple lifestyle changes can help resolve the situation.

1. Do not lie down after eating: When your body is in a horizontal position, there are higher chances of food being regurgitated into the oesophagus. To avoid this, finish your meals at least 3 hours before going to bed. Sit upright while eating and do not lie down or slouch immediately after eating. This gives the food time to be digested and move out of the stomach.
2. Limit your food intake: Overeating is one of the most common triggers of GERD. Cutting down your portion sizes can instantly reduce the number of GERD occurrences. Instead of eating large, heavy meals, shorten the duration between meals and have more frequent small meals.
3. Avoid foods that trigger acidity: With time, you will soon realise which types of foods trigger an acidic reaction. Some common triggers are onions, peppermint, caffeine, citrus fruits etc. Keeping a diary can help identify such foods and ease your problem.
4. Quit Smoking: Nicotine not only harms your lungs, but can affect your digestive system as well. It is responsible for weakening the muscles that control the opening between the stomach and oesophagus. This allows stomach acids and food from the stomach to re-enter the oesophagus. Alcohol can also worsen GERD symptoms and hence it is better to avoid alcohol is you suffer from frequent bouts of acid reflux.
5. Lose weight: Overeating, obesity and acid reflux go hand in hand. Being overweight can put extra pressure on your stomach and abdomen, thus pushing food and gastric juices into the oesophagus. Losing this extra weight should effectively resolve your acid reflux problem if you are overweight.
6. Look at your medications: Some types of medication too can cause acid reflux by interfering with the digestive system and irritating the oesophagus. These types of medication include blood pressure medication, asthma medication, Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, bisphosphonates, sedatives and painkillers. Do not simply stop taking these medications, but talk to your doctor about replacing them with something else.

Bladder prolapse is a condition wherein a woman’s vaginal wall ceases to adequately support the urinary bladder. The front wall of the vagina gives support to the bladder under normal circumstances but when this wall weakens, it allows the bladder to droop and become prolapsed. This can lead to a wide range of medical problems such as urinary difficulties, stress incontinence (leakage of urine while coughing or sneezing), pain and discomfort, etc.

Prolapsed bladders are generally associated with menopause. Also known as cystoceles or fallen bladders, they are categorized into four different types depending on the extent to which the bladder has prolapsed.
Grade 1: This is the mild stage wherein a small portion of the bladder droops into the vagina.
Grade 2: This is the moderate stage in which the bladder droops far enough to reach the opening of the vagina.
Grade 3: This is when the condition becomes severe and the bladder protrudes from the body through the opening of the vagina.
Grade 4: This occurs when the bladder has completely prolapsed. The entire bladder protrudes outside the vagina and is normally associated with other forms of pelvic organ prolapse such as uterine prolapse (the sagging of the uterus from its normal spot) and rectocele (prolapse of the wall between the vagina and the rectum).

What are the causes of prolapsed bladders?
Following are the factors that lead to the condition of prolapsed bladders:

1. Menopause: The vaginal walls are known to become weak upon the onset of menopause. This occurs because the body inhibits the production of oestrogen, the hormone that renders strength to the muscles of the vagina. As a result, the bladder is no longer supported by the vagina.
2. Childbirth: The process of childbirth puts a tremendous amount of stress on the vagina and often leads to deterioration of the muscles of the vaginal wall. This in turn leads to the condition of prolapsed bladder.
3. Straining: Anything that puts strain on the walls of the vagina can lead to this condition. This includes lifting heavy objects, chronic constipation, obesity, excessive coughing and sneezing or any other factor that damages the pelvic floor.

What are the symptoms of a prolapsed bladder?
Symptoms of a prolapsed bladder vary from case to case, depending on the category and extent of the condition. Some of the most commonly experienced symptoms of the condition are as follows:
Tissue sticking out of the vagina (that may be tender and/or bleeding)

1. Frequent urge to urinate
2. Urinary incontinence (unwanted leakage of urine)
3. Pain during urination
4. Pain during sex
5. Frequent urinary tract and bladder infections
6. Pain in the vagina, pelvis, lower abdomen or lower back
7. Incomplete urination