Over the past several years, the prevalence of GERD (Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease) has increased in our communities due to unhealthy lifestyle and that can potentially lead to serious medical complications if left untreated. 

GERD is characterized by symptoms and/or tissue damage that results from repeated or prolonged exposure of the lining of the esophagus to acidic contents from the stomach and occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) does not seal off the esophagus from the stomach.

The two most frequently reported symptoms of GERD are heartburn, which can be described as a burning discomfort that begins behind the breastbone and radiates to the neck and throat, and acid regurgitation, which is characterized as a bitter, sour tasting fluid. One out of five people experience heartburn or acid regurgitation on a weekly basis and two out of five people experience heartburn or acid regurgitation at least once a month.

However, some patients may present with atypical symptoms such as a cough, asthma, laryngitis, or chest pain, and other patients with GERD experience no symptoms at all. 

Causes

1) Eating food while not feeling hungry
2) Eating in haste and in indigestion
3) Eating stale food
4) Eating spicy, hot  & tangy, fermented, stale food on a regular basis.
5) Excess consumption of tea, coffee
6) Sleeping immediately after meals
7) Drinking alcohol & smoking in excess
8) Mental stress
9) Staying awake at night, disturbed
sleep
10) Eating late at night.

Signs and symptoms:

Difficulty in swallowing
Regurgitation of food
Belching
Bitter taste in mouth
Discomfort or pain in upper abdomen
Dry cough
Anorexia ( loss of appetite )
Excessive thirst
Heartburn especially after meals and at night
Loss of taste
Nausea & vomitting
Bloating
Giddiness
Treatment in Ayurveda focuses on:

1) Improving appetite
2) Help nourishment of body
3) Regulating the acid metabolism in the body
4) Improve the ability of digestion & absorption
5) Treat inflammation and cause healing of the digestive tracts
6) Protecting the intestinal layers from ill effects of acid 

Do's & Don'ts for GERD:

Do's

1) Eat light to digest food
2) Eat only when one is hungry
3) Gap between two meals should not be more than 6 hrs
4) Eat fruits  daily 
5) Food good for GERD - Old caged rice, Jowar roti, Moongdal, Bittergourd, pumpkin, dates, pomegranate, Indian gooseberry,  Lemon, mint, mangosteen, turmeric, coriander, cumin, asafoetida, coconut, cowghee, cow milk, fresh buttermilk .
6) Drink lukewarm water half hour after meals
7) Walk after every meal
8) Daily exercise for atleast 45 min

Dont's
1) Very spicy & hot, excessive consumption of chillies & curd
2) Excess tea, coffee & fermented food
3) Excess stress & negative thinking
4) Sedentary lifestyle
5) Excess smoking & drinking
6) Drinking excessive water 
7) Sleeping immediately after meals
8) Sleeping in the afternoon
9) Staying awake late night

Symptoms of GERD are very commonly found in the population. If it is not taken care of, it can lead to complications like Barrett's oesophagus, oesophagitis, ulcers, Ca oesophagus, bleeding, scarring and difficulty in swallowing. Ayurveda has a complete holistic approach in treating GERD. Treating on time helps in avoiding complications in future.

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease And Ayurveda!

While you cannot cure breast diseases, family history and maturing, but there are some hazards or risks that you can control. Keeping in mind the fact that there is no certain approach to forestall breast cancer, there are things you can do that may bring down the hazard. Here are five approaches to ensure your breast's well-being:

Watch your weight: Being overweight or hefty expands breast cancer chances. This is particularly true after menopause and for women who have put on weight as grown-ups. After menopause, the vast majority of your estrogen originates from fat tissue. Having more fat tissue can heighten your chances of getting breast cancer by raising the estrogen levels. Additionally, women who are overweight have a tendency to have more elevated amounts of insulin, than other hormones. Higher insulin levels have been associated with a few tumors, including breast cancer.
Exercise routinely: Many reviews have found that exercise is the sign of having a healthy breast. Studies show that one to two hours of energetic walking each week, lessened a woman s cancer risk by eighteen percent. Walking ten hours seven days decreased the hazard all the more.
Constrain liquor: Women who have two to five mixed beverages every day have a higher danger of breast cancer than women who have just one drink a day or none . As much as three to six glasses of wine seven days have been found to somewhat increase breast cancer chances. It is not clear how or why liquor raises the hazard. In any case, constraining liquor is particularly essential for women who have other hazard variables for breast cancer, like, breast cancer running in their families.
Restrain time spent sitting: Research has shown that sitting time, regardless of how much exercise you get when you are not sitting, increases the probability of growing cancer, particularly for women. Women who sit six hours or more a day outside of work have a ten percent more serious risk for breast cancer compared to the ladies who sit under three hours a day, and an increased hazard for other cancer types as well.
Stay away from or confine hormone substitution treatment: Hormone Replacement Treatment (HRT) was utilized frequently in the past to control night sweats, hot flashes, and other troublesome manifestations of menopause. In any case, specialists now realize that postmenopausal ladies who take a blend of estrogen and progestin might probably create breast tumors or cancer. Breast cancer disease seems to come back within five years in the wake of ceasing the blend of hormones. Therefore, get a breast cancer test even if you feel a small lump.

5 Ways to Decrease The Chance of Breast Cancer 

The body receives its source of energy and nutrition through the blood, which is the transport medium. The blood runs through a highly complex network of blood vessels, with the aorta being the largest one. It originates in the heart, the left ventricle precisely and supplies oxygenated blood to all parts of the body. Coarctation is a condition where there is a narrowing of the aorta. The heart, therefore, has to exert extra pressure to push out blood so that blood supply to the target organs is not affected.

The exact cause of aortic coarctation is not known, though it often develops at birth and so is known as a congenital disorder. Depending on the severity of the narrowing, symptoms develop at various times in life. While some infants demonstrate symptoms, some may not show any symptoms well into adulthood. Infants with severe narrowing may manifest the below symptoms quite early in life.

Difficulty in breathing may gasp
Difficulty in feeding
Be extremely irritable
Profuse sweating
Pale skin
When these symptoms are not noticed and treated in time, the child may have heart failure or even die. If the symptoms do not manifest early in life, the infant can grow into childhood quite normally. Symptoms may then manifest which would be different, as below.

Increased blood pressure
Headaches (frequent)
Weakness in the muscles
Nosebleeds
Chest pain
Frequent fainting spells
These are generic symptoms and it is difficult to suspect coarctation of the aorta. Therefore, further imaging would be required to rule out coarctation of the aorta. There are some risk factors, most related to the heart, which puts one at increased risk of developing aortic coarctation.

Bicuspid aortic valve
Aortic valve stenosis and/or regurgitation
Mitral valve stenosis and/or regurgitation
Patent ductus arteriosus
Treatment: Diagnosis is the first step in treating coarctation of the aorta. This would include a series of imaging tests including an echocardiogram, electrocardiogram, chest x-ray, CT scan, and MRI.
Surgery is often the most definitive mode of treatment, and the approach chosen depends on the severity and stage of identification. The most common approach is to open up the narrowed portion and keep it from collapsing again, so that blood flow is restored. This is known as a balloon angioplasty and stenting. Some of the other procedures used include:

Resection with end-to-end anastomosis
Bypass graft repair
Subclavian flap aortoplasty
Patch aortoplasty
In all affected individuals, after surgery, medications are prescribed to maintain blood pressure levels, which is often increased. In addition, lifestyle changes including exercise and healthy eating habits have to be developed.

Coarctation of the Aorta - Symptoms and Treatment

Medical science constantly challenges the boundaries by finding not only the cures to the most dangerous diseases, but finds a way to prevent them even before they occur. With years of research, practice and data available for analysis, scientists are using advanced technology in combination with years of research to create a predicting mechanism for often fatal diseases like cancer.

Breast cancer screening has always been done with mammography. The fact is that this method is only 75% accurate, laden with false positives and misses a whole set of women totally- and that too when cancer has already developed. Part of the problem comes from the dense breast tissue which one in three women have. This tissue masks the lumps, which makes it difficult for mammograms to accurately screen cancer.

Some breakthrough scientific methods are changing this by drawing on years of research to predict this deadly disease, years before it can manifest itself.

A genetic test to predict cancer 10-11 years ahead of time
This test was performed to see how environmental factors could influence cancer, along with habits like smoking, abusing alcohol or hormones, genetic changes that occur and are put a large percentage of the women at a high risk of developing this disease.

A simple blood test is used for the genetic analysis of hereditary cancer. Researchers found a biological marker, methylation of the ATM gene, which has a very high ability to predict the risk of developing cancer, several years before diagnosis. 'Methylation' concluded that when one biological indicator is exposed to carcinogenic substances, or other abusive substances like tobacco and alcohol, it may trigger the development of cancer. On the flip side, this test will take time to reach the commercial market and even then cannot give an exact timeline as to when someone may develop the disease.

A simple blood test to predict breast cancer 5 years before it develops
This is the kind of medical miracle the world is looking for. Last year in April, researches in Denmark identified a simple blood test that can predict breast cancer five years before it actually develops with an accuracy of a whopping 80%.

It works by "measuring all of the compounds in the blood to build a 'metabolic profile' of an individual, in order to detect changes in the way chemicals are processed, during a pre-cancerous stage," says Laura Donnelly, health editor at The Telegraph, which covered this development. Danish researchers observed 57,000 participants over 20 years, gathering blood samples along the way, specifically comparing a set of 800 women who remained healthy or developed breast cancer within 7 years of their first blood sample. The researchers found they were able to predict, with 80 percent accuracy, which patients would be affected by the disease, just by looking at the metabolic profiles they built from the participants' blood samples. The results have been published in Metabolomics.


Are you living with the uncertainty of a lump in your breast? It's time you take the first step and consult a specialist here.

Can Breast Cancer Be Predicted Before It Develops?

On each side of the uterus, two ovaries are present. It is the size of an almond and produces ova or eggs in simple terms, along with the release of hormones like oestrogen and progesterone. When a cancerous growth or a tumour grows in the outer lining (epithelium) of the ovary, it is known as ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer occurs in women who are aged above 65 years.

There are three types of tumour
Ovaries are made up of three kinds of cells and each kind is capable of developing different types of tumour.

Epithelial tumour- It develops from the cells that cover the ovary s outer surface.
Germ cell tumour- It develops from the cells that produce ova.
Stromal tumour- It develops from the tissue cell which is the structure holding the ovary together and produces oestrogen and progesterone.
Some tumours are non-cancerous and never spread beyond the ovary. Cancerous or ovarian tumours that are less malignant can metastasize to other body parts. The signs initially would be mistaken with premenstrual syndrome or poor bowel movement or a bladder problem, but if the problems are persistent then one must get an expert opinion. Ovarian cancer often goes undetected till it spreads within the abdomen or the pelvis. 

Causes of ovarian cancer
Cancer develops when the cells of the body divide and multiplies in an unregulated manner. Mutations that are genetic like BRCA1 and BRCA2 can be the cause often or if an individual is diagnosed with any other type of cancer before like breast, colon or uterine. There is a higher risk of being affected by this type of cancer if the person had undergone fertility treatment or is suffering from infertility. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is another cause of this type of cancer. Experts say that longer the HRT, higher the risk. Women who are obese or are overweight has more chances of being affected. Endometriosis or the disorder in which the growth of the tissue occurs outside the uterus, in such a case the risk is 30% higher.

The signs or symptoms of ovarian cancer differ from one woman to another. Some of the symptoms given below might as well be non-cancerous because since the ovaries are situated near the intestines and bladder, it might be often mistaken to be symptoms of gastrointestinal issues. It is advisable to consult a doctor if the symptoms are persistent.

Symptoms that occur at an early stage
Pelvic pain, Abdomen pain, Indigestion issues, Loss of appetite, Painful sexual intercourse, and Changed bowel movement are a few of the symptoms that occur during the early stages of the development of an Ovarian cancer.

Signs at a progressive stage
Loss of weight, Fatigue, Short of breath, and Nausea are the predominant symptoms when the Ovarian cancer has progressed more. Early diagnosis may lead to complete cure

Symptoms of ovarian cancer are similar to that of ovarian cysts. These ovarian cysts are often non-malignant but women with such cysts have a higher risk of being affected by cancer. Ovarian cancer can begin silently and are often detected at a later stage. Thus any individual undergoing these symptoms can avail medical assistance for further diagnosis.

Ovarian Cancer - Things You Need To Know!

Menorrhagia is menstrual condition characterized by an abnormal loss of blood or heavy, prolonged bleeding. Although heavy bleeding is not uncommon in premenopausal women, menorrhagia is a severe condition which generally interferes with your daily activities. If your vagina bleeds irregularly or between periods, in addition to such heavy bleeding that at least one pad or tampon gets soaked every few hours, it is highly recommended that you seek medical attention.

Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of menorrhagia include:

    Soaking through more than one tampon or sanitary pad for every few hours
    The need to use double sanitary protection
    Heavy bleeding for weeks on end
    The need to wake up at night to change your sanitary protection
    Restriction of daily activities due to heavy menstrual flow
    Symptoms of fatigue, such as excessive tiredness as well as shortness of breath

Causes
Although the exact causes are unknown, here are a few causes that may be responsible:

    Hormonal imbalance is when there is an hormone imbalance, the endometrium develops in excess and sheds away with menstruation
    In Ovary dysfunction, if your ovaries do not ovulate, your body won't be able to produce the hormone progesterone resulting in a hormonal imbalance which may lead to menorrhagia
    Uterine fibroids are benign tumors which start appearing in your childbearing years
    Polyps are small benign growths found on the uterine lining
    Adenomyosis occurs when your glands from the endometrium becomes embedded in the uterine muscle
    By using Intrauterine device (IUD) menorrhagia may occur as a side-effect
    Pregnancy complications, for instance, an ectopic pregnancy can cause it
    Inherited bleeding disorders, such as von Willebrand disease
    Certain medications like anti-inflammatory drugs
    Other medical conditions, like pelvic inflammatory disease or endometriosis

Treatment
Treatment for menorrhagia depends on a number of factors like the cause and severity of the condition, or your tolerance for specific therapies or medications.
Some drug therapies for menorrhagia include:

    Iron supplements
    Tranexamic acid
    Oral progesterone
    Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
    Oral contraceptives
    Hormonal IUD

If drug therapy is ineffective, other treatment options may include:

    Dilation and curettage
    Focused ultrasound ablation
    Uterine artery embolization
    Endometrial ablation
    Myomectomy
    Endometrial resection
    Hysterectomy

All about Menorrhagia

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