Heartburn or acid reflex is a burning sensation that is felt in the throat or chest region after the intake of certain foods. While many of us must have felt heartburn once in our lifetime, too many occurrences such as this could be a fair indication of esophageal cancer.

How an acidburn is related to esophagus?
Esophagus is the tube which carries food from the throat to the stomach. In the case of an acid reflux, the acid from the stomach jumps to the esophagus leading to a condition known as the Barrett s esophagus. This is a condition which replaces the tissue present in the esophagus with a similar kind of tissue found in the lining of the intestine. This being said, Barrett s esophagus doesn t necessarily lead to esophageal cancer.

Key symptoms of Esophageal Cancer
Difficulty swallowing is a key symptom of esophageal cancer. This condition is known as dysphasia. As the tumor grows bigger, it becomes more difficult to swallow food. Esophageal pain is also a common symptom reported by many patients. Loss in appetite and an unexplained weight loss are some of the other symptoms of this type of cancer. Although esophageal cancer does not show any visible signs in the early stage, some of the key indicators are chronic couch, indigestion and hoarseness of voice.

Key risk factors:
Some of the key risk factors for this type of cancer are as follows:

    Men tend to run a higher risk of getting this cancer than women.
    Esophageal cancer are often detected in people above the age of 55 or more
    Chronic tobacco users have higher chances of getting esophageal cancer
    Consumption of alcohol increases the risk of esophageal cancer
    Obesity increases the risk of acid flux thereby, leading to esophageal cancer
    Radiation treatment in the abdomen or chest area might also lead to esophageal cancer

How an esophageal cancer is detected?
Primarily there are 3 ways by which this cancer is detected. The first step for an oncologist to detect this cancer is to perform an endoscopy. If this fails, doctors often try a barium swallow on suspected patients and take an X-ray to understand the esophagus lining. If all this fails, doctors rely on a CT scan to detect this cancer.

How is esophageal cancer treated?
If a patient is lucky and the cancer gets detected in a very early stage, the tumor along with the infected cell can be surgically removed. Apart from surgery, some other alternatives are radiation and chemotherapy. A combination of radiation and chemotherapy or a surgery followed by radiation can also be suggested by the doctor. The treatment plan depends on the stage of detection.

Does Heartburn Lead to Esophageal Cancer?

5 Ways to protect your skin this summer

Staying out in the sun too long can cause you to suffer from a host of skin problems such as age spots, wrinkles and even increase your risk of developing skin cancer. During the summer months, you need to take extra care of yourself as the sun is at its peak at that time. Here's what you can do in this summer to ensure that your skin remains protected:

1. Avoid the rays of the sun between 10 am and 2 pm

The strength of the UV rays depends on a number of factors such as reflective surfaces, height, and time of day. The sun's UV rays are at their strongest between 10 am and 2 pm. If you're outdoors, seek a cool area to protect yourself from the damaging rays of the sun. You could stand under a tree or use an umbrella to shield yourself from its ultraviolet rays.

2. Don't use tanning beds

Several studies reveal that tanning beds can cause skin cancer. According to these studies, individuals under 30 who use tanning beds increase their risk of melanoma (the most deadly of all skin cancers) by about 75%.

3. Increase your fluid intake

One of the ways in which you can beat the sun and protect your skin is by increasing your fluid intake during this time. On an average, one should have about 3 liters of fluids every day, which is about 1.5-2 liters of water and 1 liter of fluid from solid foods. From summer foods like watermelon and berries to beverages like fruit juice, milk, etc and liquid-based meals - all these avenues should be considered.

4. Have a proper cleansing regimen

To help your skin look fresh even during the summer months, you should exfoliate regularly. When you do this, all the dead skin cells are removed, giving your face a youthful and fresh appeal.

5. Use a sunscreen all the time

To protect yourself from the damaging ultraviolet rays of the sun, you should never forget to apply sunscreen when going out. Ideally, a sunscreen that has an SPF of 30 should be applied thoroughly to your skin 30 minutes before leaving your house. More importantly, it should be applied again every 2 hours.



5 Ways to protect your skin this summer

What is DVT?

Deep vein thrombosis is a kind of vascular disorder. It happens when a thrombus (blood clot) forms in the deep vein anywhere in the body. It especially develops in the legs. This is a grave ailment and can actually be fatal for you unless you seek treatment right away.

What are the symptoms of DVT?

A worrying feature of deep vein thrombosis is that in most cases it shows no symptoms in the earlier phases. Moreover, what makes diagnosis hard is that even when symptoms manifest, they are very similar to those of other disorders like tissue or muscle inflammation or arthritis.

Here are some typical deep vein thrombosis symptoms:

  One or both of your legs become swollen
  Your legs feel tender and hurt a lot in all postures
  The skin of your legs always feel hot to the touch
  Your skin looks blotchy or discoloured
  You bleed when you cough
  Wheezing and breathing problems
  Dizziness
  Frequent and sharp chest pain

Who is susceptible to DVT?

Deep vein thrombosis usually happens when you sit or lie in one position for long stretches of time especially when you are recuperating after an illness or surgery. It can also happen to you for other reasons-

  Injury: An injury to your legs can narrow the blood vessels and that reduces the blood flow through the veins. That is why blood clots can develop there.
  Pregnancy: The additional weight that woman has to carry in the course of her pregnancy exerts extra pressure on the veins of the legs and pelvis and thus clots may form in the veins.
  Contraceptive pills: Birth control pills raise the chances of a woman getting deep vein thrombosis by four times.
  Obesity: Obesity means forcing extra pressure onto your veins.
  Smoking: Smoking interferes with the flow of blood through your veins and raises the possibility of getting blood clots.
  The family history of deep vein thrombosis: if anyone in your family has deep vein thrombosis, you might contract it too because it is hereditary.

Complications:

DVT becomes lethal if the blood clot becomes dislodged and travels from the legs to the lungs, it can cause a pulmonary embolism. This can lead to blockage of the artery of the lung and in that case, a person may die.

Treatment for deep vein thrombosis:

Treatment for DVT includes both invasive and non-invasive vascular techniques.

  Blood-thinning medicines: They prevent blood platelets from clumping together and reduce the size of the existing clots.
  Thrombolytic drugs: If medicines are not effective, work, these drugs will be injected into your veins. They travel down the veins to where the blockage is and disintegrate the clots so that blood can once again flow through the vein uninterrupted.
  Compression stockings: They exert pressure on the vein containing the clot, prevent it from moving, and do not allow new clots to develop. You have to wear them throughout the day.
  Surgery: In very rare cases, when non-invasive methods have no effect, you may have to undergo a kind of vascular surgery called venous thrombectomy. The surgeon will make a minute incision in the vein where the clot is lodged, siphon it out and then repair the damaged vein.

Deep vein thrombosis is easily curable with treatment. Do not delay it, as DVT has the potential to kill you.

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) - All You Should Know About It!

What is adrenal gland tumour? Let's answer this question by first knowing the meaning of what a tumour is.

When many tissues grow in the body, some tissues start to grow abnormally and it forms a clot thing in the blood. These clots do not allow the body to function properly and hence, it is called a tumour.

Adrenal gland tumour is the type of tumour when some tissues join together and grow abnormally in the adrenal parts of the endocrine system. It forms a cyst there hence resulting in the swelling of that body part and is called as adrenal gland tumour. This tumour can be cancerous or maybe non-cancerous, depending on the functioning of the cells.

Adrenal glands are an important part of the body. These glands are present on the top of our kidney and are in triangular shape. It releases all kinds of hormones which are important for the metabolism of the human body. These hormones help the human body in many ways.

Causes of Adrenal Gland Tumour:

One of the main causes of adrenal gland tumour is the normal behaviour of any tumour. The tumour grows in the body and does not allow other organs to work properly, which results in many problems inside the body.

The tumour grows and grows and becomes a regular part of metabolism. It suppresses the other glands by not letting them do their work and obviously forming a cyst.

The other reason of these kinds of tumours can be that they release hormones which affect the body and may also result in cancer. These hormones are generally the androgens and estrogens which result in the early growth of many people.

Symptoms of Adrenal Gland Tumour:

People experience many symptoms before they get diagnosed with this tumour. These symptoms are clearly visible and one should take care of all the symptoms. If a person notices any of the symptoms, they should be directly admitted to the hospital.

The symptoms which are visible in a person having adrenal gland tumour are:

They might experience high blood pressure with a low potassium level.

They may experience heart palpitations, anxiety, or panic attacks.

The major signs are that they may experience abdominal pain, weakness, weight loss, or weight gain.

Other symptoms include abdominal stretch marks, excessive hair growth, changes in their genitalia, unusual acne, and also changes in libido.

Treatment for Adrenal Gland Tumour:

The adrenal gland tumour is mainly treated by surgery. The surgery is done by a specialist called endocrine surgeons. The surgery not only consists of many steps performed together by multidisciplinary team. They do the surgery and remove the cyst out of the body and also ensure that it does not return.

The surgery is known as Adrenalectomy, which removes a tumour from the adrenal gland. There is a team of endocrine surgeons who have come together to clear this tumour from the body.

Conclusion:

The adrenal gland tumour should be detected at an early stage so that it can be treated properly and cured at the right time. However, it is always advisable to consult the doctor or specialist before opting for any treatment or medicines.

Adrenal Gland Tumour - What Should You Know?

As men enter their middle age, many of them develop issues with their prostate gland. There are certain symptoms that would tell you that your prostate glands have stopped functioning smoothly. It is recommended that you opt for a thorough check up when you suspect something wrong. This is because untreated prostate issues can lead to prostate cancer later in life. To avoid such a situation, it is best to get it treated as soon as possible.

Here are certain common symptoms which would make you aware of the issues that might affect your prostate gland.

Bladder Discomfort: When you frequently start experiencing the feeling of your bladder not emptying completely, then it is time to consult an urologist for the problem. Such bladder discomforts are linked to prostate gland malfunctioning.
Increased frequency of urination: Ideally a person urinates around six to eight times a day. Depending on the intake of liquid or water it can even rise up to ten times. But if you are urinating more than ten to twelve times, then it is definitely a matter of concern and you should approach medical help for it.
Dribbling of urine: when you notice that the flow of urine is not stable and it starts dribbling for a long time, then you must understand that the prostate gland is not functioning properly. This is one of the earliest signs of prostate disorders.
Waking up frequently at night to use the washroom: It is not very normal to wake up frequently at night to use the washroom. But when you notice an increase in your trips to the washroom at night, it can be a sign of prostate malfunctioning.
Pain in penis or blood in the flow of urine: If you feel pain when you are trying to empty your bladder or anytime during the day, then it is a matter of concern. Similarly, if there is a flow of blood, even in the slightest, in your urine, then it is time to opt for a check up with your medical practitioner.
Hence, these are the major symptoms which reflect that the functioning of your prostate gland is not as smooth as it is supposed to be. If you can relate with any of these symptoms, ideally you must immediately consult your medical practitioner and take an expert opinion. Medical science has progressed a lot in contemporary times and prostate disorders are very much treated by medicines and procedures. It is a very much curable problem provided you get the right help at the right time.

Prostate Enlargement - 5 Signs You Are Suffering From it!

5 hidden causes of acne, revealed!

Acne is a skin condition that occurs when the openings of oil glands become clogged with oil and dead skin cells. Acne usually appears on the face, neck, chest, back and shoulders. The pimples and bumps heal slowly, and when one begins to disappear, others seem to crop up. Depending on its severity, acne can cause emotional distress and can also scar the skin. But what causes the recurrence of breakouts?

These are attributed to certain hidden causes, which are:

1. Your drug prescriptions

Steroids found in prescription drugs are a key offender, whether taken internally or topically. If taken internally, the offending ingredient will be listed as prednisone, which is the tablet form of steroid. Prednisone is used to treat inflammatory diseases like poison ivy, allergies and arthritis. If medications are taken topically, it could aggravate acne or cause steroid acne. Oral contraceptives are also a common cause of acne.

2. Your beauty routine

Acne caused by topical lotions, creams and makeup are known as acne cosmetica, commonly appearing on face, neck, hairline and scalp. Applying a product regularly to an acne-prone area can do more harm than good. Some people go to bed with ointments or oils in their hair that can get on the pillowcase and then rub on your face. It's best to put a clean towel over your pillowcase every night to prevent buildup.

3. Your cell phone

Cell phones gather all kinds of dirt and bacteria and are a big cause of acne on the chin and around the mouth. Wiping down the screen of your smartphones every day with alcohol or cleaning wipes will keep your phone and your face clean.

4. Using toothpaste to treat a zit

Certain toothpaste can actually cause you to develop acne or an acne-like eruption on the lower parts of your face, including your chin. Fluoride and other whitening and anti-cavity ingredients are quite abrasive and could potentially burn your skin, cause irritation and initiate breakouts.

5. Your workout gear

It's not the act of exercising that is causing breakouts but other issues. If you are using a communal yoga mat, you may be on the side that someone else's feet or perspiration had touched before, with the physical contact causing breakouts. It's best to put a clean towel over it before working out, even if it is your personal mat.

Also, workout gear that constantly rubs in a certain area can cause frictional acne. Constant rubbing ends up making you sweat, causing skin irritation and eventually developing into tiny red bumps. Though it looks like a heat rash, it is actually acne.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.
Related Tip: Do You Know that Dandruff Causes ACNE?

5 Hidden Causes of Acne, Revealed!

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