Regardless of what the name suggests, heartburn is not at all medically related to any part of the heart. Heartburn is a rather common condition caused as a result of acidic activities in the stomach. Some symptoms of heartburn, however, are pretty identical to those of a heart disease. Heartburn is caused as a result of the forceful movement of the stomach contents and the stomach acids being pushed back into the esophagus. The term esophagus in layman’s language can be understood as the food pipe. The process brings into existence a burning sensation and pain in the lower chest, upper abdomen or below the breastbone. If the condition occurs more than twice a week it can diagnosed as GERD. GERD is the abbreviation for the term Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. Read on to know all that you need to about heartburn.
Symptoms
Some of the common symptoms of heartburn include continuous cough, pain in upper part of the abdomen and lower chest, problem in swallowing, and burning sensation in the food pipe and heart, etc.
Causes
The lower esophageal sphincter makes sure that the stomach acid remains in the stomach. It is situated at the meeting point of the esophagus and the stomach. The said muscular valve is designed to keep the contents of the stomach in place. The lower esophageal sphincter does this job with the help of gravity. It opens to let the food into the stomach or allow belching. But if the lower esophageal sphincter opens up often or doesn’t close tightly enough, the contents of the stomach get pushed back into the esophagus, causing the sensation of inflammation. Eating a heavy meal or lifting heavy weights can cause heartburn. Major causes of heartburn are lifestyle related. In the United States of America, 20% of the total population suffers from heartburn at least once a week. The condition is more common among pregnant women and overweight people.
Diagnosis
The doctor after sufficient tests and diagnosis will determine if the symptoms need further treatment. A few of these tests include endoscopy, Upper GI series tests, and ambulatory pH testing.
Prevention
The prevention and precautions are both mostly lifestyle related. Rather than indulging in a single big meal, it would be advisable to enjoy small meals every now and then through the day.
Exercising immediately after eating is a big no. Make sure you leave a gap of at least four hours after you’ve eaten, if you want to exercise. Smoking interferes with the lower esophageal sphincter. So if you do smoke, then you will have to stop in order to avoid heartburn. Also, make sure you maintain an appropriate weight. Obesity leads to heartburn too!
Diet is an important part of a type 2 diabetes treatment plan. Depending on the diabetes diagnosis and the current diet plan, one might need to make minor changes to the diet or a complete revamping of the same.
The right diet for type 2 Diabetes
The ideal diet for type 2 diabetes includes more fiber and less fatty and refined foods. There aren’t many difficult diet adjustments that people with type 2 diabetes need to make. The diet plan is easy to follow. But yes, one needs to be careful about what you eat.
Foods to eat –
Foods to avoid –
Other tips –
Along with a healthy diet, one needs to exercise regularly to control the blood sugar. Otherwise, the type 2 diabetes treatment may not work well. It is possible to manage the condition without any diabetes medication with just the right diet and exercise plan.
Regular toys for kids are a thing of the past these days where technology has replaced every single aspect of our lives. Today, exclusive kids’ electronics have become very popular in the market, and are being used for both entertainment and learning purposes. They are instrumental in shaping the childhood of kids through an interactive way of gaining knowledge. Some kids’ electronics that are being purchased all over the world include the following products:
Mouth cancer is caused due to rapid, uncontrolled growth of cells within the local region of your mouth. When cancer starts spreading to other areas of the mouth, neck, and head, the condition is referred to as metastatic mouth cancer.
In metastatic mouth cancer, the cells grow out of control due to mutation and destroy healthy cells in the vicinity. Cancer can also spread to other parts of the body using the circulatory or lymph node system in severe cases. In most cases, cancer is detected at a later stage that reduces the chances of survival.
Common signs and symptoms of mouth cancer
All these symptoms commonly affect your lips, gums, tongue, the lining, roof, and floor of your mouth. They are identifiable in the early stages of the condition when you go for a routine dental checkup. However, the symptoms are far more severe once cancer reaches the lymph nodes. Treatment at this stage often yields poor results as the body is unable to cope with the rapid cell growth and good tissue degradation
Diagnosis and treatment options for metastatic mouth cancer
A physical examination will reveal the abnormalities in your mouth. Diagnosis includes the removal of tissue for further analysis and laboratory testing to determine the extent of the damage. Sentinel node biopsy is a common and effective diagnostic procedure. The tests are done to determine the stage of mouth cancer as advanced stages of metastasis cannot be cured. Alternative methods for diagnosis include the use of the camera in endoscopy and imaging tests including X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, and PET scans to determine viable treatment options.
Treatment options
The stage and location of the mouth cancer will also determine the type of treatment options to make the condition to a certain extent. In the earlier stages, surgery is a viable option to remove the tumor and reconstruct areas of your mouth due to cancer.
In advanced stages of cancer, medical professionals recommend radiation therapy that uses high energy beams to kill the cancer cells. Chemotherapy is an alternative to radiation and uses chemicals to destroy the cancer cells to prevent the mutation from spreading. Targeted medications are also used in combination with chemotherapy and radiation therapy to gradually destroy the cancerous cells.