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Staying Healthy All Year Around

Everyone wants to be healthy. Unfortunately, unless you take active steps to maintain your health, as you get older, it is likely to deteriorate. I discovered this the hard way. For many years, I avoided visiting the doctor and I didn't really pay attention to my diet. As a result, I developed a number of medical conditions. Thankfully, the staff at my local healthcare clinic were able to help me to recover. From the moment I called and booked my first appointment, to the day of my surgery, the doctors and nurses supported me and explained every step of the treatment plan. I hope you like my blog.

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Staying Healthy All Year Around

Your Heartburn May Not Be a Trivial Issue

by Samuel Henderson

Do you seem to suffer with heartburn more often than usual? It's a familiar experience for healthy people to undergo the uncomfortable symptoms after a eating a large meal, or consuming too much spicy food, alcohol or coffee. Occasional heartburn can be treated quite satisfactorily with antacids to gain relief.

However, if your heartburn is more constant and occurs more than twice a week, it is certainly not trivial and needs investigation. Here's what you need to know about this distressing issue and how you can gain relief from those aggravating symptoms.

Understand What is Happening

The heartburn occurs when acidic stomach contents come back up into the oesophagus, causing a burning sensation in the throat or chest.

Persistent heartburn is known as gastroesophageal reflux disease or GORD and may ultimately lead to more serious health issues.

Determine the Severity of Your Symptoms

Ask yourself these questions to help identify the extent of your heartburn symptoms and if you need to take steps to gain the right treatment. Do you experience:

  • a painful sensation behind your breastbone that moves upwards from the stomach
  • a burning feeling at the back of the throat
  • a bitter, sour taste in your mouth
  • antacids providing only temporary and unsatisfactory relief

If you find that you are afflicted by these symptoms several times a week, then it is considered that you almost certainly suffer from acid re-flux or GORD, and should seek a doctor's advice.

Know What to Expect from the Doctor's Visit

If your doctor suspects that you have GORD, but the symptoms are mild, then some prescription medication may be all that is needed.

Proton-pump inhibitors are used successfully in many cases and create only slight, if any, side-effects. They are designed to reduce the amount of acid that is produced in the stomach.

If your symptoms are more severe, it is very likely that you will be referred to a gastroenterologist. who will perform an endoscopy.

Understand There is No Need for Alarm

If you need to have an endoscopy you can feel completely confident that the procedure will be straightforward and painless.

It is usually performed in the day patient section of a hospital or specialist gastroenterology unit. Usually you will be given a local anesthetic and sedative to help you relax. You may be slightly aware of what is going on but will not remember much. about the procedure at all.

The specialist uses a camera on the end of a thin, flexible tube (endoscope) inserted through the mouth, to examine the oesophagus and stomach.

After the procedure you are usually kept under observation for about an half an hour. Because of possible after effects of the sedation medication, you will need a person to drive you home or catch a taxi

A gastroenterologist, like one from Diagnostic Endoscopy Centre, will use the results to determine your best treatment plan.

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