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All Digestive Health Alerts

Ask the Doctor About Heartburn Treatment

It’s estimated that heartburn affects 10 to 20 percent of U.S. adults every day. If you’re in this group, you may be wondering, “When should I stop trying to treat my heartburn on my own with over-the-counter medications and see a doctor?” Here’s our advice. More...

Considering the Safety Concerns of Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs)

Each year, some 113 million people in the United States take stomach-acid-suppressing drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), making them among the nation's most widely prescribed medications. PPIs are the most powerful treatments currently available for a host of gastrointestinal problems, including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). More...

Here's What Works for IBS

If you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), there are a number of treatments available -- some with more evidence than others -- to help relieve symptoms. Which therapies are best for you depends in part on your symptoms and risk of side effects. It may also take some trial and error to find the most effective treatment(s). More...

IBS: Common and Frequently Misunderstood

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can be a frustrating condition for patients and doctors alike. Because IBS causes no physical abnormalities and its symptoms of abdominal pain, diarrhea, and/ or constipation are characteristic of many other digestive disorders, your doctor can diagnose IBS only after ruling out other causes. More...

Advice to Help You Avoid Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea

As with any medication, antibiotics carry the risk of digestive side effects. People taking antibiotics may develop mild diarrhea or a more serious bowel inflammation. For example, many women already know that a course of antibiotics can leave them susceptible to a vaginal yeast infection. But some researchers theorize that antibiotics can cause a yeast overgrowth in the digestive tract as well -- in both men and women. The likely result is diarrhea, making yeast overgrowth a possible cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. More...

Ask the Doctor About GERD

A reader of our Johns Hopkins Digestive Disorders White Paper asks, How long can I take a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)? Here’s our advice … More...

Depression & Celiac Disease: A Growing Problem

Physicians are diagnosing increasing numbers of patients with celiac disease -- including patients over age 50. For those with celiac disease, consuming gluten -- a protein found in wheat, barley and rye -- triggers a reaction in the intestines that decreases your body’s ability to absorb certain nutrients. If you have celiac disease, you may experience diarrhea, bloating, weight loss, anemia and vitamin deficiencies. More...

Signs and Symptoms of Gallstones

An estimated 20.5 million people in the United States have gallstones -- small, pebblelike substances that develop in the gallbladder. Between 70 and 80 percent are cholesterol gallstones, which are made up mostly of cholesterol. The remaining 20 to 30 percent are black- or brown-pigment gallstones, which have a much lower cholesterol content and are made primarily of bilirubin (a component of bile made by the liver). More...

Six Strategies to Protect Against Esophageal Cancer

Although esophageal cancer is relatively rare in the United States, the number of people diagnosed with esophageal cancer is rapidly increasing. Forty years ago, only four in 1 million people were diagnosed with esophageal adenocarcinoma -- the most common type of esophageal cancer—compared with 23 in 1 million people in 2001. More...

Primer on Hiatal Hernia

A hiatal hernia is one of the disorders that can arise in the upper digest tract and cause significant discomfort. If you are one of the 25 percent of people over age 50 who have a hiatal hernia, your lower esophageal sphincter and a small portion of your stomach have slipped through the opening in the diaphragm and are now protruding into your chest cavity. The resulting separation between the lower esophageal sphincter and the diaphragm weakens the barrier against reflux of acid from the stomach into the esophagus, increasing the risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and erosive esophagitis (damage to the lining of the esophagus). More...

What’s So Great About Fiber?

Dietary fiber may not be a "miracle" substance, but it’s close. People who eat enough fiber tend to be slimmer and are less likely to develop several chronic diseases. In addition, adding more fiber to your diet is standard advice for a variety of digestive ills, from constipation to irritable bowel syndrome. Yet the typical American takes in only 40 percent of the recommended level, according to the 2010 federal dietary recommendations. More...

Diagnosing Pancreatic Cancer: What to Expect

Even with standard treatments like radiation, chemotherapy and surgery, the prognosis for pancreatic cancer is bleak, and survival is generally measured in months instead of years. Fortunately, there are diagnostic tools that can help detect pancreatic cancer, especially for people with a family history of pancreatic cancer. More...

Antibiotics: How They Can Cause Diarrhea

Antibiotics have been widely used since World War II, and they've saved countless lives since then. Bacterial illnesses such as strep throat and urinary tract infections can be easily treated, often in three to 10 days. But as with any medication, antibiotics carry the risk of digestive side effects. People taking antibiotics may develop mild diarrhea or a more serious bowel inflammation. More...

Cirrhosis and Bacterial Infections: A Deadly Combination

Bacterial infections are common in people who have cirrhosis -- the development of scar tissue in the liver caused by any form of chronic liver disease. A new review article published online in the journal Gastroenterology suggests that these infections -- even after they've been treated -- can increase mortality in people with cirrhosis by nearly four-fold. More...

Eat More Fiber: Here’s Why

Fiber may not be a “miracle” substance … but it’s close. Fiber has been shown to help keep your heart healthy, and research suggests it may also help control your weight, reduce the risk of diabetes, keep your bowels regular and help with gastrointestinal issues. So if your typical day starts with coffee and a Danish, there’s good reason to switch to high-fiber cereal and fresh berries. More...

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