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All Digestive Health Alerts

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...

Treating Celiac Disease in Adults: What the Research Suggests

People with celiac disease are sensitive to gluten, a component of wheat and other grains. Celiac disease was once thought to be rare in the United States, but research now shows that about one in 100 Americans has celiac. Many people don’t know they have celiac disease, either because they or their doctors have attributed the symptoms to another illness or because they have no symptoms. More...

Fighting Pancreatic Cancer: Treatments on the Horizon

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers, with a five-year survival rate of only about 4 to 5 percent. That’s because tumors in the pancreas may grow rapidly without any symptoms at first and are often not detected until they have progressed to an advanced stage. More...

The Fiber Conundrum

Bulking up on fiber is good for you, but fiber can cause digestive problems. Does this question sound familiar: I'm trying to eat more fresh fruits and raw vegetables, but I have difficulty digesting them. Why is this, and what can I do? Here’s our advice … More...

Acute Pancreatitis -- Painful and Hard to Miss

Each year, approximately 210,000 people in the United States suffer a bout of acute pancreatitis or inflammation of the pancreas. When inflamed, the digestive enzymes produced by the pancreas become active within the pancreas instead of in the small intestine as they should. As a result, the pancreas starts to attack itself. More...

Are Medications Making Your GERD Worse?

If you have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), you probably know that certain foods like chocolate, onions, or tomatoes can make your GERD symptoms worse. The same is true for certain medications. More...

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