When things go wrong in the digestive system
Digestive disorders encompass a wide array of conditions that affect the gastrointestinal tract, from the mouth to the anus. These digestive disorders vary in severity from the minor annoyance of mild heartburn to potentially life-threatening illnesses, such as a perforated ulcer.
Approximately 70 million Americans are affected by digestive disorders, which prompt nearly 60 million visits to doctors, outpatient care facilities, and emergency departments. Although digestive disorders can… More...
For most of the 20th century, peptic ulcers were rarely cured. The reigning theory said that ulcers resulted from psychological stress and dietary factors (such as spicy foods), and patients were routinely hospitalized, told to get bed rest, and instructed to eat a bland diet. Doctors later added excess stomach acid to the list of potential causes for peptic ulcers, and patients typically received long-term therapy with medications that reduced stomach acid or blocked its… More...
What works and what’s harmful when it comes to constipation.
According to the American College of Gastroenterology, Americans make at least 2.5 million visits to the doctor for constipation each year. Because constipation is so ubiquitous and has been noted since ancient times, there are many widely held beliefs and myths about its treatments and consequences -- beliefs that have persisted, despite the absence of medical evidence to prove they are true. … More...
Diverticulosis and diverticulitis are found most often in affluent industrialized countries, where low-fiber diets are popular. Here’s discussion of this common condition.
As we age, most of us develop small pouches (diverticula) that bulge outward through weak points in the wall of the large intestine -- a condition termed diverticulosis. The condition is present in about half of Americans between the ages of 60 and 80, and in virtually everyone older than 80. A disorder called… More...
Some people find gas -- and the belching (burping), flatulence, and stomach bloating that go with it -- an embarrassing subject, but it’s actually a normal occurrence. In fact, the human body produces between one and four pints of gas a day, which it releases via the mouth or the rectum about 14 times a day. More...
If you suffer from indigestion, you’re not alone. Indigestion accounts for roughly 70% of all gastrointestinal complaints.
Every year Americans spend millions on medications for dyspepsia, a catchall term for an assortment of upper abdominal symptoms -- including pain, bloating, and burping -- commonly referred to as indigestion. At any given time, about one fourth of American adults suffer from some degree of indigestion. Indeed, indigestion accounts for 5% of all office visits to primary care doctors and up to a More...
Although dairy products are ubiquitous in the Western diet (and a common source of calcium), a large portion of the population has at least some difficulty digesting milk and foods made with milk. In fact, this condition—called lactose intolerance—affects up to 50 million Americans. But its extent varies widely by race and ethnicity. People of Northern European descent are affected less frequently than blacks, American Indians, and Asian-Americans. More...
Finding a cure for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a gastrointestinal disorder marked by abdominal pain and altered bowel habits, has been elusive. Affecting some 45 million Americans and up to 12% of those over age 50, IBS is more common than heart disease, diabetes, depression, or asthma. For some people with IBS, symptoms are no more than an annoying but manageable nuisance. For many others, however, the misery quotient is More...
About 15 million Americans have been diagnosed with ulcers that affect the digestive system. Gastric ulcers are deep, nonhealing mucosal defects in the stomach, usually in the antrum. Duodenal ulcers are nonhealing defects in the mucosal lining of the duodenum, usually in the duodenal bulb. This type of ulcer tends to affect young people, especially males, and has a prolonged clinical course with periodic relapses. The term “peptic ulcers” refers to both types of ulcers. More...
In September 2003, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ruled that a prescription would no longer be required to purchase the heartburn medication Prilosec (omeprazole), the agency placed directly into the hands of consumers one of the most effective medications available for heartburn. Introduced as a prescription medication in 1988, Prilosec belongs to a group of heartburn medications known as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). More...
2008 Digestive Disorders White Paper The latest news and breakthroughs to help you relieve your symptoms if you suffer from: acid reflux (GERD), sour stomach, peptic ulcers, Barrett's esophagus, gastritis, gallstones, diarrhea, constipation, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis. PLUS, get your special discount and FREE Special Report: Good News For Your Gut through this exclusive web-only offer. Read more or order the DIGITAL EDITION Read more or order the PRINT EDITION
Other Titles of Interest
2008 Colon Cancer White Paper lthough colon cancer is the third most common cause of cancer overall in the US, and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths, it's one of the most curable of all cancers when diagnosed and treated in its early stages. In The Johns Hopkins White Paper: Colon Cancer, specialists from Johns Hopkins Medicine report in-depth on the latest colon cancer screening tests, prevention strategies, and treatments. Read more or order the DIGITAL DOWNLOAD Read more or order the PRINT EDITION
The Johns Hopkins Medical Guide to Health After 50 A comprehensive home medical encyclopedia that gives you a “crash course” on more than 100 major medical concerns of men and women over 50! Organized in an easy-to-use A to Z format, the Medical Guide provides in-depth explanations of the many chronic health problems associated with aging – high blood pressure, stroke, high cholesterol, coronary heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, dementia, memory loss, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and gallstones, to name but a few.Read more or order...
Johns Hopkins Symptoms and Remedies This easy-to-use reference book can help you pinpoint the causes of hundreds of disorders, from abdominal pain to skin rash to swollen glands. The book is divided into two distinct sections: symptoms, which includes charts covering a wide range of common symptoms and possible diagnoses, and disorders, which discusses the disorder, its causes, prevention advice, treatment strategies, and other crucial information so you will be able to either treat yourself at home, or know when it's time to call a doctor. Read more or order...
The Johns Hopkins Consumer Guide to Drugs Contains drug profiles on more than 750 medications–both prescription and over-the-counter, most commonly used by people over 50, all presented in our unique page-at-a-glance format, designed with you in mind, the busy person who wants the most reliable health information available at your fingertips. Your guide also includes an invaluable overview of dietary supplements and how they can interact with certain medications, the dangers of taking your pills with grapefruit juice, and more. Read more...
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