| Hidden Symptoms of GERD
Nearly half of all Americans suffer from gastroesphageal reflux disease, with the biggest symptom being heartburn. But there are other symptoms of gerd that may cause misdiagnosis. KPLC's Laila Morcos has more on the disease and what to look for. General Vascular and Thoracic Surgeon Ronald Kober is the answer to many patient's prayers. "At least 40 to 50 percent of Americans suffer from heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease," says Dr. Kober. Heartburn is the most common symptom of gerd. But about 20 percent of people with acid reflux have no symptoms of heartburn. "Frequently they're misdiagnosed as having upper respiratory tract infections, asthma and sinusitis," says Dr. Kober, which can be very dangerous. He says, "It can lead to significant complications, ulcerations and internal bleeding.")) Dr.
Heartburn Pills May Harm Hips QUESTION:
I saw part of a news story on TV that said people who take Nexium (and similar drugs) for a year or more are at greater risk of bone-density loss and have more bone fractures. I have been taking Nexium for heartburn for almost a year and a half. I have had a knee replacement and a total hip replacement. I did not get the details of who did the study and how. I want to ask my gastroenterologist if I can stop taking Nexium, but I would like to be able to give him some details. Can you supply them? Next: The facts > .
Income trusts getting tasty returns
Income trusts might have given some investors indigestion, but their double-digit returns are still very much in favour with those seeking a high-yield investment. Income trusts swooned after Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's announcement last fall that existing trusts would be subject to a four-year transition period, after which they would be subject to a 31.5-per-cent corporate tax. That was sufficient to send trusts, with the exception of real estate investment trusts (REITs), which were exempt from Flaherty's ruling, into a tailspin. On Nov. 14, two weeks after Flaherty's announcement, income trusts had skidded to a 22.6-per-cent loss that erased billions of dollars in market value and stopped others - primarily Telus Corp. and BCE Inc. - dead in their tracks.
Precision-Guided Cancer Weapons
In early 2005, Phil Ogden noticed he was having trouble swallowing food and went to a doctor, thinking he might have acid reflux. The news was far worse. The 66-year-old retired cop from Modesto, Calif., had esophageal cancer, and it had already spread to nearby lymph nodes. Dr. Albert Koong, a radiation oncologist with Stanford University's Comprehensive Cancer Center, asked if Ogden would mind being the first person to undergo a new type of radiation treatment. "The doctor said: 'For the first time in history, we can bomb the equivalent of an outhouse from 30,000 feet with no collateral damage,'" Ogden recalls. .
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