| Acid reflux and GERD: Are they the same thing?
Acid reflux is one cause of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a disease in which stomach acid or, occasionally, bile flows back (refluxes) into your food pipe (esophagus). Because GERD may also be caused by bile reflux, the term "acid reflux disease" is more specific in describing the cause. But it doesn't describe the body part affected by the acid reflux. Most doctors prefer "GERD" because it's a more comprehensive term. Drug companies that market and sell acid-suppressing medications, however, often prefer to use "acid reflux disease." .
Heavily Advertised Drugs Not Always Best Option
MADISON, Wis. -- The pharmaceutical industry spends billions of dollars a year advertising drugs directly to people, but Consumer Reports said the most highly promoted drugs are not necessarily the best choice. Lunesta is the most heavily advertised prescription drug, but plenty of others get air time, like the acid reflux drug Nexium and the asthma medication Advair. Those ad campaigns are reaching their target audience, according to Consumer Reports' chief medical advisor Dr. Marvin Lipman. Lipman reviewed a survey of 39,000 patients and 335 doctors to see what kind of requests doctors get in a typical week. "Seventy-eight percent of the physicians we surveyed said they've gotten, 'I saw it on TV' requests," Lipman said. The most frequently requested prescriptions were for insomnia, acid reflux, impotence and allergies.
Health: Cardiovascular Disease
Cardiovascular disease kills nearly a half a million women every year.Detecting the disease isn't always easy because the warning signs for women aren't always recognized.Heart Disease, millions of Americans face it, and many don't know they have it until they suffer an attack.Most heart attacks start slowly with mild pain or discomfort. At the onset of Lydia's attack, she had shortness of breath and new to get help. But for many women their symptoms aren't so typical."Their symptom complex is different. It's different than the classic training we all received as medical student," said Cardiologist Matthew DeCaro. Cardiologist Matthew DeCaro at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital says symptoms in women can be different from what men feel.Classic symptoms to look for include;- Chest pain or heavy pressure in your chest- Arm numbness- And shortness of breath.Some of the less recognized symptoms that women often experience;- Indigestion- Nausea- Fatigue- And dizziness."If you're having symptoms that you think are potentially heart related you shouldn't wait at all.
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