By Marc Courtiol Ulcers form because the protective lining of your stomach has become eroded. Often times, smaller ulcers can go undetected for many weeks or even months, but larger ulcers generally cause a lot of bleeding, which can be…
By Jamell Andrews Having too much stress in our lives is bad for our physical and mental health. While it is somewhat impractical (at least for most of us) to avoid having at least some stressors in our lives altogether,…
Candida, or candida albicans is a natural yeast that lives and grows in your gut. It is a single-celled yeast, which is essentially a type of fungus, and it is merely one type of the several hundred different species of…
By Marc Courtiol Acid reflux is an unpleasant and painful condition that many people suffer from. It happens when the stomach acids flow back up into the esophagus. Unfortunately, doctors’ prescriptions for it do have long-term side effects that are…
By Jamell Andrews Dysphagia is a word that sounds rather complicated; however, the explanation is fairly simple. Dysphagia is the medical terminology for difficulty swallowing, and in some cases people also experience pain when swallowing. In extreme cases, people may…
By Marc Courtiol There are a number of reasons why someone might need esophageal surgery. Cancer, esophageal diverticula, GERD, and certain motility disorders are all reasons why this type of surgery might be recommended by your doctor. Regardless of why…
Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) are medications prescribed by a doctor to control the symptoms of acid reflux disease or peptic ulcer. They work by stopping the stomach from producing acid, thus allowing the ulcer to heal – or in the…
By Cyndra Neal Antacids are easy to purchase over the counter – and using them is cheaper than going to the doctor for prescription medicine to help with that heartburn problem. But is it wise to simply pop an antacid…
By Jamell Andrews Esophageal cells are different from those that line the stomach. In a normal esophagus, pinkish-white tissues called squamous epithelium line the tube. Barrett’s esophagus is a condition in which the normal tissue lining has been replaced by…
Gastroparesis is a rather intimidating sounding name for a condition known as delayed gastric emptying. This is a disorder that causes the stomach to take too much time emptying its contents into the small intestine, and it occurs when the…