One of my loyal readers and my current business trip to Dallas prompted today’s topic – ulcers. Over the past two days, my cuisine has consisted of spicy Thai, Indian, and Mexican food. People are always amazed at my preference and tolerance for spicy food because they associate spicy foods with ulcers. Contrary to popular belief, spicy foods do not cause peptic ulcers. If they did, I probably would be hospitalized.
Peptic ulcers are a common medical problem and a frequent diagnosis in the emergency department. Patients can present with a variety of complaints, but the most serious is bleeding within the gastrointestinal tract. Let’s take a good look at peptic disease.
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It’s wintertime. A time for gentle snowfall. Taking brisk walks while holding hands with the one we love. And for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). WHAT? How can we go from light fluffy snow to irritable bowels? That’s because during the winter season, not only do we change our exercise patterns, but we also change our eating patterns. Washing down some Super Bowl pizza with a soft drink while waiting on that fresh plate of Cajun deviled eggs really might just take its toll. Not only on your waistline, but your bowel mechanics. Does this sound familiar: pain, bloating and diarrhea? This may be due to a change in eating habits during this time of the year, yet this may be a more chronic problem. Your health care provider may diagnose you with IBS.
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It may be more than what you ate.
Abdominal pain is a common complaint seen in Emergency Departments on a daily basis, but is a concern that can be easily addressed by a health care provider through a simple evaluation to determine the specific cause.
Many causes resulting in abdominal pain include a simple upset stomach, heartburn, appendicitis, bowel obstruction, kidney stone, urinary tract infection, ovarian cyst or diverticular disease. If the more serious concern of diverticular disease is diagnosed, then treatment should begin. Let’s look a little more closely at this fairly common problem and treatment options.
Are you getting bombarded with those department store flyers, attempting to catch your eye with sales on the latest and greatest outdoor grills? WAIT…because before you invest in a super Weber grill, it’s important that you educate yourself on the safety of handling and grilling food for your summer parties. One outbreak of food poisoning, such as salmonella, is a sure way to have your guest list cut in half at your next gathering. So clean off those grills, prepare the marinade sauce, and let’s get ready for a healthy summer of “safe grilling!”
What is food poisoning? Food poisoning is a gastrointestinal (GI) illness that we develop after eating contaminated or improperly cooked food. The symptoms may be short lived and are generally not life threatening, just very unpleasant.
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