How many of you take a daily pill for chronic heartburn? Many Americans are bombarded with TV ads showing “the purple pills” such as Prilosec and Protonix, a couple of which are now OTC. These once-a-day stomach acid-suppressing proton pump inhibitors (“PPI” for short; generic names omeprazole, lansoprazole and other –azoles) really do work very well for acid reflux and heartburn, but many people mistakenly take these chronically instead of the recommended 2-4 weeks.… Read the rest
Monthly Archives: August 2010
Gastroenteritis: What You Need To Know
Case study: A 45 year old woman eats leftovers of sushi and salad (1 day in fridge). Two days later, she has diarrhea, stomach cramps, gas, and vomiting…
The Basics
Literally, gastroenteritis means “inflammation of the stomach”. This is the treaded traveler’s diarrhea, also known as Turista.
Health Inequalities Happen In All Countries
… Read the restA child born in a Glasgow, Scotland suburb can expect a life 28 years shorter than another living only 13 kilometres away. A girl in Lesotho is likely to live 42 years less than another in Japan. In Sweden, the risk of a woman dying during pregnancy and childbirth is 1 in 17 400; in Afghanistan, the odds are 1 in 8.
Pain Relief: Double Up!
Everyone experiences pain in their lives, whether it’s bumping a toe to a broken bone. And everyone has a favorite pain medicine they take. I just wanted people to know a couple pearls; first, there’s no need to not take your pain medicines before you see the doctor!… Read the rest
Tropical Travelers, Don’t Forget Malaria Pills
We are in the middle of the summer travel season, and many people are travelling to southern and tropical countries. Many of those areas have mosquitoes that can transmit malaria, a nasty parasite that can make people very sick. Malaria still kills about 1 million people a year worldwide — 85% of whom are children under 5.… Read the rest
Insect Repellents: Which Ones Work? Which Don't?
We are in the thick of mosquito season, and I’m sure we all have our favorite bug-killer products, from zappers to plug-ins. But what really works? I found a nice new resource from the good folks at the doctor-oriented Prescriber’s Letter; they have a free detail-document discussing what really works against skeeters.… Read the rest