Trick or Treat?

Trick or Treat?
Our producer at the HealthCentral Network recently sent an email to the acid reflux experts asking if anyone would be interested in writing a SharePost about trick or treating. I wrote back to let her know that I wouldn't be able to write about trick or treating, because our family had decided to opt out of the trick or treat ritual this year due to my son's acid reflux. Wise as usual, the producer wrote back that many families may be in the...

GERD Questions: Hiatal Hernia and Schatzki's ring

I suffer from reflux, underwent an upper GI series, and have been told that I have a paraesophageal hiatal hernia. I have an appointment with a gastroenterologist, but my internist said that I might need surgery. My symptoms aren't that bad. Should I be concerned?   Hiatal hernias are defects in the diaphragm that allow the stomach to slide up into the chest. While they can cause heartburn, generally this is controlled with medications... Continue reading...

Dr. Eisner answers your GERD questions: Best time to take Aciphex?

When is the best time to take my Aciphex?     Typically, the best time to take Aciphex and other proton pump inhibitors for gastroesophageal reflux disease are best taken in the morning. By doing so, acid suppression for 24 hours is commonly achieved. While most patients only need once a day therapy, some patients will need a second dose, usually before dinner. First generation proton pump inhibitors such as Prilosec, Prevacid and... Read more...

Dr. Eisner Answers Your GERD Questions: Swallowing Difficulty

Dr. Eisner Answers Your GERD Questions: Swallowing Difficulty
I have been experiencing a lot of difficulty swallowing and underwent an endoscopy that was normal. What can this be? While it was correct to undergo an upper endoscopy to look for structural lesions to explain difficulty swallowing such as cancers and strictures, the workup should not stop there. You may have a motility disorder of the esophagus, where abnormal contractions of the esophagus can effect swallowing. This can be evaluated at...

Positioning a Preemie baby with acid reflux (GERD)

Positioning a Preemie baby with acid reflux (GERD)
While handling babies with acid reflux can be tricky, handling premature babies with acid reflux can be trickier. That may be changing, however.   Two studies published last month in the Journal of Pediatrics have found that post-feed gastroesophageal reflux (GER) in preemies is increased when babies are placed in the right side down or supine positions. Both studies looked at acid reflux in 35-36 week premature babies using...

ASK THE EXPERT -- Prevacid for Acid Reflux in Children

ASK THE EXPERT -- Prevacid for Acid Reflux in Children
Our expert, Dr. Bryan Vartabedian, is a pediatric gastroenterologist and assistant professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, TX. He is the author of Colic Solved. Each month, he will answer selected reader questions about GERD and infants, children, teens and their parents. If you want to submit a question, write a SharePost here.   Q: Six months ago, my 8-year-old daughter started...

Sleeping Separately

If you're feeling sleep deprived as a result of living with someone with acid reflux disease, sometimes you need to be creative to get the sleep you need. This is especially true if you are interested in being a good partner or parent.   According to the National Sleep Foundation, twenty three percent of married couples have already come to this same conclusion - sometimes they have to sleep solo in order to get the rest they... Complete news...

New Treatment May Help Barrett's Esophagus

Barrett's esophagus can result from ongoing heartburn, which allows a constant splashing of acid from the stomach into the esophagus. Left untreated, the condition can progress to esophagus cancer. Now, a new method, called cryoablation therapy, is available to freeze damaged cells in the esophagus, preventing them from turning cancerous.   Gastroenterologists at the University of Southwestern Medical Center, and a few other sites around... Further reading...

Dr. Eisner answers your GERD questions: Best time to take Aciphex?

Dr. Eisner answers your GERD questions: Best time to take Aciphex?
When is the best time to take my Aciphex?     Typically, the best time to take Aciphex and other proton pump inhibitors for gastroesophageal reflux disease are best taken in the morning. By doing so, acid suppression for 24 hours is commonly achieved. While most patients only need once a day therapy, some patients will need a second dose, usually before dinner. First generation proton pump inhibitors such as Prilosec, Prevacid and...

Positioning a Preemie baby with acid reflux (GERD)

While handling babies with acid reflux can be tricky, handling premature babies with acid reflux can be trickier. That may be changing, however.   Two studies published last month in the Journal of Pediatrics have found that post-feed gastroesophageal reflux (GER) in preemies is increased when babies are placed in the right side down or supine positions. Both studies looked at acid reflux in 35-36 week premature babies using... Read more...

AAP Recommends Doubling Vitamin D Intake

Throughout the week Jan will be updating the community in a series of posts on the latest research from the American Academy of Pediatrics Conference. Read her first update live update from the AAP.   Live From the AAP Conference: AAP Recommends Doubling Vitamin D Intake   The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released new recommendations today for vitamin D intake. The AAP now recommends doubling the daily intake of vitamin D... Read more...

Dr. Eisner Answers Your GERD Questions: Barrett's Esophagus

I was a long-time sufferer with heartburn and was diagnosed with Barrett's esophagus a few years ago. While my symptoms have been under control, I worry about esophageal cancer. Do any drugs prevent the development of esophageal cancer in patients with Barrett's esophagus?    It has long been felt that medications could not prevent the progression of Barrett's esophagus to cancer. Initial reports of a current study in progress in the... Continue reading...

Nexium Approved for Children – 5 Reasons It’s Important

The FDA recently approved the use of Nexium in children down to age one year. What does this mean for kids and how will it change the way we look at reflux?   1. Awareness. The education for physicians and direct-to-consumer advertising that we all expect from Astra-Zeneca should raise awareness that reflux is alive and well in childhood. Amen.  2. Comfort. FDA approval is often the stamp of approval that some doctors need... Further reading...

Dr. Eisner Answers Your GERD Questions: Barrett's Esophagus

Dr. Eisner Answers Your GERD Questions: Barrett's Esophagus
I was a long-time sufferer with heartburn and was diagnosed with Barrett's esophagus a few years ago. While my symptoms have been under control, I worry about esophageal cancer. Do any drugs prevent the development of esophageal cancer in patients with Barrett's esophagus?    It has long been felt that medications could not prevent the progression of Barrett's esophagus to cancer. Initial reports of a current study in progress in the...

Sleeping Separately

Sleeping Separately
If you're feeling sleep deprived as a result of living with someone with acid reflux disease, sometimes you need to be creative to get the sleep you need. This is especially true if you are interested in being a good partner or parent.   According to the National Sleep Foundation, twenty three percent of married couples have already come to this same conclusion - sometimes they have to sleep solo in order to get the rest they...

Dr. Eisner answers your GERD questions: Best time to take Aciphex?

Dr. Eisner answers your GERD questions: Best time to take Aciphex?
When is the best time to take my Aciphex?     Typically, the best time to take Aciphex and other proton pump inhibitors for gastroesophageal reflux disease are best taken in the morning. By doing so, acid suppression for 24 hours is commonly achieved. While most patients only need once a day therapy, some patients will need a second dose, usually before dinner. First generation proton pump inhibitors such as Prilosec, Prevacid and...

Acid Reflux and Exercise

Several of you have written to the HealthCentral Network, inquiring if acid reflux should prevent you from doing physical exercise. One individual who wrote in was especially concerned because he is enlisted as a Marine, and his job requires frequent physical activity. For those of you wondering about the relationship between acid reflux and exercise, here are some of the findings from the latest research:   1) Physical exercise increases... Read more...

ASK THE EXPERT -- Prevacid for Acid Reflux in Children

Our expert, Dr. Bryan Vartabedian, is a pediatric gastroenterologist and assistant professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, TX. He is the author of Colic Solved. Each month, he will answer selected reader questions about GERD and infants, children, teens and their parents. If you want to submit a question, write a SharePost here.   Q: Six months ago, my 8-year-old daughter started... Further reading...

Positioning a Preemie baby with acid reflux (GERD)

While handling babies with acid reflux can be tricky, handling premature babies with acid reflux can be trickier. That may be changing, however.   Two studies published last month in the Journal of Pediatrics have found that post-feed gastroesophageal reflux (GER) in preemies is increased when babies are placed in the right side down or supine positions. Both studies looked at acid reflux in 35-36 week premature babies using... Read more...

A Weekend at the Beach

A Weekend at the Beach
  So many aspects of our family life have been fundamentally altered by our son's acid reflux disease and food allergies. Our summer weekend at the beach was no exception.   Instead of strolling through beach-side shops filled with foods our son couldn't eat, we played miniature golf. A family night out at a pizza parlor was replaced by a trip to the health food store and a meal prepared at our home-away-from-home. We...

Six Things the Teacher Needs to Know about Your Child

A new school year means new routines for you, your child, and your child's teacher. If your child is living with acid reflux, below are six things you may wish to share with your child's teacher. Our own meeting with our son's teacher was just last week, so I thought I would share our experience while my notes were still fresh...   1) Small, frequent meals work better. Translated to a school setting, this may mean that a mid-morning snack... Complete news...

The Croup/Reflux Connection

The Croup/Reflux Connection
A study released this week found a connection between chronic croup and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. You may have heard of croup, a common viral illness in infants and toddlers with a characteristic barking cough. In most cases, croup comes on suddenly in the middle of the night.     A Croup/Reflux Story   Whenever I think of croup and reflux, I think of a Reflux Mom I know who kept calling me about her toddler. Usually...