Flying the Friendly Skies

Flying the Friendly Skies
Flying with your refluxers (kids with reflux) this summer? Me too. I am planning ahead so the kids can keep to their eating routines and stay away from reflux trigger foods as much as possible.   In a way, it is probably a positive change that the airlines have stopped serving meals on most flights. The food often spent a long time traveling from the kitchen until it was served miles away on a plane, often with unpleasant results. Now...

High Medical Bills May be Dangerous for your Financial Health

High Medical Bills May be Dangerous for your Financial Health
High medical bills and job loss related to an illness are the cause of many foreclosures and bankruptcies in the United States. I don’t think the average person realizes that an illness can place a huge burden on your finances until you are faced with a sudden illness or a chronic illness such as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Those of us who are living with a chronic illness or struggling to care for a family member with a...

Colic Solved -- A book from Dr. Bryan Vartabedian

Dr. Bryan Vartabedian, pediatric gastroenterologist at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, is author of the book Colic Solved: The Essential Guide to Infant Reflux and the Care of Your Crying, Difficult-to-Soothe Baby published by Ballantine/Random House in 2007. HealthCentral.com talks to him about his book and what is has for parents of infants and children with acid reflux. HC: Explain your motivation for writing this book. ... Read more...

Infant Reflux Misrepresented in the Media

The media has a way of oversimplifying things. Look, for example, at the December 16, 2007 piece from the Baltimore Sun, Reflux Among Babies Often a Misdiagnosis. The article suggests that acid reflux in babies is "widely misdiagnosed and often overtreated with unnecessary doses of heartburn medicine developed for adults."   The piece rests on the results of a small, recently published retrospective study of the practices of... Read more...

Another Acid Reflux Friendly Meal Idea Part I

Another Acid Reflux Friendly Meal Idea Part I
Providing recipes for those with acid reflux can be tricky business. Individuals react differently to different foods, especially if their reflux is caused by food allergies or their reflux has caused a very sensitive stomach. However, I will keep sharing what works for my family, because as a mother of a young son with acid reflux disease, and another son who can eat anything he wants, coming up with menu ideas to suit everyone has been one...

Dr. Eisner Answers Your Questions About Acid Reflux

Can Ultram cause or worsen symptoms of GERD?   Ultram is a centrally acting pain relief medication that is commonly taken for chronic pain conditions, specifically back pain and arthritis. Ultram has many adverse effects, including gastrointestinal side effects of nausea, vomiting and constipation. These occur in 5-15% of patients taking Ultram. The effects are due to Ultram's decrease in gastrointestinal motility, slowing down... Complete news...

Does Standing Up While Eating Help?

Does Standing Up While Eating Help?
My son with reflux is now 6 years old. For the past several years, it seems my husband and I never get to the end of a meal without arguing with our son about sitting down while he finishes eating, because without fail, after the first half of his meal, my son always jumps up from his chair and begins to walk around the table, telling us that he is uncomfortable sitting down. My husband and I always attributed this behavior to the fact that...

Protecting Those Pearly Whites

Protecting Those Pearly Whites
If you or some one you care for has acid reflux disease, you may need to consider extra measures of tooth protection. Cavities, also called tooth decay, can be caused by a combination of factors, including acid reflux. Stomach acid is caustic, and if it makes its way to the mouth as a result of acid reflux, it can damage the teeth. The prevalence of dental erosions in the general population is estimated to be 2 - 18 percent, but has been...

Protecting Those Pearly Whites

If you or some one you care for has acid reflux disease, you may need to consider extra measures of tooth protection. Cavities, also called tooth decay, can be caused by a combination of factors, including acid reflux. Stomach acid is caustic, and if it makes its way to the mouth as a result of acid reflux, it can damage the teeth. The prevalence of dental erosions in the general population is estimated to be 2 - 18 percent, but has been... Further reading...

The Reflux Moms Top 10 Items to Bring to the Hospital

The Reflux Moms Top 10 Items to Bring to the Hospital
Is your infant or child scheduled for a test such as an endoscopy or a pH probe? It pays to follow the Boy Scout motto and “Be Prepared!” I have been to the hospital too many times for scheduled and unplanned visits with my refluxers and I have needed every one of the items on this list!     What I bring to the hospital:   Extra Food for your Picky Eater: Many hospitals, especially children’s...

Another Acid Reflux Friendly Meal Idea Part I

Providing recipes for those with acid reflux can be tricky business. Individuals react differently to different foods, especially if their reflux is caused by food allergies or their reflux has caused a very sensitive stomach. However, I will keep sharing what works for my family, because as a mother of a young son with acid reflux disease, and another son who can eat anything he wants, coming up with menu ideas to suit everyone has been one... Read more...

Obama's Pick for Secretary of Acid Reflux

Obama's Pick for Secretary of Acid Reflux
As President-Elect Obama puts together his cabinet, I hope his new team includes a Secretary of Acid Reflux. And while this may seem outrageous, just remember that the Constitution does not say which or how many executive departments should be created. It really is up to the President's discretion. So just in case the President-Elect is reading this, I have compiled a list of duties for his new team member, and I am providing a short list of...

Dr. Eisner Answers Your Questions About Acid Reflux

I recently reached menopause and was started on hormone replacement therapy and have noticed an increase in heartburn. Is there any relation?   It has long been known, that when women are pregnant, they have an increase in symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux symptoms. While some of this is due to the increase in intra-abdominal pressure related to the growing fetus, there is even an increase during the first trimester. This is felt to... Further reading...

Reflux Moms Earn More on Average

Reflux Moms Earn More on Average
On the eve of Mother’s Day, I logged on to the www.salary.com website to calculate my salary as a Reflux Mom. Each year, www.salary.com calculates the hourly pay of typical “jobs” performed by moms to come up with a yearly salary for a stay at home mom.     Did you ever pause long enough to consider all of the jobs you perform in a day as a Reflux Mom? The list is endless and we must multi task as fast as we can to...