The burning sensation in your chest can be quite painful if you are lying down. You may feel it while you are asleep, but don’t be alarmed. Just make sure to stand up straight immediately and the gravity can help your esophagus clear the stomach acid.

THeVisualMD created an educational video that explains what doctors do see trough the camera on the thin tube, and how they detect polyps – the abnormal growths.

Read about colonoscopy and watch the video here – http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=inside-look-colonoscopy-video.

If you suffer from gastritis you should avoid any food or drink which upsets the stomach. Firstly, have a balanced diet and discover what foods and drinks your stomach is comfortable with.

A few generic tips are the following: Eat mildly flavored and easy to digest foods. Spicy food should be avoided, and milk should be consumed more because it can relieve your symptoms. It is suggested to have three servings per day of milk and dairy products. Choose low fat or fat-free dairy foods. Avoid spices as black and red pepper, chilies, chili powder, hot peppers as much as possible. Caffeine can increase the amount of stomach acid, so avoid foods with caffeine like green tea, cocoa, chocolate. Limit your consumption of tomatoes, peppermint, citrus juices, garlic, onions and cinnamon if they upset your stomach.

Try eating high fiber food like whole grains, cooked dried beans, fruits and vegetables with peels. Drunk 6 to 8 cups of water and liquids each day, caffeine-free drinks, low acid juices. Avoid smoked or cured meats.
Avoid alcohol completely and stop smoking, or at least cut it down as much as possible.

Avoid taking medication which has aspirin in it. Even painkillers can be harmful to your stomach at this point. Avoid steroid type drugs. If you need to take any kind of medication, consult your doctor or inform him about you condition.

Smoking, in a dose-dependent fashion, increases the risk of liver fibrosis in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). It does this without apparent increase in the histological inflammatory activity, shows a study published in the Journal of Hepatology, and European association for the study of the liver.

The conclusion is that PBC (Primary Biliary Cirrhosis) patients should not be encouraged to smoke.

“Smoking history data were collected from 223 PBC patients using a standardized questionnaire. Histological data were available in 164 patients at presentation… Smoking history prior to diagnosis was reported in 58 patients (26%). Twenty-five patients (11%) were active smokers at diagnosis. Male gender (OR, 4.5), alcohol intake > 20 g/d (OR, 4.2), and F3-F4 fibrosis stage (OR, 2.7), but not inflammatory grade, bile duct changes, biochemical or immunological features, were associated with smoking history.”, the study says.

“The gene makes the STAT3 protein, which controls hundreds of other genes important for cell survival, cell growth and promoting angiogenesis — the formation of new blood vessels. These are very important in relation to cancer. If you can target or block the actions of this STAT3 protein, you can potentially block the growth and survival of cancer (tumor) cells and the formation of new blood vessels, which feed tumors to help them grow,” explains the researcher Brendan Jenkins for the Age.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/how-can-genetic-research-help-beat-stomach-cancer-20110530-1fcfz.html#ixzz1Nxk7YziO

Hemorrhoids are easily cured, all you need is a change of lifestyle and diet. Watch this Howcast guide on how to prevent Hemorrhoids. Remember, you should always consult with your doctor when changing diet or if home treatment doesn’t help.

German Researchers find Remote-Controlled Capsule Endoscopy to be Safe and Effective.

Becker’s ASC Review Article by Jaimie Oh.  Read full Article Click Here.

Read the news release about the remote-controlled capsule endoscopy (pdf).

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