Recent Blog Articles
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/15477/conversions/59f61b05-2e23-463a-a0f7-b8aef6addd73-micro.jpg)
Testosterone-blocking drugs boost heart disease risk when given in combination
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/15472/conversions/9f706d6e-3ba5-441f-a1ce-d93af96cdb5d-micro.jpg)
Parenting isn't easy: Two important skills can help
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/14937/conversions/fcff561e-5fc9-4fbd-aac0-b9ea3778052b-micro.jpg)
Does sleeping with an eye mask improve learning and alertness?
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/15415/conversions/2acee670-1e43-413e-a07b-437512d22803-micro.jpg)
Do tattoos cause lymphoma?
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/14051/conversions/dea50ed5-99ea-4779-aa5b-56fae11aaa92-micro.jpg)
Hot weather hikes: Staying safe when temperatures spike
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/15405/conversions/f22b5f3d-fd64-479d-b10a-b2409347f160-micro.jpg)
Cannabis drinks: How do they compare to alcohol?
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/15404/conversions/ccd2e44a-96c4-492f-a05c-c2706549efc0-micro.jpg)
What is Lewy body dementia?
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/15083/conversions/2fa8315b-f48e-43fb-8b56-d681a1715343-micro.jpg)
Dog bites: How to prevent or treat them
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/15386/conversions/33679f9f-8065-4e13-a188-2ca67472b36f-micro.jpg)
Ever read your medical record? Here's why you should
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/14810/conversions/778f3d8c-0b73-420c-8d03-e8542d49660d-micro.jpg)
Shining light on night blindness
Digestive Health Archive
Articles
Gastroparesis: A slow-emptying stomach can cause nausea and vomiting
Gastroparesis is a condition that causes delay in the emptying of food from the stomach. This can cause uncomfortable symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, and can affect nutrition and quality of life. Treatment may involve medication or a procedure, but a correct diagnosis is necessary first.
Keep ultra-processed foods off the menu
Inflammatory bowel disease on the rise in older adults
Battle of the bulges
Adjusting gut bacteria may improve response to cancer treatment
Facts about fiber
Five lifestyle factors that can help prevent gastroesophageal reflux disease
Is IBD an underrecognized health problem in minority groups?
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a treatable condition once considered a disease that largely affects people who are white, although in recent years it has been diagnosed more often in other racial and ethnic groups, in the US and around the world. Recognizing this condition early can make a difference in care and quality of life.
Harvard researchers: Pill-free approaches help control heartburn
News briefs
Living a healthy lifestyle may be one of the best things you can do to tame the heartburn of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), suggests a research letter published online Jan. 4, 2021, by JAMA Internal Medicine. Harvard researchers analyzed the self-reported health information of about 43,000 middle-aged women who were followed for 10 years. Women who adhered to five healthy lifestyle factors, regardless of whether they took heartburn medication, appeared to prevent nearly 40% of their GERD symptoms each week. The pill-free approaches included maintaining a healthy body weight (a body mass index between 18.5 and 24.9); not smoking; getting 30 minutes daily of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity; limiting coffee, tea, or soda to no more than 2 cups per day; and eating a healthy diet. "Each one of these factors may prevent the inappropriate relaxation of the sphincter muscle between the stomach and the esophagus, helping to keep acid from refluxing up and causing heartburn. For example, carrying extra weight around the waist can push on the stomach, forcing stomach acid up into the esophagus," says Dr. Raaj S. Mehta, lead author of the study and a gastroenterology fellow at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.
Image: © kate_sept2004/Getty Images
Gut check: How the microbiome may mediate heart health
Your cholesterol and other factors linked to cardiovascular health may be influenced by the bacteria in your belly.
The roughly 38 trillion bacteria that dwell deep within your intestines perform many important tasks. Collectively known as the gut microbiota, these microbes help digest food, metabolize medications, and protect you from infectious organisms.
In many ways, your gut microbiota — which weighs about half a pound in total — functions somewhat like a distinct organ in your body. Just as you have a unique genome, you also have a unique gut microbiome, consisting of some eight million genes that control your microbiota. Scientists are still learning how the composition and diversity of the gut microbiome influence the health of the cardiovascular system.
Recent Blog Articles
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/15477/conversions/59f61b05-2e23-463a-a0f7-b8aef6addd73-micro.jpg)
Testosterone-blocking drugs boost heart disease risk when given in combination
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/15472/conversions/9f706d6e-3ba5-441f-a1ce-d93af96cdb5d-micro.jpg)
Parenting isn't easy: Two important skills can help
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/14937/conversions/fcff561e-5fc9-4fbd-aac0-b9ea3778052b-micro.jpg)
Does sleeping with an eye mask improve learning and alertness?
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/15415/conversions/2acee670-1e43-413e-a07b-437512d22803-micro.jpg)
Do tattoos cause lymphoma?
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/14051/conversions/dea50ed5-99ea-4779-aa5b-56fae11aaa92-micro.jpg)
Hot weather hikes: Staying safe when temperatures spike
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/15405/conversions/f22b5f3d-fd64-479d-b10a-b2409347f160-micro.jpg)
Cannabis drinks: How do they compare to alcohol?
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/15404/conversions/ccd2e44a-96c4-492f-a05c-c2706549efc0-micro.jpg)
What is Lewy body dementia?
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/15083/conversions/2fa8315b-f48e-43fb-8b56-d681a1715343-micro.jpg)
Dog bites: How to prevent or treat them
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/15386/conversions/33679f9f-8065-4e13-a188-2ca67472b36f-micro.jpg)
Ever read your medical record? Here's why you should
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/14810/conversions/778f3d8c-0b73-420c-8d03-e8542d49660d-micro.jpg)
Shining light on night blindness
Free Healthbeat Signup
Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox!
Sign Up