It is a disease whose exact cause is unknown that affects both men and women. Cause especially difficult to swallow.

Achalasia Disease

1. What is it?

Achalasia is a disease We do not know the exact cause. It can affect both men and women of all ages.

It has two fundamental changes:

- The valve lower esophagus (lower esophageal sphincter) does not relax completely after swallowing.

- No natural movements of the esophagus (peristalsis).

2. Symptoms

People with this disease have difficulty swallowing (dysphasia) both solids and liquids. This difficulty can increase when emotional stress, or with soda.

It is also typical to vomit the contents of the esophagus. Less common are respiratory symptoms such as cough.

3. Prevention and treatment

At present no treatment completely cures achalasia. There are three types of treatment: Pharmacologic, endoscope dilatation and surgery.

Drugs reduce the difficulty swallowing, but transiently. Forced dilation is done with a probe that has an inflatable balloon at the end. This procedure must be done in a hospital. It is quite effective. Surgery is used when serious cases or the rest have failed.

Other treatments are being tested with botulinum toxin, with the disadvantage that its effects are transient.

IBS (now known by the name of Irritable Bowel Syndrome) is a functional digestive disorder. Today it is unknown what the exact causes. However, people with this condition should see their doctor, who, through clinical data and a thorough examination will determine whether it is Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Irritable Bowel

1. What is IBS?

IBS is a functional digestive disorder characterized by the presence of abdominal pain or discomfort that is normally associated with change in bowel habits (such as constipation or diarrhea), with no demonstrable organic disorder.

This syndrome should be suspected when abdominal discomfort or pain are present for twelve weeks or more in the last twelve months. In addition, patients often present many symptoms, among them the relief of abdominal pain or discomfort when performing the stool and an evident change of stool consistency.

2. Why does this happen?

For many years research in etiology to explain why IBS occurs. For this reason, experts believe that a set of causes could be responsible for the onset of the disease, although currently not known for sure. Thus, experts clarify their existence in accordance with:

- A possible infectious cause.

- Myoelectrical abnormality that produces a disorder of bowel motility.

- An abnormal response to certain hormonal stimuli. – A disorder of the intestines.

- An alteration of certain gastrointestinal hormones.

- An intolerance or allergy to certain foods.

- The existence of certain psychological disorders.

Among these causes, food has been taken into account more than once as one of the factors responsible for the disease in two ways:

- A diet low in vegetable fiber has been linked to the emergence of IBS because it is a condition that is more common in Western countries, while in underdeveloped countries (where it is consumed vegetable fiber) is given in lesser extent.

- Moreover, there have been numerous studies that have attempted to rule out irritable bowel syndrome is caused by a food allergy because many patients relate the onset of symptoms with the intake of certain foods.

So far there are no studies addressing the theory that IBS is caused by a given diet or making a particular food. However, this does not mean that many patients relate their discomfort with certain foods from your diet and removing those makes they feel better.

3. Symptoms

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a disorder in which there are many symptoms and many of them are outside the sphere of the digestive tract, which may suggest the patient with other diseases.

Besides the usual symptoms such as abdominal pain and altered bowel habits (diarrhea or constipation or both alternately), can occur in some patients Other symptoms, more or less often: Chest pain, nausea and vomiting, gastro esophageal reflux, dyspeptic gastric discomfort, aerophobia, bloating, early satiety, weight gain, cancer phobia, urinary symptoms (dysuria, frequency, nocturia), gynecologic symptoms (dysmenorrheal, dyspareunia), headache, fibromyalgia, insomnia, anxiety, depression, fatigue, tachycardia or bradycardia, Mainers syndrome, neurovegetative disorders, and other nonspecific symptoms.

A very striking feature of IBS is that not all people with this disease have the same symptoms It is rarely that there are two patients alike. The assessment of all of these symptoms should be performed by the physician, who shall be responsible for informing patients of their relationship with the process or irritable colon.

4. Diagnosis

The diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome is done primarily by that the patient presents symptoms and that the doctor, after a rigorous examination, include in its history.

In general, this story may be sufficient to establish a presumptive diagnosis by the doctor, although you can request additional evidence such as blood tests, radiology or colonoscopy, which will help complete the diagnosis.

5. Treatment and habits to relieve

Each patient suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome must follow a different treatment depending on the symptoms present. As a complement to treatment, patients should have detailed information about the disease and on the evolution of it, facts which serve to reassure him.

Medical treatment through drugs is used:

- To treat pain the drugs used are called anticholinergics or antispasmodics that behave like smooth muscle relaxants (such as meveberina, octillion bromide, trimebutine bromide pinaverium, dicyclomine, etc).

- For constipation there are many alternatives and not as a recommendation for all patients. In general, we strongly recommend the use of vegetable fiber, as fundamentally insoluble. In other cases it may prescribe laxatives, which should never be autoindicados taken by the patient but by prescription. Laxatives can be lubricants (e.g. paraffin oil), osmotic (such as lacunose, polyethylene glycol, lactitol, or sorbitol), salt (such as hydroxide or magnesium citrate), stimulants (such as bisacodyl, cascara) and surfactants (decussate).

- Other medications used are the macrogol which together with sodium bicarbonate and sodium chloride and potassium relieve constipation when it occurs. Glycerin suppositories or cleansing enemas may be used to reduce symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

- Today some drugs are being developed (Which have not yet been approved by the European Medicines Agency), which could be useful in patients with constipation, such as 5HT4 receptor agonists (tegaserod) and 5HT3 receptor antagonists (alosetron).

- With regard to antidiarrhealThe most used is that lope amide with excellent results. The loperamina works by increasing the absorption of water and electrolytes while increases anal sphincter tone. Not for use in a maintained, only when patients present with diarrhea crisis, as its continued making may facilitate the development of constipation. In some cases may be referred to other drugs such as cholestyramine or diphenoxylate HCl. It has also been used with good results codeine.

- When the pain is very resistant to treatment can be used to antidepressant drugs. Basically, the patient who suffers from Irritable Bowel Syndrome should follow general recommendations including hygienic and dietary rules, avoiding fatty foods such as fried foods, potato chips or hard to digest vegetables such as chickpeas. Neither is drinking soda.

The infant bronchiolitis is a disease caused by viruses that affect children under two years, most often in the winter. In general the treatment is symptomatic and usually lasts a week, but this may be complicated by pneumonia or hiperreacividad squeal of bronchial asthma.

Bronchiolitis

1. What is bronchiolitis?

Bronchiolitis is a child acute viral lower respiratory tract that affects infants and young children more often in the winter.

It affects the bronchioles, terminal part of the bronchi, which is small enough to block in the presence of inflammation, which prevented adequate air passage.

It is characterized by difficulty breathing, wheezing audible (Whistles) and crackling noise.

The cough becomes persistent and severe and there may be shrinkage of the ribs and prostration.

2. Causes

Bronchiolitis is caused by virus. The most common is called Respiratory Syncytial Virus (VRS), although many are able to play (influenza virus, etc).

The contagion is carried out by direct contact; the virus is found in the droplets of breath and is easily spread by sneezing or coughing.

Usually involves infants in male with a male: female ratio of 2-1.

3. Symptoms

• Cough.
• Increased respiratory rate.
• Difficulty feeding.
• Trouble sleeping.
• Presence of respiratory sounds like whistling (wheezing).
• Increased work of breathing with use of accessory muscles of the chest (retraction).
• Nasal flaring (here the effort to breathe is important, moving the perimeter of the nostrils)
• Prolonged respiratory pauses or apneas (more common in premature).

4. Risk Factors

There are two factors that favor bronchiolitis in children who are infected by one of these viruses:

Age: If the infected child has more than two years apart to have more defenses, the bronchioles are big enough not to be blocked when inflamed. In this way, they do not usually appear respiratory distress.

Other risk factors for disease development are less than 6 months, lack of breastfeeding, overcrowding, day care attendance and living with smokers.

Risk factors for severe disease are under 3 months, history of prematurely and presence of associated diseases.

5. Treatment

Keep your child well hydrated, Humidity, nasal washes and vacuum aspiration of nasal secretions.

They are useful position Built half (To make breathing easier) and physiotherapy (patting his back and chest) to mobilize mucus secretions in the bronchi.

Most children are sick for about a week and then recover. Generally this is not supported the use of antibiotics unless bacterial infection is suspected.

Snuff smoke is very harmful to these children so parents should refrain from smoking inside and outside the home.

The use of bronchodilators will always be prescribed by doctors, while being consulted, have the child drink liquids. Do not worry if he or she does not feel like solid food.

6. Forecast

The process is self-limiting, i.e. cures itself although it may take more than a week or complicated, rarely, in the form of pneumonia.

Later it may be a residual cough that gradually will fade.

Often, in some children with a predisposition, to suffer new bronchiolitis although, it is common that are “episodes of bronchospasm.” In fact what happens is that the bronchi and bronchioles that were damaged in the first bronchiolitis are “hyper reactive”, i.e. in the presence of a new blue box are reacting to contract (bronchospasm) and causing no need for inflammation the same, obstruction to airflow. This phenomenon of bronchial hyper responsiveness (exaggerated reaction to a stimulus bronchus) usually heals gradually before the 2-4 years.  Sometimes it persists beyond 4-6 years and then one could speak of asthma.

The latest finding shows that the use of hormone replacement therapy (hormone replacement therapy / HRT) does not increase breast cancer risk. This generates confusion, the reason previous studies stating the opposite.

Hormone Therapy

Results of analysis of medical data records of millions of British women aged 50′s and 60′s, bright researchers, showed no relationship between the uses of this controversial therapy with an increased incidence of breast cancer.

Fears about the security of these medicines first appeared in 2002. At that time, a large study from the United States linking the hormone therapy with a host of diseases, including breast cancer and heart disease.

Because of these fears ignoring the hundreds of thousands of British women with hormone treatment, in 2005 the number of users of HRT which is beneficial to overcome symptoms of menopause, was reduced by half.

Last year, a study concluded that the use of this hormone medicines can double risk of breast cancer. This makes women’s anxiety intensified.

Osteoporosis risk

In an effort to resolve this argument, researchers from Bristol University examine whether the disease is changing as the number of women not using hormone medicines due to fear. If HRT increases the risk of breast cancer, the incidence of diseases should have declined since 2002, as the decline in use of HRT.

But the researchers found, the decline in hormone use did not affect the incidence of breast cancer. These bright researchers showed that HRT is not a trigger factor of breast cancer.

In addition, according to a study published in the Journal of Public Health, HRT is also not associated with colon cancer or hip fractures.

HRT use for menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes mood changes and sweating at night. Treatment with the hormone could be done through various methods, including tablets, implants, gels and skin patches. In the long term, these medicines could otherwise reduce the risk of osteoporosis.