Proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs, are medicines that help reduce the acid production in the stomach. PPIs work by interfering with the mechanism that pumps acid into the stomach, states the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse....
Stomach acid serves a number of purposes in the digestive process. Stomach acid aids in food breakdown and also acts as a barrier to infection, the Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide states. Excess acid production can contribute to gastric...
Axid, whose generic name is nizatidine, belongs to a class of medications known as histamine-2 blockers. According to Drugs.com, Axid is used to treat and prevent stomach ulcers and duodenal ulcers, erosive esophagitis and gastroesophageal reflux...
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)--also known as heartburn--plagues millions of Americans each year. It's often a chronic condition that presents with recurring symptoms of burning chest pain, regurgitation, asthma-like symptoms and cough....
Ranitidine 150 mg is the active medicinal ingredient in heartburn drugs such as Zantac 150 and Efferdose tablets. It belongs to a group of drugs called histamine-2 or H-2 blockers. RxList.com explains that Ranitidine works by blocking the H2...
A peptic ulcer describes an open sore or lesion found on the lining of the digestive tract. Peptic ulcers can occur on the lining of the stomach, known as gastric ulcers, or the lining of the upper portion of the small intestine, known as a...
Acid blockers, also called histamine, or H2, blockers, are medications that reduce the amount of stomach acid being released into the digestive system, according to MayoClinic.com. Normally, stomach acid aids in the digestion of food and is unable...
Allergies to pollen and ragweed are quite common. Pollen is the powdery grains released by almost all plants to fertilize flowers and create seeds. People can be allergic to almost any plant, but ragweed causes the most problems. The Asthma and...
A thick mucus layer protects the lining of your stomach from harmful digestive juices. Ulcers occur due to the erosion of this mucus layer, which allows digestive juices to make contact with the stomach lining and form an ulcer. The most common...
A peptic ulcer occurs when an open sore forms in the lining of the esophagus, stomach or duodenum—the upper portion of the small intestine. Substances that compromise the ability of the lining to repair itself, such as bacteria or...
Treating the condition that is causing cholestasis--a blockage of the flow of bile from your liver--can reverse the effects of the disease. Extrahepatic cholestasis happens outside of the liver, and can occur when there are tumors, stones or cysts...
Vertigo, a sensation of dysequilibrium or "room spinning," is often caused by inner ear problems. Conflicting messages between entering your brain from the eyes and the position-sensing organs within the ear cause these...
A hiatal hernia occurs when a small section of the stomach pokes through the part of the diaphragm where the esophagus and stomach come together. Many people who have small hiatal hernias are asymptomatic and are not even aware that they have a...
Helicobactor pylori is a bacteria that can infect the stomach and the first part of the small intestines. According to the MayoClinic.com, H. pylori is thought to be present in about half of the people in the world. In many cases, H. pylori cause...
The National Cancer Institute estimated that 22,020 brain tumor cases would occur in 2010 in the United States. Brain cancer falls into two categories: primary and secondary. With primary brain cancer, the malignant tumor starts in the brain....
It's so difficult for new parents to comfort their baby that's suffering with GERD, pediatric acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease. Get a proper diagnosis before the proper treatment can be determined. The symptoms of true GERD causes a...
Many patients are unaware of their hiatal hernias because they have no symptoms. Others, however, experience heartburn and indigestion because the hernia--an opening in the diaphragm between the chest and abdomen--allows the top part of the...
Diarrhea is problematic enough on its own, but the presence of bloody diarrhea signals that something more serious is going on with the body. Bloody diarrhea serves as a warning sign for internal trauma, ulcers, infections and even cancer....
Histamine is a naturally-occurring organic compound, and is found in humans and animals. It can be found in cells throughout the body, the digestive tract, and in the brain acting as a neurotransmitter. Typically, histamine is known as the agent...
Peptic ulcers are open sores that develop in the stomach, small intestine or esophageal lining. The causes of peptic ulcers include infection, particularly Helicobacter pylori or H. pylori and/or medication. Peptic ulcers can be aggravated by...
Acid reflux, also referred to as gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD, occurs when stomach bile backs up from the stomach into the esophagus. Eventually, the bile wears away the lining in the tube that runs from the stomach to the mouth and...
Gastritis is a stomach disorder that can cause significant pain or discomfort and can last for a long time if left untreated. Treatment includes medication, as well as lifestyle and diet modifications. Some people may find herbs such as cumin help...
Whenever a drug is created by pharmaceutical companies, they have a monopoly on the drug for a set period. The idea is to allow them to recoup their research funds, plus make a profit for the creation. The patent on any drug is 20 years, but since...
According to the Mayo Clinic, Helicobacter pylori--more commonly known as H. pylori--is a bacterium that infects the stomach or first section of the small intestine. H. pylori infection is the cause of most ulcers, as well as many cases of...
Asthma is a chronic disease in which inflammation of the air passages leads to a temporary narrowing in the airways that carry the oxygen to the lungs. It affects some 22 million Americans. Although it can be managed with lifestyle changes and...
Antihistamines are medications that block your body from releasing histamines, a substance that produces an inflammatory response in your body. People who suffer from seasonal allergies often taken antihistamines to relieve a runny or stuffy nose,...
A hiatal hernia is a larger-than-normal opening in the diaphragm, the sheet of muscle that separates the chest and abdominal cavities. A hiatal hernia occurs when the upper part of the patient's stomach protrudes into the chest, allowing food and...
An allergy is the result of the immune system overreacting to a foreign substance in the body. People without allergies may be exposed to pollen, dust, certain foods or animal dander with no ill effects. In people with allergies, the body sees...
Caffeine is a naturally occurring drug originating in tea leaves, cocoa beans and kola nuts. Americans consume most of their caffeine in coffee, however tea, colas and chocolate, as well as some nonprescription medicines, also contain it, says...
GERD or gastro esophageal reflux disease is a condition in which stomach acid or, occasionally, bile flows back into your food pipe. The constant backwash or acid reflux can irritate the lining of your esophagus and cause inflammation. Learn about...
