Histamine is a chemical which is made by the body and has a number of roles in the human body. Medications that interfere with histamine can be used to treat allergies as well as acid reflux. This molecule is able to affect the immune, digestive...
Betahistine hydrochloride is a medication commonly prescribed for tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, dizziness and vertigo. As with certain medications, side effects can generate alternative, or off-label, uses. One notable side effect of...
Helicobacter pylori, or H. pylori, is a bacterium common in developing countries that can cause infection of the stomach and small intestine, peptic ulcers and stomach cancer. Treatment of H. pylori infections involves the administration of one or...
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) refers to a common condition where stomach acid moves back up into your esophagus. GERD symptoms include heartburn, chest pain, trouble swallowing, dry cough and vomiting sour liquid or food, says the Mayo...
The diaphragm, a muscle that enables breathing, separates the upper part of the body from the abdomen. It also has an opening through which the esophagus goes to connect with the stomach. A hiatal hernia occurs when part of the stomach protrudes...
Helicobacter pylori is a bacterium that can reside in the human stomach and duodenum, which is the upper part of the small intestine. Most people infected with it never experience problems, but in some, it can cause gastritis, peptic ulcers and...
Dizziness triggered by anxiety is commonly treated with anti-anxiety or antipsychotic medications, or antihistamines. Anxiety causes the adrenal glands to secrete an excess amount of the stress hormones adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol,...
Allergy testing is a way to identify what types of allergens--for example, food, dust, pollen or animal dander--are causing sneezing, wheezing and breathing problems in a person. Allergy testing may be performed as a blood test, an allergen...
When part of the stomach protrudes up into the hiatus--the opening in the diaphragm--it is known as a hiatal hernia. While small protrusions may cause minimal symptoms, large hiatal hernias can result in severe heartburn, acid reflux and abdominal...
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....
Gastritis, or acid stomach, is inflammation in the stomach. It is caused by factors which enable the acidic environment of the stomach to damage and inflame the stomach wall. Causes include infections, alcohol and medications, traumatic injuries,...
Antihistamines are a class of drugs used to block the production, effectiveness or release of histamine, which is a chemical that causes inflammation and other allergy symptoms. Histamine is the chief chemical that causes most of the symptoms of...
Doxylamine is sold over-the-counter in the U.S. as a sleep aid, in generic form as well as under the brand name Unisom. It is actually an antihistamine medication, also used to provide relief from cold and allergy symptoms and is an active...
Your digestive system is composed of your esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, colon and rectum. It is a vital component necessary to digest the food you consume. In some cases, you may develop certain digestive problems, such as...
Barrett's esophagus is a condition that forms as the result of chronic gastroesophageal reflux (GERD). GERD refers to a condition in which acid backs up from your stomach to your esophagus and throat. The acid coats your esophagus and changes the...
Claritin is an over-the-counter medication used for treating allergy symptoms. It comes in liquid, tablet or rapidly disintegrating tablets. According to RXList, children 2 to 5 should take 5mg Claritin syrup, one spoonful daily. RXList also...
Approximately 20 percent of adults in the United States have gastroesophageal reflux disease, according to Kenneth McQuaid, M.D., Chief of the Gastroenterology Section at San Francisco V.A. Medical Center in "Current Medical Diagnosis &...
Abdominal cramps are common, as most people will experience them at one time or another. Abdominal cramps are sharp pains in the stomach and lower abdominal area. If the pain is severe enough to prompt a visit to the doctor, most people describe...
If an area of your neck is itchy and red, it is possible that you have a rash. According to the Mayo Clinic, rashes such as hives or poison ivy may clear up on their own, while rashes from scabies and dermatitis may require prescription...
Loratadine does not raise the levels of glucose in your blood. Certain formulations of loratadine, however, utilize other substances that may raise glucose levels in your blood. If you are diabetic or have an intolerance to glucose, you should...
Heartburn occurs when food or stomach acid is refluxed into the esophagus. The esophagus is separated from the stomach by a valve called the lower esophageal sphincter. This valve normally lets food into the stomach, then closes to prevent it from...
A stomach ulcer is a sore in the stomach lining or duodenum, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease. It arises due to a Helicobacter pylori infection or ongoing use of aspirin or ibuprofen, Medline Plus...
A peptic ulcer is an open sore or erosion of the inner layer of the stomach wall, the esophagus or the first part of the small intestine, called the duodenum. There are various causes of peptic ulcers and once diagnosis is established, it is...
Blood in the stool is a common cause of dark stools, and can get into stools through internal bleeding in one of the organs of the digestive system. Blood then enters the alimentary canal, the space in which food is processed, and mixes with...
Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) is an allergy medication, though children may take it for coughs, as a sleep-aid, for motion sickness and as an addition to epinephrine in a severe allergic reaction. It is an H1 antihistamine, which means that it blocks...
Gastric reflux, medically known as gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD, refers to a chronic disease in which stomach acid moves up the digestive tract. The Mayo Clinic says that signs of gastric reflux include chest pain, trouble swallowing, a...
Most people have sleep difficulties at some point in their life. While this is transient for some, for others it can be long term. For those who experience insomnia occasionally, over-the-counter sleep aids may be enough, but those who experience...
Acid reflux disease, GERD, acid reflux or whatever you prefer to call it, can cause an entire spectrum of symptoms. Most people are quite familiar with good old fashioned "heartburn," but GERD can also cause a chronic cough, laryngitis,...
According to the National Institutes of Health, helicobacter pylori (h. pylori) is a type of bacteria that lives in the stomach and damages the mucous lining that protects the stomach and duodenum. While some patients never develop symptoms from...
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...
