Helicobacter pylori are one of the most common types of bacteria to cause infection in the stomach lining and upper part of the small intestine. It’s the primary cause of ulcers across the globe, and about two-thirds of the world population have it inside their body. It is infamously referred as the “ulcer bacteria,” however with it can be avoided efficiently with healthy habits. Until the discovery of Helicobacter pylori, researchers believed spicy food, stress, smoking and other bad lifestyle habits are responsible for ulcers. But in 1982, experts found that this bacteria attacks the stomach lining that protects the stomach from acids which help in digesting food. It produces a cytotoxin named vacuolating cytotoxin A. After damaging the lining, it may bleed or cause infections and even keep food from moving through the alimentary canal. How can H. Pylori enter the body? Typically, this bacteria can enter the body via contaminated food or water. It’s most predominant in developing and underdeveloped nations where a shortage of proper facilities and infrastructure which ultimately leads to lack of basic sanitation. It is contagious and easily infects other people. Both adults and children are susceptible to this condition. The H. Pylori infection symptoms don’t arise instantly. So the condition can stay in a dormant state for years. What are the H. Pylori infection symptoms? In several cases, symptoms of infection don’t manifest. However, acutely infected people may have symptoms like: Belching Bloating Burping Loss of appetite Nausea Vomiting, in severe cases the person might throw up blood Abdominal uneasiness Chronic abdominal pain In case of ulcers, a burning sensation may come and go and mostly when the stomach is empty. Ulcers bleed the linings of stomach and duodenum, thus show some symptoms like: Bloody, dark red or black stools Fatigue without no reason Anemia Breathing problems Diarrhea Dizziness Feeling full even eating minimal amounts of food Unexplained weight loss How are H.

If you’ve never heard of FODMAPs, you’re not alone. Read on to find out how low FODMAP diet plans may be the solution to your digestive woes. Do certain foods upset your stomach? Do you often feel bloated after a normal meal? Low FODMAP diet plans have shown to reduce gastrointestinal symptoms in various digestive disorders significantly. Low FODMAP diet plans are recommended for people with irritable bowel syndrome. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic syndrome characterized by irregular patterns of bowel movements, abdominal cramps, bloating, nausea, and other gastrointestinal symptoms. There is no definite cause for IBS, but stress is an important factor. FODMAPs are implicated in worsening of IBS symptoms, as well as worsening of symptoms in other digestive syndromes. Low FODMAP diet plans are a type of elimination diet, where certain kinds of foods are removed from the daily diet. This has been proven to provide relief from symptoms like bloating, gas, cramps, etc. What Are FODMAPs? FODMAPs are compounds found in different food items. FODMAP is an acronym that stands for Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, and Mono-saccharides And Polyols. FODMAPs are short-chain carbohydrates. These are short-chain polymers: Oligosaccharides like fructans (a type of fiber) and galacto-oligosaccharides (stachyose, raffinose) Disaccharides (lactose) Monosaccharides (fructose) Polyols which are sugar alcohols like mannitol, xylitol, maltitol, and sorbitol Any FODMAPs that are not properly digested in the small intestine pass into the large intestine. In the large intestine, these undigested FODMAPs get fermented by gut bacteria. This produces gas which causes symptoms like flatulence, bloating, and abdominal cramping. Poor FODMAP intestinal absorption is relatively common in many people, but the appearance of symptoms is rare. FODMAPs can also cause increased fluid accumulation in the intestine, which can result in visible abdominal distention and discomfort. Where do you find FODMAPs? If you plan to start low FODMAP diet plans, you need to know in which foods you can find FODMAPs.

Swelling can cause pain in any part of the body. Your feet and ankle support your whole body weight as you stand or move around. If your feet and ankles suffer from inflammation and pain, look for possible causes and consult your doctor on how to treat the condition. Causes of swollen feet and ankles There can be many reasons for your feet and ankle to become swollen and painful. A few of them are listed below: Pregnancy Pregnancy puts pressure on the abdominal region and causes various pains and discomfort. One of these can be fluid retention in the legs. It is a normal occurrence. However, if there is excessive inflammation, consult your doctor. It could indicate a condition called Preeclampsia. Preeclampsia could lead to high blood pressure and buildup of protein in the urine. If your ankle swells and you experience headaches and abdominal pain, you need immediate medical attention. Infected wounds If you have injured your feet resulting in open wounds, these could get infected and cause swelling. In addition to this, if you have a chronic condition like diabetes, it can complicate matters further. Diabetes can cause nerve damage which can affect the sensation of pain. So, wounds may go unnoticed, and then the swelling and infection can advance quickly. Therefore, always inspect your feet for injuries. Chronic diseases A heart, kidney or liver condition could also cause swelling in your feet and ankles. Heart diseases can lead to fluid retention in the body, especially in the extremities. Kidney failure is another cause of fluid retention. The kidneys get rid of wastes and toxins in the body through urine. When they fail, a fluid buildup occurs. The liver produces a special protein called albumin. Albumin prevents fluid from leaking out of blood vessels. When the liver does not produce albumin, fluid leaks outside from blood vessels.

Diabetes patients who require regular insulin shots have a difficult time managing the medications. While they could give themselves the needed insulin injections at home, they had to keep the syringes, vials, and disposable needles ready. One also needs to be careful about the dosages and the times they need to give themselves the medications. If they need more than one type of insulin medication, that complicates the matter even further. Keeping track of the times, dosages, and the paraphernalia needed could be hard. To solve this purpose, insulin pens were designed around twenty years back. The pens made the medications easy to take and keep track of. Insulin injections Insulin is a hormone that is secreted by the pancreas. In diabetes patients, insulin production is reduced, causing more sugar to collect in the blood. This can affect various organs in the body eventually. To offset this, patients are advised to take insulin shots. It compensates for the reduction in natural insulin levels in the body. There are many types of insulin medications used in the shots. These differ by the time to take effect (onset), the time when the medicine is most effective (peak), and the period it stays in effect (duration). Thus, there are Short-Acting Insulins, Rapid-Acting Insulins, Intermediate-Acting Insulins, Long-Acting Insulins, and Pre-Mixed Insulins. Insulin pens for diabetes Diabetics were allowed to self-medicate after instructions from their doctor. It helped save several trips to a medical center. However, handling syringes and giving themselves injections was still a difficult task. Especially for people with joint problems or other afflictions that curbed dexterity. The invention of insulin pens made life easier for diabetes patients. The pens came preloaded with several units of insulin, and they just had to insert a disposable needle into the pen for each shot and inject themselves.

Nothing is more loyal and dedicated as belly fat—whatever you do, it just never seems to leave, it always overstays its welcome. Unfortunately, a majority of the world’s population suffers from belly fat issues. A lot of people try ab crunches, crash diets, detox diets, and many tricks to lose belly fat, but here’s the thing—you need to work hard to lose belly fat. Good exercise, healthy eating, and a good lifestyle are important if you want a flat stomach, there is no easy way out. Many factors are responsible for abdominal fat or belly fat. A few of them include: Your genes play an important role in your body type. If you have a family history of obesity, you’re more likely to be obese and have belly fat as opposed to those who don’t have a family history of obesity. If you have a hormonal imbalance or if your hormones are going haywire, you’re more likely to end up with belly fat. This is the reason why a lot of women experience bloating during their menstrual cycle. Also, women above 40 are more prone to belly fat because menopause includes hormonal imbalance, which, in turn, can lead to belly fat. Not getting enough sleep can cause a weight gain as it decreases your metabolism. Stress causes weight gain as well. When stressed, your body releases a hormone known as cortisol, which can alter the chemical balance of your body, and make you crave for comfort foods that are usually sugary and junk foods. Lose the flab – How to get rid of belly fat Belly fat is one of the most stubborn fats in your body, so if you’re wondering how to get rid of belly fat, then dedication and willpower is much needed. You need to make a few lifestyle changes and follow these tips if you want the perfect stomach.

Do you suffer from heartburn frequently? It could be a case of Acid Reflux Disease, also known as GERD, i.i., Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. Normally, during the process of digestion, there is a sphincter at the mouth of the stomach, that closes once you’ve finished eating. Then, the contents move into the stomach, where it is digested with the help of digestive enzymes. During the digestion process, acids are released. If the sphincter does not seal itself completely or opens too often, the acid flows back into the esophageal tract and causes heartburn. If this condition persists, you are suffering from acid reflux. Causes A stomach abnormality known as hiatal hernia is a common cause of acid reflux. Lying on your back or bending over the waist, after eating a heavy meal. Being overweight and obese. Consuming certain foods can cause acid reflux. These include tomatoes, garlic, mint, onion, spicy and fatty foods. Smoking. Consumption of alcohol, coffee, tea and carbonated beverages. Snacking just before retiring for the night. Pregnancy. Blood pressure medication, certain muscle relaxers, common drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen also cause acid reflux Symptoms The common symptoms are heartburn, where the burning sensation extends from the chest to the throat and regurgitation. A bitter-tasting and sour acid backs into your throat and mouth. Other symptoms that show up include nausea, bloating, continuous hiccups, burping, bloody/black stools, vomit covered with blood, dysphagia, unexplained weight loss, dry cough, wheezing, hoarseness, and chronic sore throat. Diet and lifestyle changes can help in reducing the symptoms of acid reflux disease. A diet for acid reflux is crafted by excluding foods that can trigger the symptoms and make them worse. Dietary Changes Acid reflux disease can cause a lot of discomfort. Dietary changes help to reduce the symptoms by excluding certain foods. Eating small and frequent meals rather than eating three large meals in a day, can greatly help in alleviating the symptoms.

Living with a chronic condition can take the fun out of many things, and that’s exactly how people with diabetes feel. They have to constantly monitor their blood sugar levels, as hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia might be just around the corner. People with diabetes are taught to coexist with the condition, as there is no complete cure discovered for this ailment that affects more than 100 million people in the country. Diabetes is a condition that arises due to the body’s inability to create or process insulin, which causes disparities in the blood sugar levels. What we eat has a major impact on our blood sugar levels, and people with diabetes have to be extra cautious about what they eat, as it can dramatically alter their blood sugar levels. However, this doesn’t imply that a person with diabetes has to completely give up eating tasty food just because tasty equals unhealthy in a diabetic individual’s dictionary. In addition to the three square meals that are imperative for a diabetic to consume, it is equally important for them to keep munching on snacks every two to three hours, as it will keep their blood sugar levels steady. Instead of sulking about eating salads for snacks, here are some easy snack recipes you can try making. You can rest assured, as these easy snack recipes are absolutely diabetes-friendly, and they wouldn’t tamper with your blood sugar levels. Sliced apples with peanut butter Apple is the quintessential nutritious fruit; it contains a plethora of nutrients such as vitamin C, potassium, and B vitamins, and when it is paired with the all-time favorite peanut butter, you have just created the uber-nutritious easy snack to binge on. Contrary to what people believe, peanut butter is quite healthy; it contains specific amounts of vitamin E, manganese, and magnesium, each of which plays a major role in helping manage diabetes.

Do you suffer from heartburn frequently? It could be a case of Acid Reflux Disease, also known as GERD, i.i., Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. Normally, during the process of digestion, there is a sphincter at the mouth of the stomach, that closes once you’ve finished eating. Then, the contents move into the stomach, where it is digested with the help of digestive enzymes. During the digestion process, acids are released. If the sphincter does not seal itself completely or opens too often, the acid flows back into the esophageal tract and causes heartburn. If this condition persists, you are suffering from acid reflux. Causes A stomach abnormality known as hiatal hernia is a common cause of acid reflux. Lying on your back or bending over the waist, after eating a heavy meal. Being overweight and obese. Consuming certain foods can cause acid reflux. These include tomatoes, garlic, mint, onion, spicy and fatty foods. Smoking. Consumption of alcohol, coffee, tea and carbonated beverages. Snacking just before retiring for the night. Pregnancy. Blood pressure medication, certain muscle relaxers, common drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen also cause acid reflux Symptoms The common symptoms are heartburn, where the burning sensation extends from the chest to the throat and regurgitation. A bitter-tasting and sour acid backs into your throat and mouth. Other symptoms that show up include nausea, bloating, continuous hiccups, burping, bloody/black stools, vomit covered with blood, dysphagia, unexplained weight loss, dry cough, wheezing, hoarseness, and chronic sore throat. Diet and lifestyle changes can help in reducing the symptoms of acid reflux disease. A diet for acid reflux is crafted by excluding foods that can trigger the symptoms and make them worse. Dietary Changes Acid reflux disease can cause a lot of discomfort. Dietary changes help to reduce the symptoms by excluding certain foods. Eating small and frequent meals rather than eating three large meals in a day, can greatly help in alleviating the symptoms.

What you eat can heal you or make your suffering a lot worse. Chronic inflammation can lead to further complications. So, knowing what food to eat and what to avoid can help prevent inflammation. Anti-inflammatory food Inflammation is an immune response. Injuries, infections, and so on result in inflammation because that is one of the ways the immune system alerts your body’s defense mechanism. The inflammation shows where the action needs to be taken in order to begin the healing process. This is good because it helps you fight off diseases and heal injuries. However, inflammation can also be triggered unnecessarily. There can be causes other than injury or infections. Stress, long hours of work without adequate sleep, heredity, and autoimmune disorders can all cause persistent inflammation without a good cause. Another possible cause is the food you eat. What food to avoid When you are not careful about the healthiness of your diet, you are not only risking obesity, but you may also be making yourself vulnerable to chronic inflammation. Refined sugar and grains, fried food, processed meat, preservatives, artificial color, and flavor additives in your food can contribute to causing inflammation. This type of food can lead to weight gain. The food also has an impact on the good gut bacteria, reducing them and promoting the chances of improper digestion and several other problems. They can also induce inflammation. Chronic inflammation has been linked to an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, arthritis, and so on. They can also worsen conditions like arthritis, causing excessive pain. What food to eat There are many types of food that several research studies have shown to help reduce inflammation. In fact, if you stick to an anti-inflammatory diet, it can give you better results than anti-inflammatory medicines. Here are some food items that fight inflammation:

An allergy is the response of the immune system to an irritating substance. These allergens could come from food, insects, pollen grains, drugs, and medications. When our body comes across any allergen, our immune system becomes active and creates specific antibodies called immunoglobulin to fight with the allergen. Immunoglobulins are present in our nose, throat, eyes, and lungs. These antibodies activate the mast cells in our body which cause the release of certain chemical substances in these zones called histamines. The release of histamine causes symptoms of an allergic reaction such as swelling in the nasal passage, runny nose, itching in the throat, burning eyes, and other such symptoms. Every person is different and so are their allergies. No two people are bound to have the same reaction to an allergen. A person can be allergic to one thing but might be completely non-responsive to the other. Though allergies are different in different people, there are be best allergy treatments people can use to cure all types of allergies. The allergies can also depend upon the amount of exposure. A limited amount of exposure might not harm an individual but if it crosses the threshold, it can cause the allergy to flare up. These reactions basically depend on upon our genetic disposition. If the parents have some kind of an allergy, the child having the susceptibility of having the same allergy might increase manifold. The most common causes of an allergy are mentioned below. Allergy from food – Food items like fish, nuts, and dairy products can cause allergic reactions in different individuals. These allergies could manifest itself in skin allergies or nasal allergic symptoms. Airborne allergies – Airborne allergies are the allergies which are spread through the air. The main causes of these allergies are pollen, that is shed by the trees during the springtime.