Stomach Problems Due to Chronic Infections

Stomach pain, bloating, belching, gas and diarrhea, lasting for several weeks or months may result from chronic infection by parasites, bacteria or, rarely, viruses or yeasts. There is often no fever in these infections.

Parasites 

Intestinal parasites, like giardia or hookworm, may cause long term loose stools with mucus or blood and abdominal bloating. Pale skin and tiredness  are due to iron-deficiency anemia caused by impaired iron absorption due to intestinal inflammation, and blood loss due to bleeding ulcers, or blood sucked by intestinal worms. Diagnosis is made by finding parasites by stool Ova & Parasites test. Treatment by anti-parasitic medications usually results in full recovery in few days. Infection may recur if it was not completely treated or if source of parasites (pets, food or water poisoning) still exists. 

continue reading Chronic Stomach and Bowel Infections – Symptoms & Treatment

Causes of Belching and Bloating

Belching is the expulsion of gas from the gut through the mouth (eructations). Bloating may occur due to gas trapped within the gastrointestinal tract and this is often relieved upon belching.

Belching and bloating may be due to food, eating habits, or disorders in the stomach, small intestine or gallbladder. Bloating and gas may not always be expelled or relieved by a belch and other factors and conditions should be considered in cases of excessive bloating and gas.

WHAT IS LASER EYE SURGERY?

Refractive or Laser Eye Surgery (LES) is a laser reshaping of cornea thus changing its focusing power (1), (pictures 1,2). For patients with moderate refractive errors this ambulatory procedure is a quick way to get free of glasses or contact lenses.

Picture 1. Eye doctor performing laser eye surgery
(source: whmc.af.mil)

COST OF LASER EYE SURGERY 

The cost of LES can vary widely but it is rarely under $1,000 per eye (2).

REFRACTIVE ERRORS TO CORRECT WITH LES

The light from an observed object penetrates through the cornea, lens and viscose liquid of the eye globe, refracts, and focuses on retina as an image. In farsightedness - hyperopia the eye globe is too short, and since the lens cannot refract the light from near objects enough, the light will fall behind retina and give a blurred image. In presbyopia (farsightedness of the aged) the lens becomes rigid and cannot refract the light from near objects efficiently, so it will  again focus behind the retina. In nearsightedness (myopia), the eye globe is too long and light from distant objects will focus in front of the retina, so images of distant objects will be blurred. In astigmatism blurred vision is caused by irregularities in the corneal or lens shape (3). All mentioned refractive errors can be corrected with laser eye surgery.

continue reading Corrective Laser Eye Surgery