Heartburn

-
Heartburn, condition characterized by a burning feeling in the chest and a sour or bitter taste in the mouth. Heartburn typically develops when the acidic contents of the stomach flow back, or regurgitate, into the esophagus, the muscular tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach.

Heartburn is generally diagnosed with a complete description of the symptoms. In severe cases, a physician may order a barium X ray of the stomach and esophagus to rule out other problems. Alternatively, a physician may examine the esophagus with an endoscope, an instrument that can view the interior of the digestive tract, and take tissue and fluid samples.

Treatments for heartburn in mild cases, over-the-counter medications such as antacids can relieve occasional bouts. Chronic heartburn can be treated with medications that prevent the production of acid in the stomach.

Lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking or losing weight, also can alleviate or prevent heartburn. Sleeping with the head of the bed elevated 15 cm (6 in) helps prevent the stomach's contents from flowing back into the esophagus. Going to bed on an empty stomach, and cutting back on consumption of alcohol, fat, chocolate, and peppermint also can prevent heartburn.

Popular posts from this blog

Cream, Butter, and Ice Cream

-
. In order for a product to be labeled as cream, it must contain 18 percent milk fat or more. Light whipping cream must contain at least 30 percent fat, and 36 percent fat is the minimum fat content for heavy whipping cream. Half-and-half, an equal mixture of both milk and cream, must have at least 10.5 percent fat. The various grades of cream are valued for their smooth, thick texture. They are often used in cooking instead of milk, because they are less likely to form a skin when heated and can be whipped into a stiff foam. When chilled cream is churned gently, the fat globules gather together to form butter, leaving buttermilk as the by-product. Butter contains at least 82.5 percent fat. In the past, before the advent of widespread refrigeration, salt was added to butter to retard bacterial spoilage; now salt is added mainly for flavor. Ice cream, a popular frozen dessert, is made of milk, cream, sugar, and flavoring. The mixture is slowly beaten while chilled until it is partially ...
Read more

Deoxyribonucleic Acid

-
Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA), genetic material of all cellular organisms and most viruses. DNA carries the information needed to direct protein synthesis and replication. Protein synthesis is the production of the proteins needed by the cell or virus for its activities and development. Replication is the process by which DNA copies itself for each descendant cell or virus, passing on the information needed for protein synthesis. In most cellular organisms, DNA is organized on chromosomes located in the nucleus of the cell .
Read more

Bacteria

-
Bacteria is a one-celled organisms visible only through a microscope. Bacteria live all around us and within us. The air is filled with bacteria, and they have even entered outer space in spacecraft. Bacteria live in the deepest parts of the ocean and deep within Earth. They are in the soil, in our food, and on plants and animals. Even our bodies are home to many different kinds of bacteria. Our lives are closely intertwined with theirs, and the health of our planet depends very much on their activities. Bacterial cells are so small that scientists measure them in units called micrometers (µm). One micrometer equals a millionth of a meter (0.0000001 m or about 0.000039 in), and an average bacterium is about one micrometer long. Hundreds of thousands of bacteria would fit on a rounded dot made by a pencil. Bacteria lack a true nucleus, a feature that distinguishes them from plant and animal cells. In plants and animals the saclike nucleus carries genetic material in the form of deoxyrib...
Read more