Friday, May 21st, 2010 10:47 AM
A new study shows that stress at work can increase your risk for mental health disorders and gastrointestinal problems.
Dr. Yvette Lam, a gastroenterologist at Stony Brook University Medical Center in New York, evaluated 697 people who helped with the cleanup at the World Trade Center after the 9/11 attacks. Dr. Lam and her colleagues examined the workers in October 2005 and September 2006 and found that 41% suffered from gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. It's estimated that only about 20% of the general population is affected by GERD.
Workers who suffered from GERD, a condition characterized by frequent heartburn and acid reflux, were more likely to also suffer from mental health disorders like depression and anxiety. PTSD affected 21% of the workers with GERD, and nearly 30% had an anxiety disorder. Dr. Lam believed that treating the stress and mental health disorder may help resolve the symptoms of GERD.
Another study looked at the prevalence of gastrointestinal problems among military personnel in stressful situations. Researchers at the Naval Medical Research Center in Silver Spring, MD found 32,000 instances between 1999 and 2007 where an active duty U.S. military personnel reported gastrointestinal problems. These problems included constipation, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and indigestion after an infection of the stomach.
Omeprazole, like lansoprazole (Prevacid), rabeprazole (Aciphex), pantoprazole (Protonix), and esomeprazole (Nexium), is in a class of drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPI). Proton pump inhibitors block the enzyme in the wall of the stomach that produces acid, thereby decreasing the production of acid.
Pantoprazole is a proton pump inhibitor, meaning that it works actively to reduce the production of stomach acid. It's primarily prescribed for the treatment of erosive esophagitis, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (a disorder where the stomach produces excess hydrochloric acid), and acid reflux or Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), which can cause heartburn.
Nexium is a popular prescription drug used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. It can also be used in the treatment of ulcers, H.
If you're taking a prescription sedative to help you sleep, you may be increasing your risk for heartburn and acid reflux.
The problem, according to researchers at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, is that taking a sleeping pill may prevent you from waking up enough to swallow during an episode of nighttime reflux.
While you've probably already heard that quitting smoking can reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, and lung disease, there may be a more immediate effect of giving up tobacco. Tobacco of any kind, including cigars, pipes, chew, and snuff, can cause heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).