Dr. Phil Hariram's Health Blog

Image via Wikipedia Osteoarthritis is the commonest disease to affect joints. It is long thought to be the result of ageing and injury but it is not an inevitable consequence of growing old. In osteoarthritis, there is focal cartilaginous loss and resultant bony reaction in the form of growth or sclerosis. X-ray remains the simple [...]

Image via Wikipedia There are many types of arthritis. Listed below are the important ones. Inflammatory Arthritis: Includes Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Psoriatic Arthritis. Connective Tissue Disease: Includes Systemic Lupus Erythematosis, Polyarteritis Nodosa. Crystal Deposition Disease: Gout. Degenerative joint Disorder: Primary and Secondary Osteoarthritis. Arthritis related to Infection: Septic Arthritis. Arthritis due to Systemic Disease: [...]

According to Deidre Murphy and Jennifer Walsh, two Obstetricians from Dublin, even small changes in Body Mass Index (BMI) between pregnancies can affect health. Mothers who put on or lose a lot of weight between pregnancies are putting themselves and their babies at risk. A two unit increase in BMI doubles the risk of having [...]

Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis should benefit from the new range of drugs called Tumour Necrotic Factor Inhibitors (Anti-TNF). Tests on three of these new drugs slowed progression and reduced symptoms by up to 50%. Research at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, has shown that these three drugs are most effective in combination with the [...]

The commonest symptom of acid reflux is heartburn. Do not worry unnecessarily if you have heartburn. Most of us have heartburn at some time or other especially when we over indulge. Usually a single dose of antacid settles the problem. However, if the heartburn pain returns after treatment and becomes recurrent then the lower esophageal [...]

Image via Wikipedia Hoarseness is a change in voice quality. Hoarseness lasting more than two weeks needs proper evaluation. A possible cause of hoarseness is GERD. Reflux from the stomach can track up into the larynx and pharynx. And when this happens the larynx can become inflamed and subsequently hoarseness can develop. One patient came [...]

Obesity increases the risk of morbidity and mortality. The Body Mass Index (BMI) measures your weight in relation to your height and is the benchmark that dictates whether you are obese. A person with a BMI of over 30 is obese and anyone with a BMI of over 40 is very obese. You should aim [...]

Some individuals are at an increased risk of developing acid reflux. You can break this up into three groups. The first group is the individuals who cannot alter their circumstances. In some people the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) does not function properly. Normally the LES is tightly shut and opens only to allow passage of [...]

Who gets heartburn? Does acid reflux fit a certain profile? Is there a picture in your mind of what a person with GERD looks like? Is reflux associated with specific environmental facts? The National Heartburn Alliance decided to get some answers. They carried out a nationwide survey on heartburn/acid reflux. In this survey they asked [...]

The moment you tell your doctor you have difficulty in swallowing, the alarm bells ring. You will be fast tracked to the specialist for investigations and adequate treatment. Dysphagia that develops after acid reflux results from persistent assault on the esophageal lining. Inflammation and ulceration results in scarring that narrows the lumen of the esophagus. [...]