Esophagitis facts Esophagitis, or an inflamed esophagus symptoms include hoarseness, mouth sores, and bad breath. Esophagitis is defined as inflammation of the esophagus, which is the tube that connects the throat to the stomach. Signs and symptoms of esophagitis include: Difficult and/or painful swallowing The feeling of food getting stuck while swallowing Heartburn Acid reflux...
What is balsalazide disodium, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Balsalazide disodium is an oral anti-inflammatory drug that is used for the treatment of ulcerative colitis. It is a form of mesalamine (5-aminosalicyclic acid) that is activated by colonic bacteria when it reaches the colon. The exact mechanism of action of mesalamine is...
What is glycerin suppository? What is glycerin used for? Glycerin suppositories are hyperosmotic laxatives. Glycerin suppositories work by increasing water volume in intestines and softening stool, causing the intestines to contract and produce bowel movements. What brand names are available for glycerin suppository? Fleet Suppository, Pedia-Lax Suppository, Colace Suppository Is glycerin suppository available as a...
What is the stomach flu (gastroenteritis)? Readers Comments 1 Share Your Story Stomach flu or gastroenteritis is a general term for a number of inflammatory problems that occur in the gastrointestinal tract. Gastroenteritis is a better term because when some individuals use the term "stomach flu," they get the term confused with the flu (influenza)...
What is oral vancomycin? What are the uses for oral vancomycin? Oral vancomycin is a glycopeptide antibiotic that is used for the treatment of Clostridium difficile diarrhea and staphylococcal enterocolitis. Vancomycin is a bactericidal antibiotic (it kills bacteria) that exerts its effects by preventing bacteria from forming cell walls, which they need to survive. Vancomycin...
What is misoprostol? What are the uses for misoprostol? Misoprostol is a synthetic (man-made) prostaglandin that is used to reduce the risk of stomach ulcers in patients treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, for example, aspirin, ibuprofen, etc.) that are used for pain and various inflammatory conditions, for example, arthritis. Misoprostol is used primarily in...
What is lactulose, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Lactulose is a man-made sugar that contains two naturally occurring sugars, galactose and fructose. It is not digested in the intestine like other sugars so that it reaches the colon where bacteria digest it and thereby alter the composition of the stool. Lactulose is...
What is Harvoni? What is Harvoni used for? Harvoni is an oral tablet containing two drugs used for the treatment of chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV), genotype 1 in adults. The components belong to a class of drugs called direct-acting antiviral agents. Similar drugs include boceprevir (Victrelis), sofosbuvir (Sovaldi), simeprevir (Olysio), telaprevir...
What is cirrhosis of the liver? Liver cirrhosis results from disease or chemical-induced injuries to the liver over a sustained period. As the injuries kill liver cells, your body attempts to rebuild the damage. In the process, the existing cells are inflamed and scar tissue results, compromising the structure of the liver and hampering its...
What is upper endoscopy? Readers Comments 2 Share Your Story Endoscopy is a procedure in which a camera is inserted into an orifice or surgical incision to explore for abnormalities or cancers, or perform minimally invasive surgery. Upper endoscopy is a procedure that enables the examiner (usually a gastroenterologist) to examine the esophagus (swallowing tube),...