Heartburn or GERD can Kill

Heartburn is a common annoyance. The busy lifestyle, quick meals, fatty or spicy foods all contribute to the occasional need of a chewable pain reliever. The acceptance of heartburn as an inconvenient, but natural, part of the daily grind can blind you to the warning that a severe heartburn symptom can bring.

Heartburn as a Disorder

Heartburn can be a symptom as well as a disorder. Simple heartburn or GERD can be controlled and dealt with. However, heartburn can signal the presence of a much more serious problem. If it’s heartburn, you will have a burning sensation in the chest usually after eating. There may be a spread of the burning to the throat, sometimes accompanied by a bad taste, difficulty in swallowing, belching, coughing, hoarseness and/or wheezing.

It can become worse by lying down or bending over or by eating. Relief can come from an antacid. While the more severe heartburn symptoms may be mistaken for a heart attack, simple heartburn is usually not made worse by exercise. If there is any concern that the pain may signal a heart attack, get help quickly.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Electronic Cigarettes - a New Way to Smoke

By Erika Lindqvist

Everyone knows how dangerous cigarette smoking is. You can't even look at a pack of cigarettes without being warned about the health problems associated with smoking. However, the addiction to nicotine is a powerful one that is not easily kicked. If you are not ready to quit, but you are concerned about your health, electronic cigarettes may give be a good compromise.

E-cigs, as electronic cigarettes are often called, are a great little invention. Inside of them, liquid nicotine is turned into a vapor which the smoker then inhales. They feel like real cigarettes and you inhale just like you would with a traditional cigarettes, but what you are inhaling is just vaporized nicotine that has none of the dangers of tobacco smoke.

Tobacco smoke is full of tar and whatever preservatives or pesticides the grower may have added to protect his harvest. These chemicals can do a great deal of damage to your heart and lungs and cause diseases such as emphysema and cancer.

Although not life threatening, yellow teeth and gums and fingers are also unpleasant side effects of cigarette smoking. E-cigs do not cause these things. The liquid used in e-cigs contains only the nicotine and whatever is used as a base, usually propylene glycol, which is harmless. If you choose you can have flavors added but these add no harmful chemicals either.

Electronic cigarettes do not release anything dangerous in their second hand smoke either. In fact, most of what appears to be smoke coming from these little gadgets is nothing but steam. This means that you can now 'smoke' around your friends and loved ones with out any fear of doing them harm.

Electronic cigarettes are not without their own set of health risks, the greatest of these being the risk of accidentally overdosing on nicotine. Nicotine is a very poisonous substance and in its liquid form it is readily absorbed through the skin. You need to be very careful when handling liquid nicotine because an overdose is often fatal. If there are children in your home, you will need to find a very safe place to store your e-cig supplies.

If you can't seem to kick the smoking habit but you want to reduce the health risks associated with it then the electronic cigarette may be an ideal option for you. They also have the additional advantage of allowing you to ease your nicotine craving while in a public place. Add to that the fact that they are much cheaper than tobacco cigarettes and e-cigs may soon be the hottest new trend.

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