Health Expert Jennifer Rackley shares health management news and commentary at HealthCentral.com. HealthCentral.com is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/70966/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/70966/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/70966/index http://www.healthcentral.com/acid-reflux/c/70966/152635/esophagus Tue, 22 May 2012 14:46:00 -0400 Jennifer Rackley A recent study in the Annals of Surgery has shown that it may be bile not stomach acid that contributes to the formation of esophageal cancer. In the study it was shown that bile caused specific changes to the lining of the esophagus that could potentially turn off normal esophageal cell growth and turn on the intestinal cell growth that is the hallmark of Barrett's esophagus. Researchers further theorize that the bile activates stem cells in... http://www.healthcentral.com/acid-reflux/c/70966/152635/esophagus http://www.healthcentral.com/acid-reflux/c/70966/152634/lessons-child Wed, 16 May 2012 12:17:00 -0400 Jennifer Rackley It is hard to believe but today my youngest refluxer turns 7 years old. Back in those early days it was hard to imagine making it through the next 7 days much less 7 years! We have learned a lot during these past years. Here are a few of the things we learned:   Ask for help. No one gets through this journey on the "reflux rollercoaster" alone. Whether you allow people to help you with physical, financial or emotional needs... you will need... http://www.healthcentral.com/acid-reflux/c/70966/152634/lessons-child http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/70966/152632/children-communicate Mon, 14 May 2012 11:50:00 -0400 Jennifer Rackley Inflammatory Bowel Disease can be hard for an adult to understand. For a child the diagnosis can be confusing or even scary. The symptoms can be very difficult to talk about or embarrassing so it can further complicate the matter.   It is very important to explain to a child with IBD what the disease is in an age-appropriate way. They may also need explanations of medical testing, medications and any dietary changes. While there is no known... http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/70966/152632/children-communicate http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/70966/152631/preventing-pediatric Mon, 07 May 2012 11:44:00 -0400 Jennifer Rackley Children are the fastest growing population of Inflammatory Bowel Disease patients. Unfortunately many children can go years before they receive an accurate diagnosis of their condition. This problem was eloquently detailed in the post by Tammy Worth entitled, "Doctors Missed My Son's Crohn's Disease for Years" about April Burton‘s son Spencer and his road to an accurate diagnosis.   Sadly, this lag time between symptoms and diagnosis... http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/70966/152631/preventing-pediatric http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/70966/151728/patient-peeve-sick Wed, 11 Apr 2012 11:15:00 -0400 Jennifer Rackley If you have ever had a chronic illness you know that there will be people who will help you by what they say and, inevitably, people who say the wrong thing.  This is also true for people dealing with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.  As I have talked with IBD patients over the years the one statement that gets repeated to them time and time again is, "But, you don't look sick".  In some instances people really do mean this as a... http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/70966/151728/patient-peeve-sick http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/70966/151726/mediterranean-diet Tue, 03 Apr 2012 12:22:00 -0400 Jennifer Rackley A new study nearing completion theorizes that the Mediterranean Diet might be beneficial for people with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.  The Mediterranean Diet, rich in healthy fats and vegetables, has long been touted as beneficial in patients with heart disease.  This new study could indicate whether those anti-inflammatory properties also apply to IBD.The Mediterranean Diet gets its name from the countries around the Mediterranean Sea... http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/70966/151726/mediterranean-diet http://www.healthcentral.com/acid-reflux/c/70966/151725/system-reflux Mon, 02 Apr 2012 10:35:00 -0400 Jennifer Rackley Recently the FDA approved a new medical device for the treatment of GERD that has not responded to diet or prescription medications.  The device is made by Torax Medical and is called the LINX Reflux Management System.The LINX system consists of a string of titanium beads that are placed around the esophagus in the area of the LES.  The LINX beads have a magnetic core which causes them to be attracted to each other.  As they... http://www.healthcentral.com/acid-reflux/c/70966/151725/system-reflux http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/70966/151727/inflammatory-disease Sun, 01 Apr 2012 19:26:00 -0400 Jennifer Rackley Weight fluctuations are very common in patients with IBD.   This can be very frustrating for patients in a society that is so weight conscious.  In this blog we will discuss some of the reasons for weight fluctuations and how to minimize those swings as best possible.One reason for weight fluctuation in IBD patients is due to the inability to eat normally, especially in times of flare ups.  This can cause patients to loose a... http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/70966/151727/inflammatory-disease http://www.healthcentral.com/acid-reflux/c/70966/150847/exacerbated Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:31:00 -0400 Jennifer Rackley In order to resolve any child's issue with food refusal the underline medical issue needs to be treated or resolved.  In many instances a child with acid reflux disease will also have other overlapping conditions that could be aggravating the problem with feedings.  The most common conditions that may precipitate additional issues with feedings are allergies, aspiration or swallowing issues and motility diseases.Allergies can range... http://www.healthcentral.com/acid-reflux/c/70966/150847/exacerbated http://www.healthcentral.com/acid-reflux/c/70966/150845/pediatric Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:56:00 -0500 Jennifer Rackley In my previous posts we talked at length about food refusal.  If you have tried all of the tips and tricks to get more calories into your baby naturally and it is not working your pediatrician might suggest a temporary tube feeding.  This can be very scary for parents but remember, your primary goal is to get your child properly nourished.  There are two types of tube feedings that are most commonly used in children with severe... http://www.healthcentral.com/acid-reflux/c/70966/150845/pediatric