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Jordan News
8 hours ago
- Health
- Jordan News
Why Does Heartburn Increase With Age? - Jordan News
As we age, our bodies undergo a range of changes—some more frustrating than others. One common and often uncomfortable issue that tends to become more frequent with age is heartburn. Foods that once caused no problem may now require an antacid afterward. اضافة اعلان While heartburn can affect people of any age, gastroenterologists confirm that it becomes more common with aging. According to a report by HuffPost, understanding the causes behind age-related heartburn is the first step toward reducing its frequency. What Is Heartburn, Exactly? Heartburn occurs when stomach acid backs up into the esophagus—the tube connecting your mouth to your stomach. This is typically due to a weakening or relaxing of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), a muscle ring that normally acts as a valve to keep acid in the stomach. Dr. Vivek Lal, a microbiome scientist and founder of ResBiotic, explains that when this valve fails to function properly, acid reflux happens, causing the characteristic burning sensation in the chest—hence the name heartburn. 3 Reasons Heartburn Becomes More Common With Age 1. Weaker Esophageal Muscles Dr. Mikhail Yakubov, a gastroenterologist, notes that one major reason heartburn is more prevalent in older adults is that esophageal muscles naturally weaken over time. This includes the LES, making it easier for acid to escape into the esophagus. Additionally, the digestive system slows down with age, allowing more time for acid to move in the wrong direction—further increasing the chances of heartburn. 2. Medications As people age, the likelihood of developing conditions like high blood pressure increases. According to the CDC, over 70% of adults aged 60+ have high blood pressure. Dr. Ali Kazemi explains that some medications for high blood pressure, especially nitrates and calcium channel blockers, can relax the LES, increasing the risk of heartburn. Other drugs—including opioids, certain antibiotics, and over-the-counter painkillers like ibuprofen and aspirin—can also irritate the stomach lining and contribute to heartburn. 3. Weight Gain It's common to gain some weight with age. Studies show that between the ages of 40 and 66, both men and women typically gain about half a pound to a pound per year. Kazemi and other doctors note that weight gain, especially around the waist, can increase intra-abdominal pressure, pushing stomach acid upward and worsening reflux. Additionally, slower digestion associated with obesity increases the time acid stays in the stomach—another trigger for heartburn. GLP-1 medications (like Ozempic and Mounjaro) used for diabetes and weight loss have also been linked to reflux symptoms due to their delayed gastric emptying effect. What Can You Do If You Have Frequent Heartburn? The good news: you can manage heartburn, regardless of age, by adjusting a few habits: Talk to your doctor if you suspect your medication may be contributing to heartburn. Alternatives may be available. Maintain a healthy weight, especially around the midsection. Eat smaller meals, avoid lying down right after eating, and limit trigger foods (like spicy, fatty, or acidic items). Avoid smoking and limit alcohol intake—both can worsen heartburn. If symptoms persist, a healthcare provider may recommend prescription treatments or further testing to rule out more serious conditions like GERD.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
PSA: You Probably Don't Need To Be Weighed At The Doctor's Office
For many struggling with body image, heading to the doctor for a specific health issue or even just a routine checkup is more stressful than it needs to be. Weigh-ins are a standard practice before you see your doctor, but if you've experienced an eating disorder or are self-conscious about your weight, jumping on a scale in the middle of a busy hallway is a tall order. But here's an underdiscussed secret: You really don't have to be weighed every time you go to the doctor. 'It is entirely correct that after age 18, most people do not need to be weighed at the doctor's office,' Jennifer Gaudiani, a Denver-based physician who treats patients with eating disorders, told HuffPost. Of course, there are a handful of exceptions: Weight understandably needs to be tracked when a patient with an eating disorder has specific weight needs in order to treat the disease. If someone comes in and is concerned about unexplained weight loss, that needs to be measured and watched, too. 'And young children need to have weight and height monitored to make sure growth is proceeding properly,' Gaudiani said. 'Pregnant people also need to have weights followed ― although they don't need to have the weights revealed or discussed ― to be sure baby is getting what baby needs.' But outside of exceptions like these, Gaudiani said she's confident that '90%' of weigh-ins taken at medical offices are entirely unnecessary. 'What that means is someone coming in to talk about their depression, digestion, substance use or twisted ankle can find themselves on the other end of a lecture about weight and weight loss,' she said. That sometimes results in weight-conscious patients avoiding health checkups altogether. 'Unnecessary weigh-ins chill patients' willingness to see medical providers, waste everyone's time, fail to address the most important concerns of the patient, and may push individuals into cycles of dieting, maybe some weight loss, then regaining even more,' she said. Given Gaudiani's thoughts on weigh-ins, she was thrilled last month when she saw these 'Please Don't Weigh Me' cards trending on Twitter: The cards, created by eating disorder recovery site read: 'Please don't weigh me unless it's (really) medically necessary,' adding: 'If you really need my weight, please tell me why so that I can give you my informed consent.' The cards were initially free for individuals but now cost $1 each due to demand. There's an option for health care providers to purchase a batch, at $35 per 100 cards. The site also offers 'please don't talk about my child's weight' cards to parents, to kick off important conversations with kids about the often unfair conflation of weight with good health in advance of a checkup. (Children need to be weighed but the card says, 'If you have any questions, ask me when my child is not present.') 'I'm a fan of these cards because it's a starting point where the patient or parent doesn't have to come up with all the words and reasons themselves, but rather has the support of the card as a neutral object to try and advocate for their bodies,' Gaudiani said. Ginny Jones, the founder of created the initial batch of cards back in 2019. In recovery from her eating disorder, Jones had begun asking not to be weighed at doctor's appointments. She soon realized not everyone knew that was an option. Getting health care providers on board with the cards has been great ― 200 providers have ordered anywhere from 100 to 500 cards for their offices, Jones said ― but the responses she's received from individuals has been the most heartening. 'The best feedback I hear from patients is, 'I made my first appointment in years!'' Jones said. 'I'm shocked to hear personally from so many people who are delaying health care because they hate stepping on the scale. I love that these cards give them the confidence to walk back into a health care provider's office.' Gregory Walters, a writer and educator from Vancouver, British Columbia, who was diagnosed with anorexia in his 50s, sees the card as a simple but effective tool to empower patients to advocate for themselves. Being weighed triggers Walters, but in the past, he struggled to discuss it with health care providers. 'Under no circumstances can I know my weight,' he told HuffPost. 'If it's more than I expect, I amp up my eating disorder behaviors. If it's less, it becomes a weird game where I decide to see how much lower I can go.' Walters hasn't weighed himself in more than 10 years. When he spent six weeks in the hospital in 2019 for eating disorder treatment, they did blind weigh-ins around 6 a.m. every Monday. 'We always stood on the scale, facing away from it, which as a method of weighing me was affirming,' he said. 'It told me the doctors and staff understood how traumatizing a number related to one's weight can be.' Before that, he would just close his eyes when stepping on a scale at a doctor's office and say emphatically, 'I don't want to know.' These days, Walters' family doctor has learned about his triggers, but he knows how hard it can be to speak up for yourself. 'It can be challenging for anyone to talk with doctors,' he said. 'Their time can feel limited. As a patient you can feel intimidated due to a perceived imbalance in terms of education and knowledge.' The card 'allows a patient to quickly get a message across without having to stumble and bumble through an extremely uncomfortable conversation,' he said. In an ideal world, it wouldn't be such an uncomfortable conversation. Asking not to be weighed should be as simple as stating, 'I'd prefer not to be weighed today.' Unfortunately, it's not always that easy, according to Gaudiani. If you say you don't want to be weighed and are challenged, Gaudiani said to tell the nurse, 'Thanks for letting me know it's standard, but this is my body, and I'm electing not to be weighed. You may write 'declined' on my note for insurance purposes. I'm happy to discuss it further with my doctor.' If the doctor challenges you, bring up the medical issue that brought you into their office in the first place. 'That might sound like, 'I have a short amount of time with you, and I really need to discuss my back pain, my constipation and my asthma today. Let's focus on that, please,'' Gaudiani said. Since going viral, the cards have received some criticism from people online who think the cards are enabling or will do damage to public health given the obesity epidemic in America. Shana Spence, a registered dietitian nutritionist based in New York, said she thinks weight stigma and a larger trend of fatphobia in the medical field does greater damage to the quality of health care and health outcomes than any card could ever do. 'Fatphobia in the medical field often translates into a lack of diagnosing for ailments,' she said. 'When someone goes in for pain or whatever ailment, it's extremely discouraging to be told to just lose weight or simply ignored altogether. What are those in thinner bodies told for the same ailments?' Spence said there are many instances when people in larger bodies are congratulated on weight loss, no matter how unnatural or unhealthy it is. 'Even a thin or straight-sized person is congratulated on weight loss because we as a society are very weight-centric,' Spence said. A 2012 survey of almost 2,500 U.S. women found that 69% reported feeling stigmatized for their weight by their doctors and 52% endured recurring fat bias. As Spence pointed out, diagnoses are often missed because providers are fixated on the number on the scale rather than the full picture of health. A review of studies published in the journal Obesity Reviews in 2015 showed that health care professionals' negative feelings about fat bodies can lead to misdiagnosis and late or missed diagnoses, negatively impacting patient outcomes. Studies have also shown that this bias makes women and people in larger-sized bodies less likely to seek health care in the first place. The good news is, more weight- and body-neutral doctors seem to be entering the profession. Some doctors have adopted a Health at Every Size, or HAES, approach to public health. HAES-aligned health care providers seek to deemphasize weight loss as a health goal while reducing stigma toward larger bodies in the medical field. Most HAES health care providers believe that the current practice of linking weight to health using body mass index standards is not only biased but unhelpful when it comes to weight loss. (If you're looking for a HAES-informed health care provider in your area, there's an online database that you can search by area or specialty.) A 2017 study out of the University of Pennsylvania found that when people feel shamed because of their weight, they are more likely to avoid exercise and consume more calories to cope with this stress. Spence noted that healthy solutions include encouraging patients to incorporate more fruits, vegetables and fiber-rich foods into their diets, work on strategies to quit smoking and focus on mental health, since stress can contribute to many health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and diabetes. 'There is no need to concentrate on numbers constantly,' she said. At the very least, medical professionals should start asking patients if they want to be told their weight. When Gaudiani consults with fellow medical practitioners who aren't quite on board with radically reduced weight checks, she asks them at least to consider asking for consent. 'A doctor or staff could say, 'Would you be willing for me to check your weight today? I was worried last month when you said you were feeling low energy and having a harder time getting in your meals, and I'd like to follow up,'' Gaudiani said. 'So much of medicine assumes permission to act upon patients' bodies, when in fact we need to be honoring body autonomy and seeking consent much more.' What To Do If Your Doctor Fat Shames You Being Fat Is Not A Moral Failure. Here's How To Teach Your Kids That. Your Body On Alcohol: How It Affects Your Heart, Liver, Weight And Cancer Risk
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
22 Of The Funniest Posts About Cats And Dogs This Week (May 24-30)
Woof — it's been a long week. If you feel like you've been working like a dog, let us offer you the internet equivalent of a big pile of catnip: hilarious posts about pets. We Shih Tzu not. Each week at HuffPost, we scour Bluesky, Instagram and X, formerly Twitter, to find the funniest posts about our furballs being complete goofballs. They're sure to make you howl. (And if you want more, no need to beg ― you can check out last week's batch right here.) wow i absolutely love your outfit the black really brings out the pet hair on it — Chris (@citehchris) May 26, 2025 This is Reese. She was offered a chicken nugget, but to eat it she would have to give up her hot sauce toy. Can't believe you're making her choose. 13/10 — WeRateDogs (@dog_rates) May 29, 2025 "It's me!" — smol silly cat (@Catsillyness) May 25, 2025 She loves licking fingers and hands but lmao whats this nose rub she does every few seconds — Posts Of Cats (@PostsOfCats) May 30, 2025 chillin' — No Context Cats (@nocontextscats) May 25, 2025 one time at my old job a lady made a reservation and said she had a service dog. ok that's cool!but then when she showed up her service dog was, in fact, a stroller of pomeranians (at least 5) — madison (@madisontayt_) May 27, 2025 This dog gets jealous when his brother takes ear his dad pretends to give them to him too. — The Figen (@TheFigen_) May 29, 2025 — Cats with pawerful aura (@AuraWithCat) May 24, 2025 cat: 'maybe today will be different'…. — Why you should have a cat (@ShouldHaveCat) May 27, 2025 reading your mind — poorly drawn cats (@poorlycatdraw) May 27, 2025 Me every morning.. 😅 — Buitengebieden (@buitengebieden) May 28, 2025 "And iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii" — smol silly cat (@Catsillyness) May 24, 2025 If you're having a terrible day, watch this — Nature is Amazing ☘️ (@AMAZlNGNATURE) May 28, 2025 — out of context dogs (@contextdogs) May 30, 2025 This is Duncan. He is a professional barkour athlete. Please do not try this at home. 13/10 — WeRateDogs (@dog_rates) May 28, 2025 View this post on Instagram A post shared by 🌊Life with Loki & Aislinn 🏕️ (@thebluestaffy_loki) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Animals Doing Things (@animalsdoingthings) 22 Of The Funniest Posts About Cats And Dogs This Week 26 Of The Funniest Posts About Cats And Dogs This Week 20 Of The Funniest Posts About Cats And Dogs This Week
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
RFK Jr. Wants To Take COVID Shots Away From Pregnant People — But You Can Fight Back
Read on Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy's war on health care in the U.S. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a man who just a few weeks ago told the American people, 'I don't think people should be taking medical advice from me,' is now dishing out vaccine recommendations for pregnant people and children. You've likely heard about the video he posted on X, formerly Twitter, which was accompanied by the caption 'today, the COVID vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women has been removed from [the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] recommended immunization schedule.' Going against Kennedy, though, the CDC on Thursday published its new recommendations and still suggest the vaccine for children. But, in line with Kennedy's X announcement, the COVID vaccine is no longer recommended for pregnant people, according to the CDC website. This is all confusing — and, particularly if you're pregnant, it's only natural to be worried. But it's not currently clear what this will actually mean for the vaccine come fall when the new formulation is available.'The first thing I do want to tell every reader is that the ACIP, or the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, is still going to meet in June, and I think this is important to remember because although RFK sidestepped really what is a decades-long practice of having independent reviewers review all the science and then make a vaccine recommendation ... the ACIP could potentially disagree with RFK's blanket statement,' Dr. Anita Patel, a pediatric critical care doctor in Washington, D.C., told HuffPost. Also, since Kennedy did not qualify this change with science-backed reasoning, Patel is hopeful that this decision could be overturned. Suffice to say, you shouldn't panic, but you should take this threat seriously. Doctors spoke with HuffPost about why this move is dangerous, what you can do to advocate for vaccine access and how to stay healthy if you can't get the jab come fall: Kennedy's announcement of the removal of the COVID vaccine from the recommended vaccination schedule for pregnant people and children is a strange move for many reasons. 'When we really look at who would benefit from COVID vaccines, we do really see value in continuing to vaccinate pregnant women and babies, particularly young children who have never had a primary series,' said Dr. Lori Handy, the associate director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The vaccine is important for pregnant people because they're immunocompromised during pregnancy, Handy said. More, 'when pregnant, the physiology of how your heart and your lungs work changes because [your body] redirects a lot of your blood flow to the placenta to support the fetus, and that makes COVID infection more risky for pregnant moms,' Handy added. Beyond the health of the pregnant person, the COVID vaccine also benefits the growing fetus. When a pregnant person gets vaccinated, they then pass those antibodies on to the fetus, she noted. 'And we know that children under 1 are hospitalized at rates second only to people over age 75. So, they're the second most hospitalized group to the elderly, which really states just how significant the infection is for babies and how important it is to get them protected,' Handy said. The COVID vaccine also reduces the risk of stillbirth and preterm labor, Patel said. '[People who] really want to continue to have access to vaccines, the key thing they could do right now, actually, is talk with their local, state and federal legislators, let them know' Handy said. 'Please advocate for us and help protect this resource, because we want to have it available even if the guidance changes. ... We want to make sure that vaccines stay available for all of the people that want it,' Handy said. Your voice matters, and this fight isn't over, Patel said. 'It is also important to remember that the representatives, whether it's a congressperson or a senator, they work for you,' Patel noted. You can directly call or email your elected officials and let them know you aren't going to vote for them again if they don't fight against the COVID shot restrictions. 'So, using language that is very literal and deliberate, saying 'I will not vote for you if you support this decision to rescind the recommendation regarding COVID-19 vaccinations for pregnant individuals and people under 65,'' Patel said. 'And I really, I really believe in this process, because although we haven't been able to overturn everything, there has been a lot of movement in these executive orders and unlawful announcements, and that is because of the voice of the American people,' she said. Patel added that the Trump administration is trying to upset us. 'They are trying to paralyze us so that we can't act, and if us as a society and us as a populace in America allow them to do that, we will lose our voice. But if we continue to push back, we will not,' Patel said. 'With regard to pregnant individuals, although the administration has taken the stance against vaccinating pregnant persons against COVID, their doctor, whether it's their OB or their primary care doctor, can still say 'My patient is at high risk for adverse outcomes secondary to COVID-19, and therefore it is medically indicated for this patient to receive the vaccine,'' Patel said. 'And the truth is that RFK actually allowed for that loophole in his announcement when he said that they will continue to cover the vaccine for vulnerable populations,' Patel said, and added that inactivity is one of the underlying conditions that can make you eligible for the jab. 'So there are a lot of underlying conditions that people may not even realize are on that list.' This administration is creating lots of chaos with its inflammatory and scary decisions, but 'those decisions haven't necessarily trickled down yet into a sphere in which they are appreciably affecting people's ability to get the vaccine,' Patel said. 'I can't say what's going to happen once the ACIP has met, but at this moment in time, children can still get the COVID-19 vaccine ... and as long as an OB-GYN appropriately justifies the indication for the COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant persons, that pregnant person should still be able to get it,' Patel noted. If your doctor does not agree to give you a COVID-19 vaccine, Patel recommends that you seek out a second opinion. There are things you can do to protect yourself if a worst-case scenario unfolds and pregnant folks aren't able to get the COVID-19 vaccine come fall. 'If you are in any way at risk of a more severe outcome from respiratory infections, wear a mask when you go to crowded places,' Handy said. You should also practice good hand hygiene — washing your hands regularly and using hand sanitizer when you're out and about. 'People should worry about COVID, but also flu, rhinovirus, all of these infections can make people, particularly pregnant people or immunocompromised people, very ill, and we want to keep those people safe,' Handy added. When it comes to keeping babies, and particularly newborns, safe, Handy said she tries to 'surround them, essentially cocoon them, with other healthy people.' This may look like turning away a sniffling babysitter or leaving a friend's house when you notice their coughing 2-year-old. 'Trying to stay around healthy people is just logistically hard in a busy life, but it does protect your child, particularly during winter seasons, when a lot more viruses circulate,' Handy said. It's also important to get all of the other recommended vaccines for your baby on time, Handy noted. You can ask your pediatrician any questions you have about vaccines, 'but just recognize when your health care provider makes a recommendation for a vaccine in the first week of life, for a vaccine at 2 months of life, that is really done to give the baby the most protection they can. And changing that schedule or delaying just increases the time that that baby's at risk,' Handy said. 'So, if we do face a world where baby can't have COVID protection, making sure they're protected from every single other thing, and then practicing those good infection prevention practices, is really the best we'll be able to do,' Handy noted. A New COVID Variant Is Here, And It's More Transmissible — Here Are The Signs And Symptoms Trump's FDA Has Axed COVID Boosters For Most People — And Medical Experts Are Deeply Worried
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
GOP Senator Ignores Insane Town Hall Gaffe — And Social Media Goes Off
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) made an unforced political error during a town hall Friday morning when she reminded constituents worried about Medicaid cuts that 'we are all going to die.' But when she tried to put a positive spin on the event after it concluded, social media wouldn't let her ignore her controversial comments. During the meeting in Parkersburg, Iowa, Ernst faced questions from voters concerned about proposed cuts to Medicaid and food stamp benefits. 'We are going to focus on those that are most vulnerable,' Ernst tried to assure the crowd, ABC Iowa City affiliate KCRG TV reported. 'We will protect them. OK? Medicaid is extremely important here in the state of Iowa. ... Leave those dollars for those that are eligible for Medicaid.' Ernst then claimed the efforts to roll back Medicaid benefits would only affect people who aren't eligible for them, which led one woman in the crowd to yell, 'People will die.' The senator had a callous response. 'People are not ― well, we all are going to die. So, for heaven's sakes, folks,' she said while the audience jeered. Yes, there's video. Thank you for asking. Indeed, all living forms on this planet will eventually cease to exist, but bringing up this truth sarcastically during a town hall meeting of concerned voters was probably not the wisest move. Still, Ernst posted a 'rah rah' message about the town hall afterward, thanking constituents for listening to her 'sharing my work to cut government red tape for you.' Many people on X didn't appreciate Ernst's attempt to sweep her deadly serious comment under the rug ― and, much like the crowd in Iowa, they went off. HuffPost reached out to Ernst's office for comment on the reaction to her quote. And a spokesperson responded... with a statement that actually doubled down on the inevitability of death. 'While Democrats fearmonger against strengthening the integrity of Medicaid, Senator Ernst is focused on improving the lives of all Iowans. There's only two certainties in life: death and taxes, and she's working to ease the burden of both by fighting to keep more of Iowans' hard-earned tax dollars in their own pockets and ensuring their benefits are protected from waste, fraud, and abuse.' GOP Senator Pooh-Poohs Fears On Medicaid Cuts: 'Well, We All Are Going To Die' Wage Theft Is A Huge Problem. Trump Is Going To Make It Worse. GOP Senator Blocks Bill That Would Codify Right To Birth Control 'Daily Show' Montage Mocks GOP Sen. Joni Ernst As 'Queen Of Prop Comedy'
