Dr. Wes: Practicing Physicians of America: Taking the Stick

Shuzan, a Buddhist monk of the tenth century, once held up a bamboo stick before his disciples. "Call this a stick," he bellowed, "and you assert; call this not a stick, and you negate. Now, do not assert or negate, what would you call this stick? Speak! Speak!"

From out the ranks, a young monk ventured forth, grabbed the bamboo, and, breaking it in two, exclaimed to Shuzan, "What is this?"*

Wonder where I've been for the past several weeks?

Welcome to Practicing Physicians of America.

Thanks to everyone who has collaborated to make this dream become a reality in a remarkably short 12 days. We hope the momentum continues to grow. We have strong advisors and are commited to ending unproven bureaucratic intrusions that threaten our ability to practice our trade. There is still plenty to do as we work to create a new 501(c)(3) by practicing physicians for practicing physicians. This is a voluntary, grassroots effort.

There is strength in numbers and we're in Washington DC to kick it all off tomorrow (press release here). I hope EVERY practicing physician, irrespective of political loyalty, will join us in the work to end the bureaucratic intrusions that are threatening our ability to care for patients.  Please join us in this David vs Goliath fight.

We will have more in the coming days.

-Wes

* From: An Introduction to Zen Buddhism, by D.T. Suzuki (Grove Press, 1964).



Dr. Wes: Practicing Physicians of America: Taking the Stick

Crohn’s Disease – Topic Overview, Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis & Treatment

Crohn’s disease is one of the two types of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD); the other type is Ulcerative Colitis. Crohn’s disease is a chronic condition in which any part of the digestive tract, starting from mouth to the anus, gets inflamed and swollen while deep sores called ulcers develop in the tissues lining that underlying part. The disease affects different parts of gastrointestinal tract (GI) in different people, but it mostly occurs in the last part of small intestine and the large intestine (colon). The disease can become mild or less painful for some patients while it can even lead to life-threatening complications for others, but early diagnosis and proper treatment plan can help to avoid these severe complications.

Here, we briefly explain the basics of Crohn’s disease which gives you a broader understanding of different aspects of the condition:

What are the symptoms of the disease?

HOW YOU CAN PREVENT CONSTIPATION?

We usually not like to talk about this problem while thinking twice before talking about it with friends or loved ones. In fact, no one likes to think or talk about Constipation, but every one of us has it at least for one time. If you are dealing with trouble in passing hard, dry bowel movements then you’re not alone, as more than 40 million of Americans are struggling with this problem. Most of the time, it doesn’t take long and can be controlled with some simple lifestyle changes and some modifications in your diet. There are number of measures that you can adopt to control constipation and to prevent from this unpleasant condition. Here, we give you some helpful yet simple preventive measures that help to relieve the symptoms of constipation and to prevent this condition:

FOLLOW 8 SIMPLE PREVENTIVE MEASURES

PriceCheck: How Much Does A Colonoscopy Cost?

The colonoscopy: it may be the most dreaded screening test out there, and it’s the next procedure we’re covering as part of PriceCheck.

On PriceCheck, we’re crowdsourcing prices of common health tests and procedures. KQED, along with our colleagues at KPCC in LA, and ClearHealthCosts.com, a health cost transparency start up in New York, are shining a light on health care costs by asking you –members of our community — to share what you’ve paid for various health care procedures.

We turned to crowdsourcing because health care prices are wildly variable and opaque. It sometimes stuns people to find out there is no central database of prices. Gag clauses in contracts between doctors and insurers forbid both parties to disclose prices.

Read More @ ww2.kqed.org

Barrett’s Esophagus: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment & iRelation with GERD

Barrett’s Esophagus is a condition in which the normal tissue in the lining of esophagus, a tube connecting the mouth and the stomach, is abnormally replaced with different tissue, which is similar to the tissue lining the stomach or intestine. Barrett’s Esophagus is a rare condition not known to majority of people and it affects only 1.6 to 3 percent of the individuals. The people suffering from Barrett’s Esophagus are at a slightly increased risk of developing Esophageal Adenocarcinoma, which is a serious, potentially fatal and rare form of the cancer affecting esophagus. According to National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), the Esophageal Cancer affects only 0.5 percent of people having Barrett’s Esophagus each year. However, if you have been diagnosed with Barrett’s Esophagus then it’s very important to have routine examinations of your esophagus which help the doctor to discover precancerous and cancer cells at early stage and can be easily treated.

Barrett’s Esophagus is most commonly seen in people having long-term GERD, which stands for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, a condition in which the stomach acid repeatedly escapes to lower part of the esophagus causing abnormality, infection and pain.
Here, we give you a brief overview of Barrett’s Esophagus: its symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment and how it relates to the condition called GERD.

How does GERD relate to Barrett’s Esophagus?

Colon Cancer According To The Stages

Treatment for Colon Cancer – GI Endoscopy Practice in NJ

In the early stage, there are no visible symptoms of Colon Cancer. That’s why it is important to have the tests recommended by the doctor so that the disease can be treated at early stage. When you start experiencing symptoms, these might include sudden change in bowel movements such as constipation or diarrhea, bleeding or cramping in rectum, bloating or feeling discomfort in belly, weight loss, fatigue, loss of appetite, feeling that your bowel isn’t empty or sudden need for another bowel movement and pelvic pain. If you experience any of these symptoms then take it serious and consult the doctor immediately in order to diagnose the exact problem. Our physicians will discuss your condition in detail then suggest proper exam for diagnosis such as Colonoscopy. We, at GI Endoscopy Practice have expertise to perform highly reliable exams in the best manner using advanced equipment and state-of-the-art facilities. Contact us now!

COLON / POLYPS

At first, the doctor determines the treatment plan for Colon Cancer according to the stage of the Cancer and condition of patient. Generally, the treatment for Colon Cancer involves surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The surgery performed according to the stage of Cancer. Small cancerous polyps can be removed during Colonoscopy at early stage and blockage of Colon can be relieved at advanced stage surgery. During Chemotherapy, different drugs can be used that destroy cancerous cells. During radiation therapy, X-rays are used to kill cancer cells. Both Chemotherapy and Radiation therapy recommended after the surgery to avoid recurrence of the disease. The GI Endoscopy Practice physicians recommend the appropriate treatment option keeping in view the condition of the patient. Detailed consultation and diagnosis exams help our doctors to devise a treatment that cures your disease. For a proper treatment plan, contact our specialists in New Jersey.

READ MORE

Treatment Plan To Cure All Types Of Hepatitis

Hepatitis: Overview, Types, Symptoms & Treatment - GI Endoscopy Practice NJ

The condition of inflammation of the liver is called as Hepatitis. In many cases, it is caused by virus but it may also be caused by drugs, bacteria, heredity, alcohol and some medical conditions. There are three types of Hepatitis A, B and C. At first, there are no visible symptoms appear but when they occur, the common symptoms of all three types are jaundice (yellow skin & eyes), nausea, mild fever, fatigue, belly pain and poor appetite.

Type A is contagious and spread from one person to another in certain settings. It normally transfers through contaminated water or food. It usually causes very mild illness even that the infected persons never realize they are sick. This virus doesn’t cause any permanent damage to liver. Majority of people fully recover from this type of virus.

Many patients have mild symptoms of type B and can recover from the virus on their own. But some patients take longer time to recover. With the time, this type of disease can lead to serious problems such as liver damage, live cancer or liver failure. It usually spreads through contaminated needles and sexual contact.

Some people infected with type C can defeat the virus, while others carry it for long-time. Chronic stage of this type cause liver cancer and liver failure. It usually spreads through infected blood, sharing needles and during pregnancy. It quietly attacks the liver without appearance of any symptoms.

Blood tests are most important indicator for diagnosing the disease. Additional exams such as ultrasound or liver biopsy may also perform by the doctors. There is no specific Hepatitis A treatment required because the body develops antibodies which fights and kills the virus, allowing liver to recover. For Hepatitis B treatment, antiviral medications may recommend by the doctor. Vaccines are also available for type A and B. Different latest medications are available used for Hepatitis C treatment. No vaccine is available for this type of virus.  

The physicians at GI Endoscopy Practice provide complete treatment plan to cure all types of Hepatitis. Latest medical equipment is available for tests. We tailor a specific treatment plan for each patient condition so that every patient can lead a healthy life.