Lactose intolerancemeans the body cannot easily digest lactose, a type of natural sugar found in milk and dairy products. This is not the same thing as a food allergy to milk.

When lactose moves through the large intestine (colon) without being properly digested, it can cause uncomfortable symptoms such as gas, belly pain, and bloating. Some people who have lactose intolerance cannot digest any milk products. Others can eat or drink small amounts of milk products or certain types of milk products without problems.

Lactose intolerance is common in adults. It occurs more often in Native Americans and people of Asian, African, and South American descent than among people of European descent.

A big challenge for people who are lactose-intolerant is learning how to eat to avoid discomfort and to get enough calcium for healthy bones.

Lactose intolerance occurs when the small intestine  does not make enough of an enzyme called lactase. Your body needs lactase to break down, or digest, lactose.

Lactose intolerance most commonly runs in families, and symptoms usually develop during the teen or adult years. Most people with this type of lactose intolerance can eat some milk or dairy products without problems.

Sometimes the small intestine stops making lactase after a short-term illness such as the stomach flu or as part of a lifelong disease such as cystic fibrosis. Or the small intestine sometimes stops making lactase after surgery to remove a part of the small intestine. In these cases, the problem can be either permanent or temporary.

In rare cases, newborns are lactose-intolerant. A person born with lactose intolerance cannot eat or drink anything with lactose.

Some premature babies have temporary lactose intolerance because they are not yet able to make lactase. After a baby begins to make lactase, the condition typically goes away.

Symptoms of lactose intolerance can be mild to severe, depending on how much lactase your body makes. Symptoms usually begin 30 minutes to 2 hours after you eat or drink milk products. If you have lactose intolerance, your symptoms may include:

• Bloating.
• Pain or cramps.
• Gurgling or rumbling sounds in your belly.
• Gas.
• Loose stools or diarrhea.
• Throwing up.

Many people who have gas, belly pain, bloating, and diarrhea suspect they may be lactose-intolerant. The best way to check this is to avoid eating all milk and dairy products to see if your symptoms go away. If they do, then you can try adding small amounts of milk products to see if your symptoms come back.

If you feel sick after drinking a glass of milk one time, you probably do not have lactose intolerance. But if you feel sick every time you have milk, ice cream, or another dairy product, you may have lactose intolerance.

Sometimes people who have never had problems with milk or dairy products suddenly have lactose intolerance. This is more common as you get older.

If you think you might have lactose intolerance, talk with your doctor. He or she can make sure that your symptoms are caused by lactose intolerance and not by another problem.

There is no cure for lactose intolerance. But you can treat your symptoms by limiting or avoiding milk products. Some people use milk with reduced lactose, or they substitute soy milk and soy cheese for milk and milk products. Some people who are lactose-intolerant can eat yogurt without problems, especially yogurt with live cultures. You can also take dietary supplements called lactase products that help digest lactose. In time, most people who have lactose intolerance get to know their bodies well enough to avoid symptoms.

One of the biggest concerns for people who are lactose-intolerant is making sure they get enough of the nutrients found in milk products, especially calcium. Calcium is most important for children, teens, pregnant women, and women after menopause. There are many nondairy foods that contain calcium, including:

• Broccoli, okra, kale, collards, and turnip greens.
• Canned sardines, tuna, and salmon.
• Calcium-fortified juices and cereals.
• Calcium-fortified soy products such as soy milk, tofu, and soybeans.
• Almonds.

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What Is Squamous Cell Cancer?

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Often pseudocysts get better and go away on their own. If a pseudocyst is small and not causing serious symptoms, a doctor may want to monitor it with periodic CT scans. If the pseudocyst persists, gets larger, or causes pain, it will require surgical treatment. If not monitored or treated, a pseudocyst can become infected or rupture, causing severe pain, blood loss and abdominal infection.

For pseudocysts requiring treatment, surgery is usually necessary. During surgery to correct a pseudocyst, the surgeon usually makes a connection between the pseudocyst and a nearby digestive organ. This allows the pseudocyst to drain through that organ. Depending on the location of the pseudocyst within the pancreas, that connection may be with the stomach, small intestine, or duodenum, the upper end of the small intestine.

In some cases, this surgery is done laparoscopically. That means it’s performed through small incisions in the abdomen, using slender tools and a lighted scope. This procedure minimizes hospitalization and recovery time.

Mycosis fungoides

Mycosis fungoides (MF), also known as Alibert-Bazin syndrome, is a low-grade type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in which white blood cells called lymphctyes become cancerous and affect the skin. Mycosis fungoides, named because of the mushroom fungus look of advanced stages of the disease, is a T-cell lymphoma. MF is more common in men than women. Most patients are in their 50s and 60s. MF generally affects the skin, but may progress to internal organs or the lymph nodes.

Common mycosis fungoides symptoms

Mycosis fungoides is the most common type of skin lymphoma. Its symptoms vary from patient to patient. MF is often mistaken for eczema, psoriasis or dermatitis, making it difficult to diagnose at first. Several biopsies may be needed to confirm the diagnosis. Symptoms include:

• Rash
• Tumors
• Skin lesions
• Patches
• Itching

NOTE: These symptoms may be attributed to a number of conditions other than cancer. It is important to consult with a medical professional for an accurate diagnosis.

Advanced treatments for mycosis fungoides

Common mycosis fungoides treatments include:

Chemotherapy: For patients with refractory disease, chemotherapy may be provided as a single drug or a combination of drugs. Some chemotherapy drugs may be used to treat earlier forms of skin lymphoma, as topical ointments or creams applied directly to the skin.

Radiation: External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) may be used to treat mycosis fungoides. One method for delivering the radiation involves treating the skin over the whole body with rays of tiny particles called electrons. Recommendations for radiation therapy delivery depend on the type and stage of the cancer.

Targeted therapy: Targeted therapy drugs are used to attack specific parts of lymphoma cells or to increase the immune system’s response to them. These drugs may work in situations where chemotherapy does not.

Corticosteroids: These drugs are made up of cortisol, a naturally-occurring hormone that may affect immune cells such as lymphocytes. Corticosteroids may be taken as pills and injections, or applied directly to the skin in the form of ointments, gels and creams. They also may be injected directly into skin lesions. When applied to the skin, less of the drug is absorbed, resulting in fewer side effects. Long-term use of topical corticosteroids may cause the skin in that area to thin out.

Immunotherapy: Immune therapy drugs used to treat skin lymphomas are designed to help destroy lesions. The drug is most often delivered in the form of a cream. When applied to skin lesions, the drug is designed to activate the immune system to destroy cancer cells.

Most people have twisted an ankle at some point in their life. But if your ankle gets swollen and painful after you twist it, you have most likely sprained it. This means you have stretched and possibly torn the ligaments in your ankle.

Even though ankle sprains are common, they are not always minor injuries. Some people with repeated or severe sprains can develop long-term joint pain and weakness. Treating a sprained ankle can help prevent ongoing ankle problems.

Most types of ankle sprains happen when you make a rapid shifting movement with your foot planted, such as when you play soccer or get tackled in football. Often the ankle rolls outward and the foot turns inward. This causes the ligaments on the outside of the ankle to stretch and tear. Less often, the ankle rolls inward and the foot turns outward. This damages the ligaments on the inside of the ankle.

An ankle sprain can range from mild to severe, depending on how badly the ligament is damaged and how many ligaments are injured. With a mild sprain, the ankle may be tender, swollen, and stiff. But it usually feels stable, and you can walk with little pain. A more serious sprain might include bruising and tenderness around the ankle, and walking is painful. In a severe ankle sprain, the ankle is unstable and may feel “wobbly.” You can’t walk, because the ankle gives out and may be very painful.

With most sprains, you feel pain right away at the site of the tear. Often the ankle starts to swell immediately and may bruise . The ankle area is usually tender to touch, and it hurts to move it.

In more severe sprains, you may hear and/or feel something tear, along with a pop or snap. You will probably have extreme pain at first and will not be able to walk or even put weight on your foot. Usually, the more pain and swelling you have, the more severe your ankle sprain is and the longer it will take to heal.

Treatments:

Initial treatment for an ankle sprain is summarized as the RICE approach:

• Rest. You may need to use crutches until walking is not painful without them.
• Ice. For the first 48 to 72 hours or until swelling goes down, apply an ice pack for 10 to 20 minutes every 1 to 2 hours during the day. After 48 hours, you can continue with ice or try contrast baths. There is not good scientific evidence that ice or contrast baths help, but they are often used.
• Compression. An elastic compression wrap will help decrease swelling and should be worn for the first 24 to 36 hours. A protective brace should also be worn if you try to bear weight on your injured ankle. Don’t apply the wrap too tightly. Loosen the bandage if it gets too tight. Signs that the bandage is too tight include numbness, tingling, increased pain, coolness, or swelling in the area below the bandage. See instructions on how to wrap an ankle  with an elastic bandage. Compression wraps do not offer protection, except by reminding you to be careful of your ankle.

  Sprained Ankle: Using a Compression Wrap

• Elevation. Raise your ankle above the level of your heart for 2 to 3 hours a day if possible to decrease swelling and bruising.

If you are not taking any prescription pain relievers, you may want to take an over-the-counter pain reliever such as ibuprofen or naproxen to reduce pain and swelling. Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label.

It may help to wear hiking boots or other high-top, lace-up shoes for support. But use caution. Don’t force your foot into a boot if you feel a lot of pain or discomfort.

The pancreas is a large gland behind the stomach and next to the small intestine. The pancreas does two main things:

1. It releases powerful digestive enzymes into the small intestine to aid the digestion of food.
2. It releases the hormones insulin and glucagon into the bloodstream. These hormones help the body control how it uses food for energy.

Pancreatitis is a disease in which the pancreas becomes inflamed. Pancreatic damage happens when the digestive enzymes are activated before they are released into the small intestine and begin attacking the pancreas.

There are two forms of pancreatitis: acute and chronic.

Acute pancreatitis. Acute pancreatitis is a sudden inflammation that lasts for a short time. It may range from mild discomfort to a severe, life-threatening illness. Most people with acute pancreatitis recover completely after getting the right treatment. In severe cases, acute pancreatitis can result in bleeding into the gland, serious tissue damage, infection, and cystformation. Severe pancreatitis can also harm other vital organs such as the heart, lungs, and kidneys.

Chronic pancreatitis. Chronic pancreatitis is long-lasting inflammationof the pancreas. It most often happens after an episode of acute pancreatitis. Heavy alcohol drinking is another big cause. Damage to the pancreas from heavy alcohol use may not cause symptoms for many years, but then the person may suddenly develop severe pancreatitis symptoms.

Symptoms of acute pancreatitis:

• Upper abdominal pain that radiates into the back; it may be aggravated by eating, especially foods high in fat.
• Swollen and tender abdomen
• Nausea and vomiting
• Fever
• Increased heart rate

The symptoms of chronic pancreatitis are similar to those of acute pancreatitis. Patients frequently feel constant pain in the upper abdomen that radiates to the back. In some patients, the pain may be disabling. Other symptoms are weight loss caused by poor absorption (malabsorption) of food. This malabsorption happens because the gland is not releasing enough enzymes to break down food. Also, diabetes may develop if the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas are damaged.

In most cases, acute pancreatitis is caused by gallstones or heavy alcohol use. Other causes include medications, infections, trauma, metabolic disorders, and surgery. In up to 15% of people with acute pancreatitis, the cause is unknown.

In about 70% of people, chronic pancreatitis is caused by long-time alcohol use. Other causes include gallstones, hereditary disorders of the pancreas, cystic fibrosis, high triglycerides, and certain medicines. In about 20% to 30% of cases, the cause of chronic pancreatitis is unknown.

Pancreatitis can happen to anyone, but it is more common in people with certain risk factors.

Risk factors of acute pancreatitis include:

• Gallstones
• Heavy alcohol drinking

Acute pancreatitis may be the first sign of gallstones. Gallstones can block the pancreatic duct, which can cause acute pancreatitis.

Risk factors for chronic pancreatitis include:

• Heavy alcohol drinking for a long time
• Certain hereditary conditions, such as cystic fibrosis
• Gallstones
• Conditions such as high triglycerides and lupus

People with chronic pancreatitis are usually men between ages 30 and 40, but chronic pancreatitis also may occur in women.

To diagnose acute pancreatitis, doctors measure levels in the blood of two digestive enzymes, amylase and lipase. High levels of these two enzymes strongly suggest acute pancreatitis.

Doctors may also use other tests, such as:

• Pancreatic function test to find out if the pancreas is making the right amounts of digestive enzymes
• Glucose tolerance test to measure damage to the cells in the pancreas that make insulin
• Ultrasound, CT scan, and MRI, which make images of the pancreas so that problems may be seen
• ERCP to look at the pancreatic and bile ducts using X-rays
• Biopsy, in which a needle is inserted into the pancreas to remove a small tissue sample for study

Treatment for acute pancreatitis

People with acute pancreatitis are typically treated with IV fluids and pain medications in the hospital. In some patients, the pancreatitis can be severe and they may need to be admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU). In the ICU, the patient is closely watched because pancreatitis can damage the heart, lungs, or kidneys. Some cases of severe pancreatitis can result in death of pancreatic tissue. In these cases, surgery may be necessary to remove the dead or damaged tissue if an infection develops.

An acute attack of pancreatitis usually lasts a few days. An acute attack of pancreatitis caused by gallstones may require removal of the gallbladder or surgery of the bile duct. After the gallstones are removed and the inflammation goes away, the pancreas usually returns to normal.

Treatment for chronic pancreatitis

Chronic pancreatitis can be difficult to treat. Doctors will try to relieve the patient’s pain and improve the nutritionproblems. Patients are generally given pancreatic enzymes and may need insulin. A low-fat diet may also help.