Question #1
Hi - Not sure if you can help but I'm a 50 year old female and just started having double vision and was wondering what could cause this? Thanks Rose

The medical term for this kind of problem is diplopia, which is basically double vision. Double vision is never normal but its causes can range from fairly simple to serious. Double vision can be caused by something affecting one of the three general areas influencing how we see. If it's a problem with the lens of the eye it could be related to corneal scratches or ulcerations. It can also be the result of dry eyes or even cataracts. But we see through both eyes in unison partially because of the muscles that move our eyes together and the optic nerves that carry the visual input to the brain. Things that could affect this include conditions like Multiple Sclerosis, MS, Myasthenia Gravis or even thyroid issues to name a few. The brain processes what the eyes have seen but issues inside the brain can interfere with that. Those include aneurysms and tumors. Strokes affecting certain areas of the brain can also affect vision and cause someone to see double. The bottom line is to get double vision checked out and find out what is causing it since it could be anything from something simple to something serious.

Question #2
I have gastritis. Is there any way to get rid of bloating? Rachel

Gastritis is basically an inflammation of the lining of our stomachs. When this lining becomes inflamed it can become irritated and that can possibly result in stomach bloating. Bloating can also be a normal reaction to certain foods or medicine. For example, if someone lactose intolerant consumes dairy that can also result in temporary bloating. This can also happens if someone swallows too much air which can easily happen if eating too fast.
But bloating, especially if its long standing can also be the result of a serious medical condition. Intestinal blockage or infection can cause bloating which tends to get worse as the condition causing itself worsens. Inflammatory bowel disease, which can be Ulcerative Colitis or Crohn's Disease, can also cause bloating during flare up stages. But long term bloating can also be a sign of something even more serious, ovarian cancer. Someone with long term bloating, especially if it's continuous and lasts more than a few weeks, should be checked for these types of issues. This exam might include x-rays, CT scans or even procedures like an endoscopy or colonoscopy. Finding the source is important.

Question #3
Some people have told me that diet pop is not good for us. I and lots of people drink lots of diet pop. Could you tell us if diet pop is in any way harmful to our bodies? It does not seem to affect me in any way. Thanks. Max

It might seem to make sense; diet soda with no calories can help you lose weight. But recent studies have found just the opposite. Diet sodas, using artificial sweeteners, tend to make us put on more weight. Scientists think this is because our brain is wired to associate sweet things with calories. This gives our brain a way to limit how much we eat. But with diet sodas our brains sense the sweetness but don't see the calories with it, so it throws off this mechanism. And because of that, other sweets we eat aren't regulated like they normally are, so we tend to eat more calorie laden food. And that means putting on more pounds. So like most everything else, moderation with diet sodas is the key. Once in a while won't make a big difference but downing diet sodas on a daily or even weekly basis might actually cause you to put on some of those sneaky pounds we all battle to keep off.

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