aqumada

1 - you had to go and pull the "Melmeja And"! :) em.. emmm ...emmmm!
*waits for hulet* (Comment this)

2 - Why does Advil cause gastritis and not Tylenol. I am the Advil for everything type.

Thank you for the very instructive and funny article. More please. (Comment this)

3 -
Wegesha,
Now that is like the Doctor you are/going to be. Thanks.
GERD ?? I though 'kar' was a heart burn... like the heart in flames...before 'tuwa'.

qq
 (Comment this)

4 - dear anonymous,
the difference between Advil and Tylenol comes from the way they act on the body. In medical lingo, Tylenol works centrally (meaning its action as a drug takes place, for the most part, within the central nervous system) and Advil doesn't. The active ingridient in Advil, which is Ibuprofen, works its magic by inhibiting an enzyme called cyclooxygenase (cox for short). This enzyme, however, is very important in keeping the protective lining of the stomach intact. When you take too much Ibuprofen then there is a compromise in the protective lining which may lead to development of gastritis. This is why on an Advil bottle, it always tells you to take it with milk or food because the food, for a short time, works as a protective layer of the stomach so that not too much acid comes in contact with the underlying layer. I didn't mean to single out Advil but I used it as an example because it is the most known of the class of drugs called NSAIDs (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). By the way, the occasional taking of NSAIDs for muscle sorness or minor pain doesn't lead to gastritis or ulcer.
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5 - Dear qq,
You are right. GERD is the appropriate medical lingo for heartburn but "kar" doesn't necessarily need to cause heart burn. Half digested food that comes back up to your throat and gives you that burning sensation is what we traditinoally call "kar". (Comment this)

6 - more research yekereshal.......

keteyebet (Comment this)

7 - Thank you Wegesha for your answer (on Tylenol & Advil). Keep up the good work. (Comment this)

8 - Very very well done infomation.. Thank you.. Kar(gastric reflux) also could be the result of a weak sphincter.
Looking more health issues.
 (Comment this)

9 - Too bad you didn't post this article a couple of weeks before. I was diagnosed with GERD, which I was unfamiliar with mostly because I didn't feel any heartburn and was unaware that taking Advil would irritate the stomach. So when I was sick I thought it was something else like the Doro Wot I ate the night before, but it was the Advil I was taking almost daily. Oh well, I've learned my lesson and now I'm stuck with 'alecha wot' for a while. Thanks for the info. (Comment this)

10 - Wegesha,

That was a very informative article.Thanks!.....I have a question though......why do most people who attended higher education in Ethiopia always complain of 'cheguara' and blame campus food for that (they swear they didn't know what pain was before then)? Do you see any connection to any of the three conditions that may have been caused by the food?

Keep up the good work.....love ur articles! (Comment this)