By Noralyn O. Dudt About 18 years ago, I went through a medical procedure known as endoscopy. It's a procedure that enables a gastroenterologist to look into the inside of the stomach without making an incision using a medical device called endoscope. Endoscopy is derived from the Greek words "endon", which means 'in or within' and scope which means to 'see'. An endoscope is a thin, tube-like instrument with a light and a lens for viewing and is inserted into the body through the mouth. The tiny video camera on its tip enables doctors to view the internal parts of the stomach and the esophagus. As I was burping more than the normal, the gastroenterologist wanted to check if my sphincter had become loose. A sphincter is a ring of muscle at the junction of the esophagus and the stomach whose function is to prevent reflux of food and acid from the stomach into the esophagus. If the sphincter does not close properly, food and liquid can move b
Online edition of The Ilocos Times, a community newspaper based in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte.