Alan Kirk Banks MD

Recommended Articles

• Does an Enlarged Heart Affect Health?

  Enlarged heart or cardiomegaly is an indication of an underlying condition rather than a disease in itself. Enlargement makes the heart work harder than normal and weakens the heart muscles after a period of time. An enlarged heart has a number of causes including hypertension and coronary artery...

• Hypertension: When Should I Call a Doctor?

  Emergency situations with high blood pressure, called hypertensive crisis, are common when blood pressure is very high. This is a serious situation, as it may lead to organ damage. If the increase in blood pressure is not too high to cause any problems to any of the organs it is referred to as...

• Lupus: What is it?

  Lupus is a chronic autoimmune condition that causes damage to all parts of the body including the skin, joints, and internal organs....

• Hypolipidemia: Causes and Symptoms

  The liver primarily produces cholesterol. Each day, it makes 1,000 mg of cholesterol. The cells lining the small intestine can also produce cholesterol. If the level of cholesterol in the body is low, it may mean that the body is producing low amounts of cholesterol and is going to shut down. In...

• What Conditions Increase Your Risk of Congestive Heart Failure?

  Heart failure, or congestive heart failure, is a chronic condition that indicates the inability of one’s heart to sufficiently fill with blood or distribute adequate amounts of blood to the entire body.Heart failure usually occurs in individuals with advancing age. However, anyone can develop the...

• What Is a GI Cocktail?

  Introduction A GI cocktail or gastrointestinal cocktail is a mixture of liquid antacid, viscous lidocaine, and an anticholinergic agent. A GI cocktail is primarily used to treat dyspepsia.There are a wide variety of GI cocktail recipes nowadays. One popular recipe is a mixture of viscous lidocaine,...