Dr. Devon Ballard M.D.

Recommended Articles

• What Is Acid Reflux: Causes, Treatment, and Prevention

  Acid reflux is a common condition wherein a person feels an internal burning pain in the lower chest area due to the stomach acid backflow into the esophagus (food pipe). Once in a while, acid reflux may be experienced. It is a common condition, which you should not worry about. However, if you...

• What Is Nicotine?

  IntroductionNicotine is an alkaloid stimulant that comes from the nightshade family of plants, particularly from the leaves of tobacco. The type of nicotine found in tobacco plants is called Nicotiana tabacum. Nicotine can also be synthetically produced. Thousands of chemicals are contained in...

• What is Enteral Feeding?

  Enteral feedingEveryone needs food for survival, but sometimes due to illness a person is unable to eat normally. This can be due to difficulty swallowing, reduced appetite or due to surgery that interferes with the eating process. Enteral tube feeding should be used in such cases. For this...

• General Practice, Family Practice, and Internal Medicine: What's the Difference?

  Primary care providers, family physicians, generalists, and internists can be tricky designations to understand because these healthcare providers similarly cover a number of areas when diagnosing and treating people. However, knowing their differences can be helpful when it comes to finding the...

• Causes and Treatment for Dry Cough

  IntroductionA dry cough is a type of cough that does not accompany the production of mucus or phlegm. Most cases of dry cough are caused by certain allergic reactions from allergens, such as pollutants, dust, or toxins. The body usually tries to expel these irritants by coughing it out. In some...

• What Causes Middle Back Pain?

  Middle back pain, also known as upper back pain or thoracic back pain occurs anywhere between the bottom of the neck to the top of the lumbar spine, where the rib cage ends. The ribs are connected to the sternum (a narrow thickened plate in the center of the chest) and then wrap round the...