OSF HealthCare Newsroom

Feeling hot, hot, hot?

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 11:33:19 -0500

Scientists are constantly learning more about cancer – what causes it, how it impacts our body and how to treat or cure it. One study has looked at a possible link between frequent drinking of hot beverages and an increased risk of esophageal cancer.

So should coffee drinkers worry? Not drastically, but you should always be mindful of what you put in your body, says Edie Krueger, MD, [pronounced EE-dee // KREE-ger] a radiation oncologist at OSF HealthCare.

“The science behind it is that there’s thermal injury to the lining of the esophagus, or the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach. The thermal injury causes the cells to become aberrant [not normal, in other words] and grow on their own without any checkpoints. That’s basically what cancer is,” Dr. Krueger says.

So what should people do? Dr. Krueger says if you’re a morning coffee or tea person, that’s fine. But if you drink scalding hot beverages multiple times a day, consider changing habits. Let the drink cool off before taking a swig. The study mentions 65 degrees Celsius (149 degrees Fahrenheit) as a danger zone. That’s about the temperature when you get coffee right out of the pot, Dr. Krueger says. Also, swap the afternoon hot coffee or tea with another drink.

“Things in moderation are fine,” Dr. Krueger says.

Why it’s important

Esophageal cancer is not the most common in America (around 20,000 cases per year, Dr. Krueger says). But she says it’s a “tough cancer to treat,” underscoring the need to know about it and get treatment sooner rather than later.

She says there are two types of esophageal cancer. The most prevalent in America is adenocarcinoma. The other type, squamous cell carcinoma, is the one with a possible link to hot drinks.

“The symptoms, in general, are things like reflux or trouble swallowing - especially trouble swallowing things like bread or tough foods like steak or chicken. Just really hard to get food down,” Dr. Krueger explains.

“Usually, esophageal cancer is treated with what we call trimodality therapy. That’s surgery, chemotherapy and radiation,” she adds.

Avoiding alcohol, smoking and obesity are ways to help prevent esophageal cancer.

Learn more

Read more about cancer care on the OSF HealthCare website. Cancer care at OSF includes the OSF Cancer Institute in Peoria, Illinois.

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Eat deliberately this holiday season

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0600

November, December and January bring bountiful holiday meals.

While it’s tempting to chow down, experts are cautioning about how overindulgence can make you feel mentally and physically crummy in the moment, plus open the door to long-term unhealthy eating habits.

Have the right mindset

Andrew Zasada, MD, provides emergency department care at OSF HealthCare. He says avoiding stuffing yourself starts before you sit down for the meal.

“If you come to the meal hungry, you tend to try to make up for not having breakfast. You load your plate up, which is going to cause you to overeat,” Dr. Zasada says. “Instead, have a light snack an hour or two before you sit down to the meal.

“Put the food in one room and sit down in another room to eat. That necessitates you going there rather than having food available for another fill.”

The meal itself

Enjoy holiday meals, Dr. Zasada says. It’s not a race.

Grab a smaller plate, and take smaller portions of each item. Pretend you’re filling the plate up for a child. You wouldn’t take five rolls and two big slabs of meat for a youngster, so don’t do it for your adult self.

Other tips: Chew slowly. Between bites, put your utensil down, take a drink of water and talk to someone. This allows your stomach to fill up and tell your brain that you’re full.

When you finish eating, leave the table, and go to another room. Staying next to the food increases the temptation to keep nibbling.

If you can’t help it

Dr. Zasada says despite our best efforts, sometimes you overeat during holiday meals. Maybe you don’t want to offend your aunt by not having a slice of her famous pie.

If that happens, Dr. Zasada says there are two pitfalls to avoid: Drinking alcohol and lying down right after the meal.

“That opens up the sphincters of your stomach, slows down digestion and increases the chance for heartburn,” Dr. Zasada says.

Try tea or coffee after a meal instead of alcohol. But if you must indulge in a spirit, Dr. Zasada says to wait at least 90 minutes so your stomach can partially empty.

Instead of lying down for that post-meal nap, sit upright, talk to people or play a game. If the weather is nice, go for a walk.

A word on more serious eating issues

Holiday meals may be difficult for people who suffer from eating disorders, such as binge eating (eating a lot in one sitting and feeling you can’t stop), anorexia nervosa (an unwarranted fear of being overweight which leads to things like starvation) or bulimia nervosa (taking unhealthy steps to avoid weight gain like purging your food).

Dr. Zasada says, in the moment, you should have someone you trust who can help you through the holiday meal and check in with you later. Long term, he says these are serious issues that should be talked about with a health care provider.

“Repeated bulimia will damage your teeth. It’s corrosive. You lose electrolytes when you vomit,” Dr. Zasada says. “You become sick. If you do this repeatedly, you will lose weight in an unhealthy way. You will possibly dehydrate. You will start losing muscle mass.

“It’s just not a good thing.”

Bottom line: Don’t get discouraged

Dr. Zasada says one day of extra eating may make you feel bad, but it isn’t going to derail your overall health.

“One day won’t make you fat,” he says.

Get back into your healthy eating habits the next day while enjoying those leftovers in moderation. If you feel you are struggling to maintain a healthy weight or body image, talk to your primary care provider. They may refer you to a specialist like a dietitian or mental health provider. From there, plans could include a diet and exercise regimen, medication or, in rare cases, weight loss surgery.

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COVID’s razor: What to know this fall

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 08:00:00 -0500

We’re approaching the late summer-early fall period when respiratory illnesses begin their annual upswing. The latest news from federal health officials concerns a new variant of COVID-19, NB.1.8.1. Some people impacted have reported severe sore throats, almost like there’s a razor blade in there.

Fred Burke, MD, an emergency medicine physician who sees patients at OSF HealthCare, says illnesses like COVID, RSV and the flu will always be around. It’s just a matter of taking precautions to avoid serious illness. So, what’s the level of concern with this new COVID variant as we begin to make fall plans?

The razor’s edge

Any sore throat is an annoyance. But Dr. Burke says you should monitor severe cases closely.

“You’re less likely to want to eat or drink, which can lead to further dehydration,” he says.

You can manage sore throats at home with Tylenol or ibuprofen, chloraseptic spray, warm tea and throat lozenges. Dr. Burke says if you have trouble keeping food or fluids down, feel lightheaded or dizzy or have trouble breathing, see a health care provider right away.

COVID precautions

Dr. Burke says this new COVID variant isn’t linked to as much severe illness as other variants. But, he says it’s more easily spread.

“The average healthy person might get through it with some [figurative] bumps and bruises and little to no symptoms. For people with comorbidities or who are immunocompromised, the virus might be a little bit more detrimental,” Dr. Burke says.

Getting vaccinated and practicing good hygiene are two big tools to avoid serious illness, he adds. Wash your hands and high touch surfaces, like doorknobs, often, don’t cough or sneeze into the open air and stay home and away from others when you don’t feel well. If you’re in a crowd, especially if you have a comorbidity like diabetes, Dr. Burke says you should consider wearing a mask.

“If you’re going to have a gathering, whether at home or somewhere else, you can also recommend people take a home test to make sure they don’t have COVID prior to going,” Dr. Burke suggests. Those at-home tests can usually be found over the counter at a pharmacy.

For vaccines, recent preliminary guidance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends the shot this fall for people 65 and up. For others, the shot is recommended for people who have a compromised immune system or a comorbid condition like obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, lung disease or depression. The website for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, meanwhile, has a broader recommendation. When in doubt, Dr. Burke says to talk to your primary care provider.

Learn more

Explore other resources to keep yourself safe from COVID on the OSF HealthCare website, blog and newsroom.

Interview clips

Ice cream? Spices? Sore throat hacks that work

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 10:30:00 -0500

Sore throats: they’re pesky. They’re not just a winter thing (hello, spring allergies). And they can turn serious, such as strep throat.

Do a web search for at-home remedies, and you’ll get a lot of results. Which ones work? Which ones might feel good in the moment but don’t get the job done? Isha McConkey, DO, a family medicine physician at OSF HealthCare, has your checklist:

Ice cream: Dr. McConkey doesn’t recommend it.

“I know it feels good. But it will increase mucus production in most people. That’s going to exacerbate the [throat] irritation,” she explains. “We also don’t want a lot of sugar,” which could lead to cavities.

In fact, Dr. McConkey says this logic applies to dairy foods overall. Skip them come sore throat time.
Popsicles: These are OK, Dr. McConkey says. Just go for a sugar free or fruit juice-infused option.
Cough drops: Choose cough drops with xylitol, a sugar alternative, Dr. McConkey says.
Honey: “It’s excellent,” Dr. McConkey says. You’re still getting sugar, though, so don’t guzzle it. Try making a drink with hot water, honey and lemon. Or incorporate honey into your tea.

“You can even add a little cayenne pepper. In some types of sore throats, it may make it worse. But most people find it can be very soothing. It has some numbing properties,” Dr. McConkey adds. But don’t take that as a license to eat spicy food. The acidity in tacos, for example, might cause throat irritation.
Soups: Pop that chicken noodle soup in the microwave, Dr. McConkey says. She says research has found that some soups have antibacterial properties that can help with any illness. Opt for a low sodium can.
Salt water: You’ve probably seen online videos or heard the tactic passed down by family members. Yes, it can help, Dr. McConkey says. Gargling salt water can decrease swelling, she says. Try it before you drink your tea or before you go to bed to help get a restful night.

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The Tea on the Healthiest Teas

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 13:30:00 -0500

So, what’s the tea?

You may have heard that tea is good for you, but when walking through the grocery aisle and being confronted by a barrage of options, it can be hard to choose.

Ashley Simper, the manager of dietetic services with OSF HealthCare, has done the research and has some helpful guidance.

To start, it’s best to understand the different kinds of teas and where they come from. Simper says black, white, oolong and green tea all come from the Camellia sinensis plant. Herbal teas come from root, stems and flowers of various plants, and they all have different benefits.

What’s the overall healthiest tea?

Overall, Simper says green tea shines above the rest. But diving into the specific benefits of each tea can help people choose what’s right for them.

“Consuming three or more cups of green tea a day leads to the most health benefits when it comes to cardiovascular disease, cancer and the overall risk of mortality,” Simper says. “The research is a little stronger when it comes to promoting heart health. The consumption of three to five cups of green tea a day has also been shown to lower blood pressure, stroke risk, and LDL (bad cholesterol),” Simper says.

Consuming three to five cups of green tea or black tea has also been shown to lower the risk of developing diabetes.

In 2022, a large study in the Annals of Internal Medicine showed that drinking black tea resulted in a modest reduction of overall death. A research team from the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Cancer Institute (NCI) investigated roughly half a million adults, ages 40-60, in the United Kingdom (UK), who enrolled in the UK Biobank study between 2006-2010. The researchers followed participants until 2020 and found a 9-13% lower risk of death among people who drank at least two cups of tea per day than non-tea drinkers.

What makes tea so healthy?

“The compound in tea that leads to these health benefits is polyphenols. Polyphenols are a type of antioxidant, and antioxidants are linked to decreased inflammation and reduced risk of chronic disease,” Simper says. “The highest antioxidant compounds are in the green tea, followed by the oolong, black and then white teas.”

She adds that green tea and white tea contain an amino acid called L-theanine. Amino acids are the “building blocks” of protein, Simper adds.

“L-theanine has been linked to decreased anxiety, improved sleep and boosting mental clarity,” Simper says.

Cancer: Mixed reviews, additional safety tips

“When it comes to cancer, the research is conflicting. People who drank higher amounts of green tea had a decreased risk of liver, ovarian, lung and breast cancers. But it is important to keep in mind, that if you’re drinking really hot tea, you have a higher risk of esophageal and gastric cancers,” Simper says.

To avoid the tea being scalding hot, Simper recommends allowing the just-boiled water to cool down for an appropriate amount of time before taking a sip.

Tea’s impact on the flu

“In lab and animal studies, they have found an antiviral effect with the consumption of green tea. In Japan, they did a study with kids that showed anywhere from one to five cups of green tea a day lowered the risk of flu,” Simper says. “There was also a study where they gargled green tea in a bottle, green tea extract or black tea extract, and there was a 30% decreased risk of flu.”

How to prepare your tea

As Simper mentioned, scalding hot tea can come with its own risks, more than just burning your mouth. But there are other ways, she says, to make sure you’re receiving the most benefit from drinking tea.

“They recommend boiling your own water and steeping it yourself instead of putting the water in the microwave to heat it up. They found you lose some health benefits if you microwave the water in your tea. Fresh is best, steep your own, and boil your own water. But let it cool down to a comfortable temperature before you consume it. “Freshly brewed tea with minimal additives, especially things like sugar and milk, is the way to go when it comes to adding tea to your daily intake,” Simper adds.

Benefits of herbal teas

Depending on which symptoms you’re dealing with, or health benefit you’re looking for, different herbal teas have different purposes.

- Peppermint teas – Helps with upset stomach

- Ginger tea – Helps with nausea

- Chamomile teas – Can help decrease cardiovascular disease and some cancers. It can also help with premenstrual syndrome and help boost immunity, Simper says.

But what about all the caffeine?

“The caffeine in tea is about half the amount of coffee. You would have to drink eight or more cups of tea a day to get to that highest level we would recommend for caffeine. So, it’s not that much of a risk for people,” Simper points out. “However, if you’re going to start drinking three to five cups of tea a day, and you’re not normally a caffeine consumer, you might notice the effects of the caffeine.”

Connection to weight loss

If you’re looking to tea for weight loss, you might be waiting for some time, Simper says. She says the research is conflicting, and weight loss is minimal due to drinking tea. However, switching out caffeinated tea for sodas and coffees filled with sugar would be the healthier choice.

Video Interview Clips

No gloating about bloating

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 12:47:00 -0500

Feeling bloated today? You’re not alone.

It’s not uncommon to get the sensation caused by gas, air or fluid retention in the stomach or small intestine. But what’s important to know: bloating has many causes, says Aminat Ogun, MD, an OSF HealthCare family medicine physician. So don’t let it linger and hope it will go away. If symptoms persist, see a health care provider so they can rule out something more serious and give proper treatment.

“It might feel like your stomach is full, swollen or sometimes tender. It can cause some discomfort,” Dr. Ogun says.

Causes for bloating include:

The body makes too much gas.
An overgrowth of intestinal bacteria. H. pylori is a common type. Dr. Ogun says it causes chronic inflammation in the stomach lining, and it can lead to peptic ulcers or even stomach cancer if untreated.
Diet issues, like intolerance of certain carbohydrates or a gluten intolerance.
Hormone changes during a woman’s menstrual cycle.
Abnormal gastrointestinal motility. Simply put, this is when your gut is not working properly. Dr. Ogun says one example is gastroparesis.

“The body takes its time before its able to pass food from the stomach to the small intestine,” she explains.

Stress, anxiety and depression.

Dr. Ogun points out that we can’t control some of those causes, but others we can. She says a typical first step for a person with bloating is to change their diet. She says doctors may recommend a diet with a long name: fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols. But just remember the abbreviation: FODMAP. It describes carbohydrates that are difficult for the body to break down.

Foods to avoid on the FODMAP diet: pasta, cereal, bread, yogurt, ice cream, apples, cherries and peaches. Alternatives include quinoa, brown rice, eggs, cheese, grapes, strawberries, chamomile tea, peppermint tea and ginger tea.

“Have a food diary,” Dr. Ogun suggests. “See what triggers your bloating symptoms and see if you can eliminate those foods.”

People with bloating may also take medicine like Gas-X. If you have intestinal bacteria, you’ll be on antibiotic medication.

Dr. Ogun adds for people age 55 and up, bloating is less common, and other health issues are, simply due to older age. So, if you are of that age and have sudden bloating symptoms, see a provider to find out if your symptoms are bloating or something more serious. And for all ages, if you have severe diarrhea, nausea, vomiting or unintentional weight loss, stop by a doctor’s office.

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Don't roll this stone

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 09:12:23 -0500

A veteran urologist, Uwais Zaid, MD, has heard the comparisons.

Pain from a kidney stone is like giving birth.

“It’s true,” says the man who provides care at OSF HealthCare in Alton, Illinois.

“It’s horrible. They just can’t get comfortable. They’re writhing around in pain,” Dr. Zaid says of people suffering from a calcification-turned-blockage in the urinary tract.

“When the kidney gets obstructed, everything gets swollen upstream. That causes everything to get stretched out,” Dr. Zaid explains. “And it hurts a lot. Your body responds with severe pain in the flank area. It’s a sharp, stabbing pain.”

Other signs: you suddenly start feeling an urgency to urinate or your urine is anything but clear or yellow.

All those unpleasant symptoms are why prevention of kidney stones is key. It starts with what you put in your body.

Drink plenty of water, Dr. Zaid says. Doctors even recognize a “kidney stone belt” in the southern United States where people deal with sweltering weather and dehydration.

Avoid excess salt and sugar in your diet. That means cut back on soda and sweet tea. Too much meat, nuts and leafy vegetables can also cause problems.

“Other risk factors include a family history of kidney stones. Chronic diarrhea can cause dehydration and a loss of electrolytes,” Dr. Zaid says.

For small kidney stones – less than five millimeters across, or about the size of an eraser on the end of a pencil – a provider may see if the stones can pass out of your body through the urethra on their own. Medication can help with that.

But for trickier stones, there are several ways doctors can intervene. Dr. Zaid says providers can blast sound waves at the kidney stone from outside the body to break the stone apart. A doctor can send a camera through the urinary system, find the stone, use a laser to fragment it and remove the pieces. For larger stones – two to four centimeters – surgery involves an incision through your back to reach the stone, break it apart and remove it.

If you have symptoms of a kidney stone, don’t try to tough it out. Your symptoms may subside, but there may still be issues that could turn serious. Instead, see a doctor right away. They will perform a CT scan or ultrasound to find the cause of the pain, then develop a treatment plan.

“If the kidney remains obstructed for several weeks, that can lead to kidney damage,” Dr. Zaid warns. “If the kidney stone causes urine to get infected upstream, that can lead to sepsis, which is a life-threatening infection.”

Learn more about kidney stones on the OSF HealthCare health library and the OSF HealthCare blog.