Serious health problems can have a domino effect on your life. This effect does not have to be negative. In fact, your life changing situation can alter the lives of many people you do not know. Jonathan E. Aviv. MD, FACS suffered from painful life threatening symptoms of Acid Reflex Disease. Fortunately, the diagnosis was made in time to begin treatment. Since, he did not have heartburn; it was not caught as early as it could have been. Due to this unfortunate experience, Aviv has made it a mission to empower patients and colleagues with the knowledge to battle this deadly cancer. Dr. Aviv’s personal encounter with acid reflex disease gave birth to his book Killing Me Softly from the Inside.

Dr. Aviv is very vulnerable in his book. Sharing details about his health and his child is private information that he is not obligated to share. By doing so, the reader knows Dr. Aviv can relate to their fears and frustrations. As a result, this book is broken into two parts. Part 1 is education and Part 2 is nutrition. Essentially, it is an all in one package for Acid Reflex awareness and treatment. Dr. Aviv tries his best to give the reader everything they would need to live happy pain free lives. The case studies allow readers to compare and contrast their symptoms with other patients. Also, he is treating everyone the same. Sometimes subject matter experts write as if their primary audience understands his or her vocabulary and terms. This excludes the secondary audience. If you are in the medical field, do not feel that Dr. Aviv is insulting your intelligence. Even other medical professionals can be unintentionally excluded, because Dr. Aviv is the Clinical Director of the Voice and Swallowing Center. This means he specializes in the nose, throat, and mouth. Knowledge in any situation is power. It helps patients and family understand their situation and how to cope with it. However, information that is not user friendly leaves the reader feeling confused and powerless.

Killing Me Softly from the Inside is user friendly because Dr. Aviv has several methods to get his point across. One, The Take-out Corner provides the main point for that section. Considering processed foods are one of the leading causes of Acid Reflex disease, the title for these nuggets of wisdom is ironic. Two, tables remove unnecessary jargon and provide straightforward information. If you don’t have the time or the patients to read everything, you still get the most pertinent information for your empowerment. The tables are very useful in the nutrition section. Here, he presents a sample diet plan with acidic information about the good and bad foods we consume on a daily basis. Some of the foods listed would shock you. Even though they are produce, they can increase your stomach acid. Three, figures provide visuals of medical instruments as well as the human body. Overall, the book has something for all types of learners.

Sometimes it is hard for new methods, practices, and treatments to be accepted as common knowledge and practice in the medical field. As a result, patients are being misdiagnosed. Killing Me Softly from the Inside is not meant to replace a physician. Instead, you can use it to assess your situation. If you can relate to the case studies or information provided. You can confront your Primary Care Physician with confidence.