Top 9 ways to solve digestive problems & gastrointestinal Complications by Gastro Doctor
Most people don't like to talk about it, but it is common to have a gastrointestinal problem.
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| Best 9 Digestive Health Tips |
However, there is no need to suffer in silence. Here's a top-to-bottom look at the most common digestive conditions, symptoms, and nine of the most effective treatments available. If you suspect you have one of these problems, don't delay talking to a health care professional.
Digestive Problems & Gastrointestinal Treatment
Digestive problems can mean more than just unwanted symptoms. Small problems that are left untreated can lead to more serious, chronic diseases.
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| Digestive Problems & Gastrointestinal Treatment |
Since there are many types of digestive problems, you may end up with them by mistake. It's important to understand common digestive problems -- as well as the symptoms of emergencies -- so that you know when to speak to a doctor.
1. Gallstones
Gallstones are hard deposits that form in your gallbladder -- a small, pear-shaped sac that stores and secretes bile for digestion. According to the American Gastroenterological Association, gallstones are found in approximately one million Americans each year. Gallstones can form when you have too much cholesterol or waste in your bile, or if your gallbladder doesn't empty properly.
When gallstones block the ducts that lead from your gallbladder to your intestines, they can cause severe pain in your upper-right abdomen. Medication sometimes dissolves gallstones, but if that doesn't work, the next step is surgery to remove the gallbladder.
2. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
When stomach acid backs up into your esophagus -- a condition called acid reflux -- you may feel a burning pain in the middle of your chest. It often happens after meals or at night, says Neville Bamji, MD, clinical instructor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and a gastroenterologist with New York Gastroenterology Associates.
Although it is common for people to experience acid reflux and heartburn occasionally, having symptoms that affect your daily life or occur at least twice every week may be a sign of GERD, a chronic digestive disorder. The disease affects 20 percent of Americans, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). If you experience persistent heartburn, bad breath, toothache, nausea, pain in your chest or upper abdomen, or have trouble swallowing or breathing, see your doctor.
3. Celiac Disease
According to Beyond Celiac (formerly the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness), an estimated 1 in 133 Americans — about 1 percent of the population — has celiac disease. The group also estimates that more than 80 percent of people with celiac disease don't know they have it or are misdiagnosed with a different condition.
Celiac disease is a severe sensitivity to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. Eat gluten, and your immune system goes on the attack: It damages your villi, the finger-like bulges in your small intestines that help you absorb nutrients from the foods you eat. In children, symptoms may include abdominal pain and bloating, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, and weight loss. Symptoms in adults can also include anemia, fatigue, bone loss, depression, and seizures.
4. Inflammation of The Large Intestine With Canker
Ulcerative colitis is another inflammatory bowel disease that may affect 907,000 Americans, according to the CCFA. The symptoms of ulcerative colitis are very similar to those of Crohn's, but only the part of the digestive tract affected is the large intestine, also called the colon.
If your immune system mistakes food or other material for invaders, sores or ulcers develop in the lining of the colon. If you experience frequent and urgent bowel movements, pain with diarrhea, blood in your stool, or abdominal cramps, see your doctor.
Medication can suppress inflammation, and eliminating foods that cause discomfort can also help. In severe cases, treatment of ulcerative colitis may include surgery to remove the colon.
5. Anal Fissure
Anal fissures are small, oval-shaped tears in the lining of the very end of your digestive tract called your anus. Symptoms are similar to those of hemorrhoids, such as bleeding and pain after a bowel movement. Straining and hard bowel movements can cause fissures, but so can soft stools and diarrhea.
A high-fiber diet that makes your stools well-formed and heavy is often the best treatment for this common digestive condition. Medication to relax the muscles of the anal sphincter, as well as topical anesthetics and sitz baths, may relieve pain. However, chronic fissures may require surgery of the anal sphincter muscle.
6. Crohn's Disease
Crohn's disease is part of a group of digestive conditions called inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Crohn's can affect any part of the GI tract but most commonly affects the terminal ileum, which connects the end of the small intestine and the beginning of the colon. According to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation (CCFA), as many as 780,000 Americans may be affected by Crohn's.
Doctors aren't sure what causes the disease, but it's thought that genetics and family history may play a role. The most common symptoms of Crohn's are abdominal pain, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, weight loss, and fever. "Treatment depends on symptoms and may include topical pain relievers, immunosuppressants, and surgery," Dr. Bamji says. Avoiding dairy products, carbonated drinks, alcohol, coffee, raw fruits and vegetables, red meat, and fatty, fried, spicy, or gas-forming foods can also help prevent flares.
7. Hemorrhoid
Bright red blood in the toilet bowl when you move your bowels can be a sign of hemorrhoids, which is a very common condition. In fact, according to the NIDDK, 75 percent of Americans over the age of 45 have hemorrhoids.
Hemorrhoids are inflammation of the blood vessels at the end of your digestive tract that can be painful and itchy. Causes include chronic constipation, diarrhea, straining during bowel movements and a lack of fiber in your diet.
Treat piles by eating more fiber, drinking more water and exercising. Over-the-counter creams and suppositories may provide temporary relief from the symptoms of hemorrhoids. See your doctor if home remedies don't help; Sometimes a hemorrhoidectomy is needed to surgically remove the hemorrhoid.
8. Sensitive Gut Disease
Is your digestive system irritable? Do you have abdominal pain or discomfort at least three times a month for several months? It could be irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), another common digestive condition.
According to the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders, approximately 10 to 15 percent of people worldwide suffer from IBS, and of that percentage, 45 million people with IBS live in the United States. Symptoms of IBS can vary widely from having hard, dry stools one day to loose, watery stools the next. Bloating is also a symptom of IBS.
The causes of IBS are not known, but treatment of symptoms primarily focuses on diet, such as eating a low-fat, high-fiber diet and consuming common trigger foods (dairy products, alcohol, caffeine, artificial sweeteners and gas-producing substances). foods) to be avoided. . A low-FODMAP diet, which involves eliminating foods high in certain carbohydrates called FODMAPs (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols), has also been shown to reduce IBS symptoms.
Additionally, friendly bacteria like the probiotics found in live yogurt may help you feel better. Stress can trigger IBS symptoms, so some people find cognitive behavioral therapy or low-dose antidepressants useful as treatments as well.
9. Diverticulitis
Tiny pouches called diverticula can form anywhere, weak spots in the lining of your digestive tract, but they are most commonly found in the colon. If you have diverticula but no symptoms, the condition is called diverticulosis, which is fairly common in older adults and rarely causes problems. According to the American Gastroenterological Association, by the age of 50, about half of people have diverticulosis. But in about 5 percent of people, the pouch becomes inflamed or infected, a condition called diverticulitis. Symptoms include fever, chills, nausea and abdominal pain. Obesity is a major risk factor for diverticulitis.
Mild diverticulitis is treated with antibiotics and a clear liquid diet to help your colon heal. A low-fiber diet may cause diverticulitis, so your doctor may direct you to eat a diet high in fiber -- whole grains, legumes, vegetables -- as part of your treatment.
If you have severe attacks that recur, you may need surgery to remove the diseased part of your colon.
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