Do you experience feelings of bloating, nausea, gas, cramping, and diarrhea after consuming dairy products? If so, you probably have lactose intolerance – and while its symptoms can be troublesome, it is generally not dangerous. Let’s talk about some of the things you can do to keep your symptoms at bay if you are lactose…
A Day in the Life of a Gastroenterology Physician
More than 60 million Americans have gastrointestinal (GI) issues addressed by a physician every year. Plus, with the heightened public awareness surrounding the importance of getting a colonoscopy to help prevent colon cancer and colorectal cancer, patients know that a gastroenterologist is the best doctor to perform this potentially life-saving procedure. Let’s talk about what…
Tips for Living with Lactose Intolerance
If eating dairy foods or drinking milk causes you to experience abdominal cramps, bloating, diarrhea, and nausea, you may be one of 6.1 million Americans who are lactose intolerant. Lactose intolerance is an inability to digest lactose – the main type of sugar found in dairy products. Lactose intolerance occurs when your gut produces either a…
Who Is Most Likely to Get Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that attacks different areas of or even the entire digestive tract. The condition causes chronic inflammation, resulting in persistent abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue, and weight loss, among other distressing symptoms. Read on to learn about who is most likely to get Crohn’s disease and what…
Lactose Intolerance vs. Dairy Allergy: What’s the Difference?
It describes many of us: Every time you drink milk or consume something which is considered a dairy product, you feel ill. Sometimes, you feel bloated, have diarrhea, and have abdominal pain. Most people with these symptoms assume they are lactose intolerant. But how can you tell whether your uncomfortable symptoms are due to a…
Choosing the Colon Cancer Screening That Is Right for You: Colonoscopy vs Sigmoidoscopy
There are a number of screening tests available for colon cancer, but the two top choices and the most commonly used are colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy. If you’re due for your first colon cancer screening soon, here is what you need to know about each of the two procedures, particularly what they involve, to help you…
What Does a Gastroenterology Specialist Treat?
A gastroenterology specialist, also known as a gastroenterologist or a GI doctor, is a physician who specializes in the diagnoses, treatment, and prevention of diseases and disorders affecting the entire digestive system—the mouth and salivary glands, esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, and rectum. If you’re experiencing persistent abdominal pain or cramping,…
When should you get a colon cancer screening?
Colon cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States and is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths, according to the American Cancer Society. In spite of that, colon cancer-related deaths are dropping, which is partly attributed to routine colon cancer screenings. What is A Colon Cancer Screening? A health screening is defined…
3 Worst Foods that Can Exacerbate Your Lactose Intolerance
Lactose intolerance is a common digestive problem that occurs when the cells that line the small intestine are unable to secrete enough lactase, an enzyme responsible for properly breaking down lactose (the natural sugar found in milk) and allowing it to get easily absorbed into the bloodstream. Having lactose intolerance means that lactose sits undigested…
How Accurate Is a Colonoscopy to Screen for Colon Cancer?
A colonoscopy is an outpatient procedure that involves inserting a colonoscope—a long, thin, and flexible tube with a miniature camera on its tip—into your rectum to obtain a live image of the lining of your colon. The main purpose of the procedure is to detect polyps and other abnormalities in the large intestine (colon) and…