An imbalance in gut bacteria can manifest in several ways, from abnormal bowel movements to constant fatigue and inflammation, indicating autoimmune dysfunction. An unhealthy overgrowth of H. pylori bacteria in your stomach and small intestine is especially troublesome, so it’s critical to recognize and treat it as soon as they emerge.
The term “heartburn” gets thrown around a lot: after a night of too many hot wings or a few too many cocktails, we’re pretty sure that’s what ails us. Heartburn is a more complex phenomenon than we usually give it credit for, however—and its long-term effects can be truly corrosive.
Gut problems aren’t like a cut or burn. With gut-related ailments, you often know something’s wrong, but have a limited ability to observe or self-diagnose exactly what it is. Gastroparesis is a difficult problem to diagnose, but there are ways to manage its symptoms and embrace a fuller life if you suffer from it.
One of the more common issues when it comes to gut health is malabsorption. Malabsorption itself is a fairly simple concept. It means your digestive system isn’t absorbing enough nutrients from the foods you eat. It can be a fairly benign disorder, or it can lead to rather serious health problems.
A number of different factors can cause gastritis. The common element to all of them, though? Unwelcome bacteria in our guts. If you’re suffering from gastritis, it isn’t just a matter of dealing with an inconvenience. It’s a sign from your gut that it needs your attention.
Most people with gallstones never develop any symptoms and may never even know they have them at all. Researchers remain unclear on just what causes gallstones, though there’s evidence that diet and gut health play a role. Because of this, doctors have begun to suggest that certain gut-friendly habits might decrease their frequency and severity.
Diverticulitis is the inflammation, and sometimes infection, of diverticula—small, protruding pockets that can form in the lining of your digestive tract. Diverticula typically form when your colon becomes weakened by pressure, though they’re usually so benign that most people are unaware they have them. As with most intestinal diseases, an imbalance in the gut’s microbiome is thought to be a contributing factor.
More than 3 million adults in the United States have been diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In general, IBD is seen in adults with other chronic health conditions like cancer, arthritis, liver disease, respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, and migraines. Crohn’s disease is one of the most common inflammatory bowel diseases, with nearly half a million American’s suffering from it.
Here’s the poop. While constipation is a common condition, there are steps you can take to lessen your discomfort when it happens to you, or even avoid it altogether.
Can you recall the last time you were in a grocery store that didn’t have shelves full of gluten-free products? Celiac disease and gluten intolerance are on the rise worldwide, and the market is responding. Estimates for the number of Americans with celiac disease range from two million to three million, or about 1% of the population.