The liver is a vital organ that helps us function in many ways – it aids in digestion with the production of bile...

For decades, the term that many people use when referring to a stomach illness that causes nausea, vomiting and...

One of the easiest over-the-counter ways to relieve the painful symptoms of constipation is through the use of a...

You may notice that during times of high stress and anxiety, your bowel habits change: you may pass fewer stools than usual, strain to expel stool, having hard or lumpy bowel movements, or feel like there’s something in the way of you fully passing your bowel movement. What you’re likely experiencing is constipation, a very common, uncomfortable condition in which the stool in your gastrointestinal tract isn’t able to move through your system fast enough, causing it to become hard and dry and, consequently, more difficult to pass.

Many people experience occasional constipation for a variety of reasons – going on vacation and changing what you eat for a few days, being really stressed about a change in life circumstances, or not eating enough fiber daily. However, constipation can become a health risk if it becomes chronic. Complications of chronic constipation can include things like swollen veins in the anus (known as “hemorrhoids), torn skin in the anus (known as an “anal fissure”), among other things…

Typhoid fever is an illness that many people have heard of, but few know too much about beyond the name. Typhoid, also called enteric fever…

Clostridioides difficile, otherwise known as C. diff, is a fairly common infection by a bacterium of the same name. This infection can often occur in a hospital or long-term care setting due to the fact that it can be caused by antibiotic use, although a person can contract C. diff without being on antibiotics and without being in those particular settings. Other ways of contracting C. diff are through the mouth, by way of different things like food, unwashed hands, and unsanitary surfaces. There are four types of antibiotics that are typically implicated in causing C. diff: Clindamycin, cephalosporins, penicillins, and fluoroquinolones. Proton pump inhibitors like Nexium or Prilosec can also increase a person’s risk of contracting C. diff.

The symptoms of C. diff can range from mild to severe, with mild symptoms being more common. The most common symptoms associated with C. diff are watery diarrhea happening three or more times per day for at least one day…

The gallbladder, a small sac located under the liver, stores and concentrates bile created by the liver. This bile aids in the digestion of food. When the gallbladder becomes blocked by gallstones, the bile it stores gets blocked in the bile ducts and causes pain and inflammation. This is gallbladder disease.

Gallstones affect 15% of people throughout their lifetime; however, only 20% of those who develop gallstones will end up contracting gallbladder disease. Several factors are used to determine how likely a person is to end up with gallbladder disease…

Helicobacter Pylori, or H. pylori, is an infection caused by a bacteria that enters the gut and wreaks havoc on a patient’s GI system. Although some patients never experience any symptoms and therefore never receive treatment, this bacteria can cause a multitude of discomfort, including peptic ulcers, burping, bloating, nausea, and an ache or burning in the stomach. This pesky bacteria is transmitted from person-to-person through direct contact with an infected patient’s saliva or stool, but can also be caused by living conditions. A patient is more at risk for contracting H. pylori if they live in a crowded home, don’t have access to clean drinking water, or is living in a developing country…

Giardia lamblia, also known as giardia duodenalis, is a microscopic protozoan flagellate that can cause a range of gastrointestinal symptoms, from severe diarrhea to malabsorption. According to the CDC, it is the most common cause of waterborne outbreaks of diarrhea in the United States, and can sometimes cause food-borne diarrhea as well…

The word “microbiome” sounds like a buzz word used to spur your imagination when you think of your gut, and for good reason. Your gut has an entire world of bacteria – they aren’t all bad either. Many of the bacteria do not cause an infection and instead help the body perform essential functions on a daily basis…

Helicobacter Pylori, or h. pylori, is an infection caused by a bacteria that enters the gut and wreaks havoc on a patient’s GI system. Although some patients never experience any symptoms and therefore never receive treatment, this bacteria can cause a multitude of discomfort, including peptic ulcers, burping, bloating, nausea, and an ache or burning in the stomach…

SIBO, or Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth, is an illness that causes great discomfort in the abdominal area from the release of gasses caused by “bad” bacteria in the gut. Although diagnosing SIBO is still not quite as accurate as doctors would like, a new test has been developed that tests for three gasses in the gut, instead of the two gasses that a SIBO breath test would normally test for…

Have you ever noticed that in times of intense stress, such as a change in career or the loss of a loved one, your gut tends to give you uncomfortable cramps, diarrhea, constipation, or the constant need to use the toilet? You may be experiencing Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS…

IBD, or Inflammatory Bowel Disease, is an umbrella term used to describe the collection of diseases that cause inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. One of the most common of these diseases is Crohn’s disease.

Crohn’s disease is most often diagnosed in adolescents and adults between the ages of 20-30. It affects both men and women equally, and there is some kind of genetic component to who develops Crohn’s disease and who doesn’t. In general, the small intestine is most commonly affected by the disease. Symptoms of Crohn’s disease are diarrhea, fever, fatigue…

Inflammatory Bowel Disease can be a confusing diagnosis – since IBD is actually a collection of diseases that fall under the same umbrella category of being inflammatory bowel diseases, how do you know the difference? And which disease causes which symptoms? The two most common diseases are Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis, both of which have no cure, but can be managed through different treatments.

Ulcerative Colitis is an inflammatory condition in which the lining of the large intestine becomes inflamed and develops ulcers. In general, symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis develop over time rather than suddenly. Symptoms can include things like diarrhea with blood or pus, rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, urgency to defecate, weight loss, fatigue, and fever…

Many people in the world eat a low-gluten diet for various reasons, often the result of new health fads. However, the accessibility of gluten-free foods is owed to the prevalence of people with celiac disease…

Diarrhea is an extremely common occurrence: according to medline.gov, on average, adults in the United States get acute diarrhea at least once per year…

Many people often wonder why, after being away on vacation to an exciting foreign country, they arrive back home with an unpleasant bout of diarrhea. This illness is actually very common and is called “traveler’s diarrhea”. Traveler’s diarrhea…

Trypanophobia is defined as an extreme fear of needles, specifically when getting injections or blood draws. Some studies say that 1 in 10 adults suffer from trypanophobia…

A colonoscopy is an examination of the large intestine (colon) to evaluate for pre-cancerous polyps, cancer, inflammation, infection, or other abnormalities which might indicate gastrointestinal disease, either temporary or long term.

Colonoscopy involves the insertion into the rectum and passage of a thin flexible colonoscope or hollow tube…