The names of organs can be complicated and mysterious. You might never have heard of the Popliteal fossa or the Malpighian corpuscle, and you might be tempted to look on a map for the islets of Langerhans. The gallbladder, on the other hand, has a very straightforward name. It’s a bladder, or a sack, that stores […]
Tag Archives: gastroenterology
Understanding Cirrhosis
About 1 in 400 Americans is diagnosed with Cirrhosis of the liver. Cirrhosis is a condition in which the liver develops scars as it tries to repair itself from long-term damage. This condition cannot be cured, but it can be treated. The earlier the condition is identified, the better the chances of successful treatment. Meet your […]
Understanding Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is a hereditary auto-immune disease that causes the body to identify gluten, a protein found in some grains, as an invader. The body mounts an immune response when people with the disease eat gluten. This causes damage to the small intestine. This damage can result over time in a failure to take in […]
How to Add Fiber to Your Diet
Working toward a healthy diet is always a good choice. A decision to add fiber is one of the simplest and most powerful changes you can make. More fiber means more vegetables, fruit, and whole grains — all choices correlated with lower risk of chronic diseases, cancer, and many more health problems. Eating plenty of […]
Have You Heard of GERD?
GERD, or Gastroesophageal reflux disease, is a chronic condition in which acid from the stomach comes up into the esophagus. You may be familiar with this experience under the name “acid reflux” or “heartburn,” since an estimated 44% of American adults have at least one episode every month. GERD, however, is a chronic disease with […]
Constipation Relief
Constipation affects 20% of Americans, and can even be associated with anxiety and depression. Constipation is a condition in which food travels through the digestive system slowly, creating dry stools that are hard to pass. Holidays and travel can bring on constipation, so here are some recommendations for relief, or even avoiding the problem altogether. […]
GI Health Checklist
Managing some aspects of your health are more obvious than others. If you want to keep your lungs healthy, you don’t smoke or vape. If you want to improve heart health you get your minimum of 30 minutes of exercise every day. But how do you improve GI health? Identify foods that cause digestive problems. […]
Colorectal Cancer Awareness & Screening
Since 2000, March has been Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Colon cancer is very common, being the fourth most diagnosed form of cancer in the United States. It causes the second most deaths of cancers that affect both men and women. There are as many as 200,000 Americans diagnosed with colorectal cancer each year, and more […]