Digestive Health

My first thought goes to the possibility of lactose intolerance (the diminished ability to properly breakdown lactose in the intestinal tract). Lactose intolerance can occur when people age and may also occur i... continue reading  about  I'm 56 and in very good health. My eating habits are normal, but I get bloated frequently. Can you give me some information on what may cause this and how to prevent it?

Welcome to life in your 40s! A lot of changes can and do happen. My first recommendation is to see a gastrointestinal doctor or nurse practitioner. Stomach aches and bloating often occur with irritable bowel sy... continue reading  about  Why is it that recently, at my age of 44, I get extremely bad stomach aches and feel really bloated, one to two weeks before my period? I've never had this before.

I'm sorry to hear about your issues with diverticulitis.Diverticulosis is a very common problem. Diverticula form at points of weakness within the colon wall. Once you developed diverticula, they are unlikely t... continue reading  about  I have diverticulitis and a few months ago had a serious attack. I was treated with 14 days of antibiotics and I'm okay now. I had a colonoscopy and the report said "severe diverticulitis of entire colon." Is there any way to get rid of these "pockets”?

When we're talking about reactions to food, most people think any reaction must be allergic in origin. Not true. There are many reasons why one may have an adverse reaction to a food. A few examples: coffee may... continue reading  about  How can I know if I have a lagging reaction to a specific food?

In the past, many doctors recommended that people with diverticulitis avoid nuts and seeds. It was thought that these small particles could lodge in the diverticula and cause inflammation (which is diverticulit... continue reading  about  I've been diagnosed with diverticulitis (no longer acute) and have been told to avoid nuts and seeds. Do things like peas, beans, corn count as seeds? What is a good diet to avoid another bout of diverticulitis? (I'm also lactose intolerant.)

It would be most important to distinguish your problem by its full diagnostic name. You refer to "IBS", which stands for Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Steroids are rarely used for this condition. If the letters are... continue reading  about  In the past I've take steroids for my irritable bowel syndrome, but since I've stopped, my IBS has returned. What are your thoughts on long-term steroid use for IBS?

Taking care of your GERD is like calming your inner volcano. Let's get that stomach acid eruption under better control! Even though you can't link your symptoms with specific foods, it may be time to take a loo... continue reading  about  I have been diagnosed with "silent GERD". I don't want to take medication the rest of my life. Any suggestions? I have phlegm in my throat that I cannot associate with any specific foods.

Constipation is a condition (not a disease) where a person passes small amounts of hard, dry stool, usually fewer than three times a week. The person may also have a feeling of incomplete elimination of stool. ... continue reading  about  I've always been very regular, but now in menopause I'm constipated. I eat whole grains, fruits and vegetables, drink a lot of water. I'm normal weight and I exercise. I eat prunes and take Benefiber, but I still have small movements with lots of gas.

For patients who have a diagnosis of celiac disease, the small intestine will typically heal once exposure to gluten is eliminated. This means that the "fingers" of the intestine, which are known as villi,... continue reading  about  I've been on a gluten-free diet for a year. Does that mean that the "fingers" in my small intestine are back to normal? I still have problems with eating too much fiber at one time, causing looser and somewhat urgent bowel movements the next morning.