5 Common Conditions of the Digestive System

The digestive system is one of the most essential systems in our body. It works by helping us consume food, break down nutrients and distribute them throughout the body to manage important bodily needs that require energy, growth, and cell repair. It also works to collect and eliminate waste efficiently, maintaining a natural balance of all other functions. 

Sometimes, our digestive system may experience an imbalance or condition that causes it to function differently and improperly, leading to life-altering symptoms and needed lifestyle changes.

20 million people suffer from chronic digestive issues, conditions, and diseases in the United States, and that number continues to rise year after year. Understanding how the digestive system operates and knowing how to identify digestive problems is key to rebalancing your digestive system and mitigating symptoms that could affect your everyday life. 

What encompasses the digestive system?

The eight main components of the digestive system include the mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus. 

It also includes the salivary glands, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas, which work to produce digestive juices and enzymes that help in the digestion process. 

When imbalances in how your digestive system works occur, it can lead to various digestive conditions.

5 Common Conditions That Affect Digestive Function

1. Gastrointestinal Reflux Disease (GERD)

2. Celiac Disease

3. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

4. Ulcerative Colitis

5. Crohn's Disease

When to See a GI Specialist

If you are experiencing symptoms consistent with a common digestive system condition or disease, or simply need answers to irregularities you may be experiencing with your digestive tract, we can help.

You should always consider seeing a gastrointestinal specialist to help answer any questions you may have about the health of your digestive system. To learn more or schedule a consultation, contact us today. 

Everything You Need to Know About Hyperacidity

Nowadays, due to unhealthy eating habits and lifestyle, people are facing problems with acidity i.e. gas in people. Many patients come and say that “they are having gas”, “having problems with acid”. Hyperacidity is one of the most common reasons why people are facing “gas problems”. It is seen in all ages, all classes, and all community.

The stomach secretes Hydrochloric Acid, a digestive juice that breaks down food particles into their smallest form to aid digestion. When there is an excessive amount of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, the condition is known as Hyperacidity.

Causes of Hyperacidity

Let us understand what the causes of hyperacidity are:

Best Gastroenterologist in Ahmedabad

Our stomach consists of acid (HCL- Hydrochloric acid), the amount of acid in our stomach is pH 4. This means, there is a lot of acidic environment inside and this is also important for us because whatever germ comes into our stomach through the food that we consume, they die in the acidic environment, so this acidity is important. But in some cases, this acidic nature becomes more than the required level, and that acidity starts to hurt.

Signs and Symptoms of hyperacidity

• Heart & Chest burn
• Throat burn
• Prolonged sour taste in the mouth or bitter-tasting acid that backs up into your throat and mouth
• Chest pain.
• Dry Cough
• Asthma
• Chronic Sinusitis
• Ear pain

How to cure hyperacidity

• Avoid excessive salty, oily, sour and spicy foods Maintain a proper healthy diet.
• It’s also important to exercise at least for half an hour as it will help to digestion as well as the movement of the intestine, preventing the hyperacidity problem. Walking is best.
• People suffering from hyperacidity should avoid heavy lifting.
• People should not do weight training nor should they do an exercise where the abdominal muscles are used like crunches

You must take simple measures like adopting good food habits, indulge in physical activities, lead a disciplined life and consult a doctor to treat acute cases with medicines.

How a Gastroenterologist Can Keep Your Liver Healthy?

 As we all know, we need to visit a gastroenterologist if we see any digestive disorder, or we need to conduct an endoscopy or colonoscopy. Beyond taking care of our GI tract, these specialists also care for other organs that are involved in the process of digestion, which includes the gallbladder, pancreas, and the liver.

Where is the liver located? And how does it function?

Our liver is located on the right side of the stomach, just above the gallbladder. It is divided into 2 sections. The responsibility of the liver in digestive health is to filter blood and process nutrients from the digestive tracts. Along with this, it is also responsible for detoxifying chemicals that can be harmful to the body.

Diseases that Affect the Liver

Diseases related to the liver can be serious and may need proper medical treatment. The circumstances that may impact the liver are:

• Hepatitis
• Cirrhosis 
• Fatty Liver 
• Liver Cancer

How does a Gastroenterologist take care of the Liver?

As gastroenterologists play an important role in the treatment of the digestive system, they are also well equipped to diagnose and treat conditions of the liver. An experienced gastroenterologist plays a vital role in the treatment of disorders affecting the gastrointestinal tract and related organs.

To consult a best gastroenterologist in ahmedabad, contact Gastroplus Hospital and book your appointment today.

What causes Indigestion and Bloating?

After a heavy meal, an acidic feeling or bloating can take away the satisfactory taste of the good food you have eaten. Indigestion and gas is the most common gastrointestinal problem. In many cases, indigestion is caused due to bad food choices and unhealthy lifestyles. It can be cured at home by following below easy steps:

1. Add fibrous food in your meal: Fiber is said to be important for healthy digestion. It is easy to digest and also helps to push out the waste particles of the body helping the body to detoxify. It also prevents from diabetes, heart diseases, and piles. We can get fiber in the form of whole grains, cereals, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and lots of water. It is ideal for women to consume at least 25gms of fiber a day and for men, it should be 38gms a day.

2. Way of eating food: Your eating habits also matter a lot in the process of digestion. Instead of eating the food on the go, it should be eaten peacefully and mindfully. Eating in smaller proportion can also help the digestion. Your dinner should be done an hour ago before going to bed. Lying down immediately after a meal is one of the leading causes of indigestion.

3. Consuming probiotics: Gut bacterias are essential for healthy digestion. They help maintain the inner system by fighting harmful viruses, yeast, and other micro-organisms. The imbalance of gut bacteria is affected by alcohol consumption, smoking, stress, and the overuse of medicines. Consuming natural probiotics enzymes like yogurt or probiotic supplements can improve your digestion better.

4. Workout/Exercise Regularly: Working out every day is not only necessary for a fit body but it is also necessary for healthy digestion. It also helps in fighting stress, which is the main cause of indigestion. A walk after having your meals is also beneficial for the food and gases to pass along your digestive tract, preventing bloating and heartburn. Performing physical activity also helps to improve bowel movement and build-up gases. You could also try doing yoga, swimming, and cycling as a part of the exercise. 

Just to be cautious, ensure that you have had at least an hour gap between your last meal and the time of the workout. Even after performing the above activities, if you still suffer from the problem then visit Gastroplus Hospital, One of the Best Gastro Hospital in Ahmedabad.

What is Dyspepsia?

Another name for Indigestion is Dyspepsia. It is a term that describes pain in the stomach or discomfort in the upper abdomen. It is not any disease, the term refers to symptoms that include bloating, discomfort, nausea, and burping. In most cases, indigestion is caused due to overeating or drinking. But it can also be caused by infections or by the use of certain medications.

Dyspepsia is a gastrointestinal problem, it makes a person feel uncomfortable while having meals, or gives a feeling of fullness even if not eaten much. The treatment for it can be done by a Gastroenterologist in Ahmedabad. A gastroenterologist is a doctor who specializes in the stomach, small and large intestine, and other digestive organs. 

Fast facts on Dyspepsia

1.      It is a group of symptoms causing disorder in the stomach.

2.      Overeating food, or consuming greasy or spicy food, or hiatus hernia can cause indigestion

3.      A gastroenterologist performs endoscopy to identify the root cause of it.

4.      Diet charts and medications are provided to manage dyspepsia symptoms.

Treatment of Dyspepsia

1.      The treatment of indigestion depends on its causes and its severity.

2.      If symptoms are mild and infrequent, change in the day to day lifestyle will help to decrease it.

3.      Consumption of less fatty, spicy food, and reducing the intake of caffeine, alcohol, and chocolates. 

4.      Sleeping for at least 7-8 hours at night also helps to ease mild indigestion.

5.      Doing physical exercise and quitting smoking is also an important change in everyday life to treat indigestion.

For more details on Dyspepsia or indigestion get connected with Gastroplus Hospital, Our Consultant and one of the Best Gastroenterologist in Ahmedabad.

Where can I meet a Good Gastroenterologist in Ahmedabad ?

 If you are looking for the Best Gastroenterologist in Ahmedabad Our Gastroplus hospital is blessed with the top doctors in Ahmedabad to provide effective treatment to all patients.

Before deciding your Gastroenterologist or Doctor, look at their :

• View doctor profile
• Consultation Fees
• Educational qualifications
• Experience
• Awards
• Publications
• Reviews
• Availability

Gall Bladder Stone: Myths and facts in Management

 Many patients present to us (Gastroplus Clinic, Ahmedabad) with ultrasound reports showing gallstones for opinion. Obviously most of them used to google their symptoms related to gall stones and their various management options which not only confuses patients but also lead to unnecessary stress. I am highlighting myths around gallstones and will try to give facts as per medical literature.

Myth 1:Getting abdominal pain due to gallstones

• Many people have acidity or reflux symptoms which are common and many times confuses with symptoms related to gall stones. Your doctor can differentiate whether your pain is related to gallstones or not.
• Most Gallstones are asymptomatic
• Only 2-3% per year develops symptoms (Biliary colic – characteristic pain of gallstone) or complications (cholecystitis, pancreatitis, choledocholithiasis, Gall bladder cancer) related to gall stones. But once symptoms appears there are more than 30% chances of getting repeated symptoms related to gallstones.

Myth 2:Stone will pass in urine

• Do not get confused with urinary stones (Urinary stones develop in kidneys, Gall stones develop in gall bladder which is below Liver)
• I have seen people taking so many medications with a belief their stones will pass in urine. So avoid unnecessary medications which can harm your body
• Drinking plenty of water won’t help but reducing your fat intake and regular exercise are helpful.

Myth 3:Medicine will dissolve my gallstones

• Various preparations are available claiming to dissolve gallstones but most are not required and can be harmful.
• Medical literature don’t recommend any such therapy of dissolving stones. There are few medicines which can be helpful but will only helpful in some cases of small stone with normal gallbladder physiology. Don’t take any medicines without proper consultation.

Myth 4:Doctor is not good as he has not given any medicine

• Asymptomatic gallstones only need observation and surveillance
• We usually don’t recommend any treatment

Myth 5:Endoscopy will remove stones from gallbladder

• Endoscopy (ERCP) is helpful only to remove stone which has entered in bile duct from gallbladder.
• Gallstones has tendency to recur. Hence most attempts of removing gallstones by endoscopy means have not gained popularity or became routine practice.

Myth 6:Gall bladder removal surgery (Cholecystectomy) affects normal well being

• Gall bladder is an organ which stores bile produced in liver and contracts to drain bile via bile-duct when food enters small intestine.
• In absence of Gall bladder (After surgery e.g. cholecystectomy), Bile can enter directly in bileduct and reach duodenum (small intestine)
• Most people can lead to normal life after surgery. Few can get certain consequences like diarrhea, indigestion which can easily be managed by medications on proper consulatation with doctor.

For more information: Gastroplus clinic, Ahmedabad (www.gastroplusindia.com)