Digestive issues are quite common, and oftentimes, hard to diagnose and therefore treat. In order to get to the root of your digestive problems, I do a thorough assessment, looking at your entire digestive function. How is your body able to process food? Is the immune system involved? Is the nervous system involved? What are your symptoms?
After I do the initial Comprehensive Health Assessment, I create your individualized treatment plan, which provides me with an outline to help address your concerns. I investigate what digestive issues you’re facing and whether they may be symptomatic of a much larger problem.
How do you develop digestive issues?
Most digestive issues start with eating the wrong food. When something goes wrong during the process of digestion, it can affect your gut, immune, hormonal and nervous systems. Even if you eat a healthy diet, your body’s ability to absorb nutrients and produce energy can be impaired and lead to inflammation and allergies.
What types of digestive issues are you facing?
Heartburn:
Heartburn happens when your esophagus – the tube that connects your throat and stomach – gets irritated. It’s caused by stomach acid and leads to a burning discomfort in your upper belly or below your breastbone. Eating too much tomato, citrus fruit, garlic, caffeine or alcohol are just a few of the foods that can lead to heartburn. Our food hygiene, how we eat, and stress, can also contribute to heartburn.
Bloating:
Bloating causes your abdomen to feel full and tight, and very uncomfortable. In some cases, you can feel pains that are sharp and can cause stomach cramps. Some reasons you might be experiencing bloating include overeating, eating foods that are too rich and fatty, or eating too fast. Stress and reduced digestive capacity can result in bloating.
Constipation:
Constipation refers to bowel movements that are infrequent or hard to pass. Stool can be hard or dry, which contributes to the infrequent movements. You can have abdominal pain, bloating, and a feeling as if you haven’t completely passed the bowel movement. To help things move more freely and regularly, you can try drinking more fluids and eating more fibre. There can be other reasons why you’re constipated, and I can help you determine what they are and how best to resolve them.
Diarrhea:
Diarrhea indicates loose or liquid bowel movements that aren’t indicative of regular bowel behaviour. It can last for a few days and can lead to dehydration. Reasons for diarrhea include an infection from a virus, bacteria or parasite, known as gastroenteritis (inflammation of the gut lining – which may require medical treatment), reactions to food, high stress and inflammatory conditions.
Food intolerance/sensitivity:
Eating things that you may be sensitive or allergic to can cause digestive issues. For example, feeling bloated or having diarrhea after eating lactose, which is found in milk and ice cream. You may develop food sensitivities, where your immune system responds to certain components of food in a negative way.
Could your digestive issues be something bigger?
Celiac disease:
Celiac disease is quite common, and is a lifelong autoimmune disorder in which the body creates a toxic response to the ingestion of any type of gluten. Gluten is found in wheat, barley, rye, and some oats. Unfortunately, the only way to treat this is to avoid all gluten. If you are celiac it is important to support the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, as it may require additional support.
Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity:
You can be gluten sensitive without having celiac disease. Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) also negatively affects the body, but doesn’t produce the same disease process or complications that celiac disease does.
Gastrointestinal symptoms include abdominal pain, bloating, constipation and diarrhea. NCGS can also contribute to joint and muscle pain, skin rash, anemia and depression.
Inflammatory bowel:
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) describes a group of conditions, the two main forms of which are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. With IBD, the lining of the gastrointestinal tract gets inflamed and disrupts the body’s ability to digest food, absorb nutrients and eliminate waste in a healthy manner. As a result, you might experience abdominal pain, cramping, gas, bloating, fatigue, diarrhea and loss of appetite.
Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO):
SIBO occurs when an abnormal amount of bacteria colonize and grow in the small intestine, creating digestive problems that can affect the entire digestive tract, including the intestines (small and large), stomach, liver, gallbladder and pancreas. Symptoms include long-standing diarrhea and/or constipation, heartburn, pain or discomfort after eating, nausea, abdominal bloating, excessive gas and belching and a history of appendicitis. SIBO treatments, if done properly, provide relief within two weeks, and full treatment of SIBO typically lasts for 4-6 weeks.
How can you feel better?
If you’re experiencing any of these digestive problems, there are a few simple ways that you can feel better. When we’re doing a thorough assessment, we’ll look into everything that’s happening and why. No one needs to live with abdominal pain or digestive issues—it’s better to have a targeted assessment with support. Come see me and together we’ll create a plan that includes dietary recommendations and targeted additional support to get your digestion back on track.
Simple Tips to Support Digestion:
- Chew your food properly, as saliva starts the process of breaking down food so that the stomach acid and other enzymes released further down the gastrointestinal tract are better able to function.
- Take time to stop, smell the food and eat mindfully; this helps with digestion, as eating slower can help you digest your food easier.
- Don’t drink too much water or fluids before, during or after meals.
- Eat when you feel hungry; this is the time when your body is primed to receive food.
