Acid reflux is a common condition that affects an estimated 60 million Americans at least once a month, according to the American College of Gastroenterology. Of those, 15 million experience acid reflux as often as once daily. Also known as…
Abdominal pain can be a sign of multiple different conditions, ranging from minor nuisances to serious diseases. One of the first places to start in diagnosing any condition is identifying where, exactly, the pain is and what type of pain…
Diverticulitis occurs when there is inflammation and infection in diverticula, or small, bulging pouches in the lining of the digestive system. Diverticula are most often found in the lower part of the large intestine, or the colon, are very common,…
It’s happened to many of us before: not long after finishing a meal, you have a gnawing or burning stomach pain. While many may write it off as simply heartburn, it may be a symptom of gastritis, a common condition…
Crohn’s disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that can be both painful and debilitating. It causes inflammation of your digestive tract, which can then lead to abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, and malnutrition. Serious complications…
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects as many as 3 million Americans, most of whom are diagnosed before age 35. Not to be confused with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), IBD includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, both of which are chronic,…
Due to the success of colon cancer awareness campaigns in recent years, most people know that routine colonoscopy screenings can detect early signs of colon cancer. But you may not know about a similar procedure called a flexible sigmoidoscopy. What…
A hernia is what happens when muscle strain or weakness causes the muscle to separate, allowing soft tissue to push through the opening. They typically happen in the abdomen (belly) or groin, and they can be very painful. The most…
If your esophagus (the muscular tube between the mouth and the stomach) is fully functional, you’ve probably never thought about how usefulness it is. When our bodies are working properly, we have a tendency to take them for granted. The…
If you’ve ever had a stomach ulcer, you know they’re not fun. If you haven’t had an ulcer, you may think that they’re caused by eating too many spicy foods or working in a stressful career. The reality is that…
