Dr. Rajeev Kumar Bansal

Diarrhea is not usually a serious condition but can be very uncomfortable and embarrassing. This can be caused by a number of factors including bacterial or viral infections, food poisoning, contaminated water etc. Thankfully, it is easy to treat and does not require medication unless it is very severe. Let us take a look some of the most effective ways to treat diarrhoea:

1. Drink Plenty of Water: Keeping your body hydrated when dealing with diarrhoea is very important. This is because your body loses a lot of water while passing stool. To hydrate your body, drink lots of water. You could also add oral rehydration salts to the water. Avoid drinking sodas, packaged juices and caffeinated drinks such as coffee as they can further dehydrate the body.
2. Probiotics: To function optimally, your digestion system requires good bacteria. Diarrhea is usually a sign that the bad bacteria levels have overtaken the good bacteria levels. Thus, you need to balance this equation. Probiotics are a source of good bacteria and are available in powder or pill form. It is also available naturally in foods like yoghurt, pickles and kimchi.
3. Eat the Right Food: When suffering from an upset stomach, eat food that is easy to digest. Food items such as bananas, rice, apples and dry toast are easy to digest and can help bulk up your stool. This is also known as the BRAT diet. You could also include a simple chicken soup, baked skinless chicken and oatmeal in your diet.
4. Drink a Little Tea: Tannins in black tea are good for the digestive system. They help calm inflammation in the intestines and help the body absorb fluids. Raspberry and blackberry leaf tea are ideal for diarrhoea. You could also try sipping caraway tea. Other teas such as chamomile tea help reduce spasms and calm the stomach. When looking for such teas, ensure that they are made from the leaf and not powdered. Also, do not drink any form of caffeinated tea.
5. Avoid Spicy Foods: Do not eat anything that is spicy or fried when you have an upset stomach. Also, avoid eating foods rich in fibre as they can make you feel bloated. Alcohol and milk are best left aside until your stomach has healed. Other foods you should avoid include chewing gums with artificial sweeteners, berries, beans, peas, prunes, peppers and ice cream.

If your diarrhoea does not improve, consult a doctor. If it lasts for more than 2 weeks, it could be a symptom of another underlying condition. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Are you the one who lives on burgers or packaged foods? Well, then it's time for you to check your diet. These delicious food items that you die for contain excess carbohydrates and unhealthy fats that are extremely dangerous for your health. Most of these food items contain excess of carbs, fats, added sugars and salt. These items do not have sufficient nutritional values. They only offer you high calories that are harmful for the body and its various organs. Researchers have found that when most of these food items were given to lab animals, they yielded dangerous results, offering negative nutritional value to them. Prolonged exposure to these food items can affect the health of the heart, gastrointestinal organs and lead to obesity.

According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, it has been found that most people underestimate the number of calories intake at a fast-food selling outlet. A 2013 study published in JAMA Pediatrics reveals that individuals consume more calories in restaurants than at their respective home. This trend is quite dangerous. It is responsible for the occurrence of a number of diseases. 

Here's why you should avoid fast foods:

1. Save your digestive and cardiovascular systems: Fast foods are packed with unhealthy amounts of carbohydrates and fats. When these are consumed, our digestive system breaks down these carbs into sugar or glucose. The glucose is then released into the blood. As the blood is loaded with sugar, pancreas releases insulin hormone into the body. Insulin regulates the transportation of the sugar to cells. As the sugar reaches various cells, pancreas releases another hormone-glucagon. It commands the liver to make use of the sugar. Now, when excess sugar is produced in the body due to intake of fast foods, the balance between insulin and glucagon is hampered and the level of sugar in bloodstream changes. Consequently, you develop type 2 diabetes.
2. Check your weight and heart: The added sugars and unsaturated fats in the fast foods lead to obesity. You consume more calories and as a result of which your body weight increases. This is quite dangerous for your health. Under such circumstances, you tend to develop chronic heart diseases due to the increasing levels of cholesterol in your body.
3. Your kidney is at risk: Fast foods often contain excess salt. The intake of fast foods changes the level of sodium in the body. Sodium is responsible for maintaining the fluid content in the body. Increasing fluid levels due to intake of excess sodium in the form of salt exerts pressure on the heart muscle and causes high blood pressure. Besides, excess sodium also damages the kidney.
4. Protect your respiratory system: According to a study in journal Thorax, children who eat excess fast food are at increased risk of developing asthma and rhinitis. In fact, increased body weight puts extra pressure on your respiratory organs and causes difficulty in breathing.
5. Affects central nervous system: Intake of junk food affects the brain synapses and the molecules that are related to the process of memory and learning in both children and adults.

Dyspepsia is a disorder of the stomach that is characterized by pain in the upper part of the stomach. It is not a single disorder, but is a collection of symptoms such as nausea, burping and bloating. It results when the acid of the stomach comes in contact with the mucosa of the digestive tract. These acids cause a breakdown of the mucosa leading to inflammation and irritation, which leads to indigestion. It may also result from eating disorders or certain medications.

Symptoms:
The symptoms of this disorder tend to occur mostly after consuming food and drink. In some cases, the symptoms tend to go away after eating or drinking. The symptoms of dyspepsia are: 

1. You may feel bloated on a regular basis
2. You may experience discomfort in your stomach
3. Loss of appetite
4. You may experience constant burping
5. You may feel nauseous
6. Symptoms of heartburn
7. You may also experience chest pain and breathing difficulties
8. You may be affected by jaundice

Causes:
The various causes of dyspepsia are: 

1. Irritable bowel syndrome, which hampers the movement of food through the intestines
2. If you are unable to properly digest dairy products
3. Gastroesophageal reflux disease that results in reflux of the acids of the stomach
4. Any inflammation of the gall bladder
5. Various medicines such as aspirin, steroids and antibiotics may lead to dyspepsia
6. If you suffer from depression or anxiety then it may lead to dyspepsia
7. Excess consumption of chocolate, coffee and alcohol

Dyspepsia may be controlled by modifying your lifestyle. Some of the changes that you may make are: 

1. Don't sleep immediately after eating, wait for at least two hours before you go to bed
2. Avoid spicy foods as they tend to aggravate symptoms of dyspepsia
3. Space out your meals, eat multiple smaller meals instead of few large ones
4. Restrict smoking and alcohol consumption
5. Lose weight as being overweight may lead to dyspepsia
6. Avoid wearing tight clothes 
7. Exercise on a regular basis to keep your body healthy and maintain optimal weight levels

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Colorectal surgery is performed to repair damages that occur in the organs of the anus, rectum, and colon. The damage that takes place in these organs can be the result of problems with lower GI like diverticulitis (a condition wherein pouches known as diverticula in the colon wall become inflamed), cancer and inflammatory bowel disease (a group of intestinal disorders that bring about inflammation of the GI).

Who needs this surgery?

In general, colorectal surgery is an essential treatment option for ulcerative colitis, colorectal cancer, Crohn's disease (an inflammatory bowel disease that gives rise to inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract) as well as certain diverticulitis cases. In such cases, the intestinal tract undergoes major reconstruction.

There are also other bowel problems that may require surgery but not of a serious nature and these are anal fissures, hemorrhoids, bowel incontinence and rectal prolapse. Most of the surgical procedures will aid in repairing tears, get rid of blockages, or make tighter sphincter muscles (muscles that surround openings in the body).

Colorectal surgery is also performed in cases of pelvic floor disorders like rectocele (a condition in which the rectum bulges towards the vagina) and perineal hernia (a hernia that involves the pelvic floor).

At the same time, injury, ischemia or compromised blood supply and obstruction may require the performance of bowel surgery as well. Scar tissue and masses can form within the rectum, clogging the organ and preventing the normal discharge of feces from the body.

Problems like ulcerative colitis (an inflammatory bowel disease that leads to the development of ulcers in the colon as well as inflammation of the area) and diverticulitis can give rise to perforations in the rectum. Surgery is suggested in instances when drugs fail to treat the problem of ulcerative colitis.

Likewise, in the case of recurrent instances of perforations or complications in diverticulitis, surgery may be required to remove the portion of the colon affected.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!