A Gastroenterologist is a physician with dedicated training and unique experience in the management of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and liver. If you are planning to visit one, you most likely have a problem in one or many organs like esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon and rectum, pancreas, gallbladder, bile ducts and liver. 

Visit your doctor to understand the severity of your condition and the course of treatment, as it is obvious that during this time you must be suffering from anxiety and you may not ask the questions arising in your mind. That is why you need to prepare in advance for your first visit with a gastroenterologist. Being an active partner in the doctor patient relationship is bound to have its benefits. Here are some handy tips:

1. Come mentally prepared: Don't let the anxiety get to you. If you need some extra help calming down, try yoga or meditation. You can simply go out on a walk alone to help you focus your thoughts. This is just like any other doctor visit. The good part is that you are taking the first step in easing your discomfort and starting treatment, so go with a positive mind.

2. Maintain a diary of symptoms: It is likely that you are experiencing discomfort from past few days or weeks before you finally realize the need to seek out a specialist. Try to remember as much as possible about the symptoms you experienced in a chronological order. Write down any over the counter medicines you've tried or anything unusual that you may have consumed in the past week. 

3. Take stock of your medical history: It is likely that your doctor may want to know about any historic conditions you've suffered that may or may not relate to your present condition. Many ask you to fill out forms during your first time patient registration which includes many minor details about your medical past. List down any allergies, especially food allergies you have. 

4. Take stock of your recent medical tests: Bring your latest blood tests and imaging tests (X-rays, ultrasounds, MRIs, and CT scans) with you for the doctor's visit. If you have a pre-existing condition like diabetes, thyroid or you suffer from other chronic conditions like increased uric acid, carry your most recent medical reports with you. 

5. Make a list of questions for the doctor: In most cases, the first visit is a crucial factor in determining whether you want to continue the course of treatment with a particular doctor. This comes out of your ability to trust the doctor, his knowledge and diagnosis and an overall comfort level that comes with how well he handles your questions. Start by making a list of questions you want to ask about your specific condition and course of treatment and see if you get satisfactory answers. 

6. Brace yourself: If you want to suggest a treatment option, make sure you read up all about it before you tell the doctor.

6 Tips For Your First Visit With A Gastroenterologist

Almost all of us have experienced bloating, gas or an upset stomach. Yet some people experience this problem at a chronic level. Gas occurs in the stomach and intestines due to breakdown of food into energy. All of us pass gas, however some people do more than others. An average person passes gas 5-20 times a day.

An upset stomach can often cause problems and can be a difficult battle for many people. Although the symptoms of gas problems often relate to an improper diet, yet other factors may be also responsible.

Causes and Symptoms of Gas Problems

Swallowing air: The swallowed air which is not burped out, passes through the digestive system and is released through the opening of the anus. Hiccups can also occur if you have swallowed excessive air.
Diet: The reaction of different foods varies from one person to another. Also foods that lead to odorous gas may also vary from person to person. Yet, spicy foods and dairy products are the most common causes of gas. Example - Beans, cabbage, onions, radishes, eggs, carbonated drinks, sugar, packaged foods etc.
Medications: Certain medicines and supplements, including prescription drugs, can lead to gas problems and bloating. Further, medications which change the hormonal balance in the body can also cause bloating.
Medical problems: Certain medical conditions such as Irritable bowel syndrome or bowel obstruction can also lead to an upset stomach.
Common symptoms of gas problems include gas pain, cramping, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation. In the worst of cases, gas and bloating indicate colon cancer. Such people experience rapid weight loss, anaemia and blood in stools.

Treatment
Modifying your lifestyle, in particular your dietary practices, is essential to a healthy recovery.

Avoiding foods such as spaghetti, oats, bran, barley, banana, bread etc. which contain high fibre content is important.
You can opt for over the counter medications after consulting your physician. Homeopathy and Ayurveda can be also opted as alternative forms of treatment.

Chronic Gas Problem - Facts You Should Know About it

The food you eat plays an important role in your gastrointestinal health. Some foods can be difficult to digest and lead to bloating and heartburn while others increase the healthy bacteria in your gut and make digestion easier. 

Here are ten things you should include in your diet for a healthy digestive system.

1. Bananas: Bananas help regulate bowel movements and help bind food waste together thus helping with irritable bowel syndrome and diarrhea. They also help restore the electrolyte and potassium balance in the stomach.

2. Oats: Oats are rich in fiber and low in calories. It is also a rich source of phosphorus, vitamin E and Zinc. Oats helps with the proper functioning of the digestive system and the extraction of waste.

3. Curd: Curd rice is the most well known home remedy for an upset stomach. Curd is a rich source of probiotics that helps restore the balance of healthy gut bacteria and eases digestion.

4. Coconut oil: Coconut oil is an excellent substitute for normal cooking oil or butter. Coconut oil has antimicrobial properties and fatty acids that ease the digestive system and boost immunity and energy levels.

5. Lentils: Lentils are rich in prebiotics and fiber. These prebiotics promote the growth of healthy gut bacteria and prevent harmful bacteria from causing stomach infections.

6. Ginger: Herbs and spices are very helpful with digestion. Amongst these, ginger is foremost. It can be used to treat a number of stomach infections such as bloating, nausea and diarrhea. Ginger also helps 
speed up the movement of food from the stomach to the intestines.

7. Vegetables: Vegetables are rich in fiber and probiotics. While beetroots help relieve constipation, sweet potatoes help treat ulcers and bowel problems. Other vegetables that aid digestion include cucumbers, tomatoes and carrots.

8. Brown rice: A certain amount of carbohydrates are essential for a well balanced diet. Brown rice has a high calorific value but is less fattening. Brown rice helps food move smoothly through the digestive system and hence promotes regularity.

9. Peppermint: Peppermint helps ease indigestion and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Peppermint can be had on its own as a flavoring agent in salads and on fruits or taken as a supplement.

10. Water: Water is crucial to healthy digestion. It helps smooth the movement of food through the digestive system and out of the bowels. Inadequate water is one of the most common causes of constipation. Ideally, you should have a minimum of 8 to 10 glasses of water a day.

10 Foods That Support Your Digestive Health

Excessive gas can be defined as bloating, belching, flatulence and burping. It does not matter what you call it, but what matters is how you treat it and get relieved from the embarrassing symptoms. 

Here are some ways in which you can avoid gastric problems:

*Avoid eating foods that can cause gas or acidity. Vegetables which are known to cause acidity are Brussels, Onions, Garlic and Broccoli; dairy products like cheese, milk, ice cream and whole grains can cause acidity. The reason is that these products have fiber, starch and sugar which cannot be digested easily, thus causing pain in the intestines. Fruits which contain sorbitol and aerated drinks should also be avoided. Eat everything but in moderation.

*Avoid drinking before meals as the stomach acids are lost and the food cannot be digested well. Water and liquids should be taken half an hour after a meal for a better digestion.

* Food should be eaten slowly. Eating and drinking quickly, allows a lot of air to go into the stomach with the food. This in turn can cause a stomach pain.

* Over the counter drugs can be taken for immediate help in digestion. These medicines contain enzymes which aid in digestion. The enzyme works to dissolve the sugar that is found in many fruit and vegetables.

* Some habits like chewing gum, drinking from a straw and smoking, etc. causes air to fill in the stomach, thereby, leading to gas.

* Artificial sweeteners such as sorbitol should be avoided as these are difficult to digest and can easily lead to a feeling of bloating. 

However, all the pains might not be due to gas and could be a sign of something serious. These could be:

* Lactose intolerance: This is the inability to digest milk and milk products. The sugar in the milk is known as lactose and cannot be digested easily. 

* Irritable bowel syndrome: People who suffer with pain in the lower abdomen constantly might be suffering from IBS.

* Colon cancer: If the pain lasts too long then getting a screening done is a good idea to rule out if one is suffering from colon cancer or not.

* Upper gastrointestinal disorders: If one gets belching occasionally, then it is alright, but a constant belching might be a sign of gastrointestinal disorder in the upper tract. These could be gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gastroparesis, or peptic ulcers.

Gastric Problems - Effective Ways To Manage It!

With the super busy lifestyle that everybody is gravitating to, there is less and less time for everything, including cooking and eating. Thus, more and more processed foods are finding their way into our refrigerators, as they can just be picked up and eaten anytime hunger pangs are felt. And, we do not immediately realize that processed foods are devoid of all the essential ingredients. What we end up eating has less fiber, more salt, and more preservatives (generally not very safe for all), all leading to an unhealthy lifestyle.

Refined flour, white sugar, cheese, canned juices, frozen foods, cheese laden pizzas and breadsare all yummy, but not something that is readily accepted and digested by your stomach. Try eating pizza with loads of cheese for two days and experience the bloated feeling for yourself. Not to scare you, but imagine this; you would have to eat an entire medium pizza to get 2 g of fiber. Where as, your body requires about 25 to 40 g of fiber per day for regular health maintenance.

Biologically, our digestive system requires a lot of fiber, which adds to the roughage. This is very important as it helps in digestion and aid in cleansing the bowel later. The function of the large intestine is to remove water and essential ingredients when food passes through it. Junk food passes through quite quickly, thereby, leading to loss of water and ingredients. A lot of digestive issues are also related to lack of fiber in the food, like polyps, colon cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, high cholesterol, and obesity. 

Most of us are aware, but tend to ignore the fact that junk food is as the name suggests, junk. There is hardly anything of nutritious value in it. On the contrary, it contains lots of salt, fat and artificial chemicals, which though, make it very tasty, but has zero nutrition value. 

Try to eat only junk food for about a week regularly, and you will surely feel:

1. Bloated (a lot of gas due to indigestion)
2. Dehydrated (excessive salt needs more water, which we don't realize)
3. Constipated (lack of fiber leading to reduced bowel movement)
4. Weak and lousy (due to lack of nutrition)

This of course does not include the harmful effects on skin, hair, looks, etc. It does not mean you have to stop eating junk completely and eat only healthy food all the time. The human body is adaptive and can adjust to a lot of variations. It is not wise to try the example above (eating pizza for a week), however, binging on junk food once a week would definitely not hurt. Use your discretion as nobody knows your body as well as you do.

Constipation and Junk Food

The way your day starts can affect your entire day and nothing is worse than fighting constipation in the morning. Along with a feeling of heaviness in the abdomen and bloating, constipation can also cause mood swings and lower your attention span. While laxatives can be temporary quick fixes, they can worsen the problem over time. 

Hence, it is better to treat this disorder with a few simple lifestyle changes and home remedies.

Eat plenty of fibre: A bad diet is one the key factors triggering constipation. Fibre not only fills the stomach, but also helps add bulk to your stool making it easier to pass. Ideally, a person should have 20-40 grams of fibre a day. If you suffer from chronic constipation, you can increase this amount a little as well. As an easy way to increase your fibre consumption is ensure that you eat some form of raw salad with every meal. Other foods that are rich in fibre are oats, almonds, cereals, beans, lentils and fruits.
Ginger tea or mint tea: Ginger is a warming herb, which when had in form of tea can make the body generate more internal heat. This helps activate the digestion process and thereby relieves constipation. The menthol in peppermint has an antispasmodic effect that helps relax the digestive tract muscles and makes it easier for stool to pass through. Dandelion tea can also be used as a mild natural laxative.
Castor oil: Castor oil is a popular natural laxative. This is because one of the components of this oil helps stimulate the small and large intestine. To benefit from castor oil, have 1 or 2 teaspoons of the oil on an empty stomach. You should be able to pass stool within about 8 hours.
Drink plenty of water: Water not only hydrates the body, but also helps food move along the digestive system. Without adequate water, the stool is likely to be hard and difficult to pass. Ideally, you should drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. Do not count artificially sweetened beverages as part of this count as they can actually cause constipation instead of ease it.
Warm lemon water: Lemon juice helps stimulate the digestive system and hence is ideal for treating constipation. When mixed with warm water, it can help eliminate toxins from the body. Adding a little honey to the mixture can also work as a mild laxative. Alternatively, you could add salt in place to honey as this encourages the bowel muscle contraction and is rich in magnesium.

Constipation - 5 Ayurvedic Remedies for Treating it!

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