Video

What Kids Wear Could Determine How Much Exercise They Get

Few College Students Have Received the H1N1 Vaccine

Night Lights Could Lead to Depression

Cervarix Has Been Approved by the FDA

The FDA Is Studying the Effects of Lasik Surgery

Painkillers Can Dull the Effects of Childhood Vaccines

Childbirth May Becoming More Complicated

Botox Sponges Might Help Nose Allergies

The FDA Advises on How to Properly Dispose of Medicine

A French Study Shows Cell Phones Do Not Affect Humans

MRIs May Lead to More Back Surgery

Your More Likely to Wash Your Hands If Someone's Watching

Co-Sleeping Is a Leading Cause of SIDS

Night Shifts Don't Have a Major Effect On Surgeons

Exercise May Counter Fatigue from Chemotherapy

What You Need to Know When Your Stomach Aches

Posted on 03/28/2009, 09:00
By -- Kevin McKeever

Doctor offers tips on digestive disorders

SATURDAY, March 28 (HealthDay News) -- If your tummy feels funny, it could be a one-time bellyache, but it also could be a sign of something more serious.

Dr. C. Richard Boland, chief of gastroenterology at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, says that everyone should know five things about serious digestive disorders:

Symptoms: Alert your doctor if you have persistent symptoms, such as abdominal pain or discomfort, nausea, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn or blood in the stools.
Diagnosis: Because many digestive disorders are not detectable with blood or imaging tests, they can be difficult to diagnosis. Irritable bowel syndrome, for instance, is usually diagnosed by first ruling out all other disorders.
Talking to your doctor: Symptoms and your health history play a major role in diagnosing digestive disorders, so be frank with your doctor. Recording your eating habits and symptoms in a journal and being honest about drinking and smoking habits can help the doctor determine your condition faster and more accurately.
Lifestyle changes: Knowing your habits can help you change them if they're causing your symptoms. Stomach pain that follows the consumption of dairy products, for example, could indicate lactose intolerance -- a treatable condition that a change in diet can also help.
Treatment: Though changing eating habits is usually the first order of attack, it's not a cure-all. Depending on the condition, prescription medications, natural remedies, stress reducers and -- when necessary -- surgery are possible treatments to alleviate symptoms.

More information

The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about digestive disorders.

SOURCE: Baylor University Medical Center, news release, March 2009

More news in Heartburn...

BigHealthTree.com Disclaimer

Bighealthtree.com Does Not Provide Medical Advice. This site, including the above information, is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or health advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified health or medical professional before starting any new treatment, changing existing treatment, or altering your current exercise and/or diet program. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911 (or the emergency services in your area) or your doctor immediately.

Rating: 3.0 / 5 (194 votes)