Frequent discomfort, gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and heartburn could be signs that your gut is having a hard time processing food and eliminating waste. You feel tired more often than not. People with chronic fatigue may have imbalances in the gut.
Standard imaging tests for gastric conditions include upper gastrointestinal series (UGI), ultrasounds, MRIs, CT scans and X-rays. For an even clearer picture of the gastrointestinal tract, a barium swallow or barium enema may be used in conjunction with an X-ray.
Contact your provider if you have: Abdominal discomfort that lasts 1 week or longer. Abdominal pain that does not improve in 24 to 48 hours, or becomes more severe and frequent and occurs with nausea and vomiting. Bloating that persists for more than 2 days.
If you have unexplained or frequent digestive issues, such as abdominal discomfort or changes to your bowel habits, someone's probably told you to see a gastroenterologist, also sometimes referred to as a GI doctor.
Digestive Discomfort
Constipation, bloating, gas, stomach cramps, acid reflux, or heartburn happen. But, they are symptomatic of an unbalanced gut. A healthy digestive system will have less trouble processing food and getting rid of waste.
Prebiotic and probiotic foods like whole grains, onions, garlic, fermented foods, miso and yogurt feed the good bacteria in your gut. A diet rich with fiber and prebiotics ensures that the bacteria grows.
An anti-inflammatory diet, regular exercise, good quality sleep, and probiotics are all strategies to put in place before trying antimicrobials or antibiotics to get rid of bad bacteria.
Supplements like probiotics, collagen, omega-3 fatty acids, and l-glutamine can all help you heal and seal your gut (but you may not need them all at once). Getting enough sleep and reducing stress can improve your gut health.
Try a saltwater flush: This involves drinking a mixture of warm water and salt to help flush out the bowels. The salt helps to stimulate bowel movements and cleanse the digestive tract. To do this, mix 2 teaspoons of sea salt with 1 quart of warm water and drink it quickly.
Gastric acid secretion is stimulated primarily by histamine released from enterochromaffin-like cells in response to gastrin (17). Gastric juice consists of HCl and pepsin and can kill bacteria within 15 min when the pH is less than 3.0 (8). If the pH is raised above 4.0, bacterial overgrowth may occur.
Palpation means pushing down to see if the organs can be felt. For example, the aorta that supplies blood to the lower limbs of the body runs directly beneath the bellybutton. It should be only an inch wide. If it's wider than that, you could have a problem such as an aneurysm.
Blood tests can show levels of specific substances in the blood. Digestive issues for which blood tests support a diagnosis include Celiac disease, inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis), stomach ulcers, stomach cancer and food allergies.
Call your health care provider right away if you have abdominal pain so severe that you can't move without causing more pain. Also call if you can't sit still or find a comfortable position.
Damage to the stomach lining is very common and will resolve on its own in most cases. This approach is usually accompanied by diet and lifestyle changes, medications that reduce stomach acid, and nutritional supplements containing vital nutrients that will support the healing process of the stomach lining.