Many conditions might affect your digestion, resulting in chronic stomach pain, abdominal distention, diarrhea, or bloating. In most cases, if you begin experiencing any of the above concerns, it suggests a problem in some part of your digestive system. Therefore, if the symptoms persist, you are advised to seek medical help for prompt diagnosis and treatment. Suppose you have been diagnosed with a problem affecting your digestive tract. In that case, Lone Star Gastroenterology diagnosis and treatment help your care provider offer the best services available to provide symptomatic relief. Below are a few conditions that might require you to see a gastrologist.
Lactose intolerance
People suffering from lactose intolerance experience uncomfortable symptoms after consuming dairy products such as milk. Generally, lactose is a type of sugar usually present in milk. Your body also produces lactase, breaking down milk products such as yogurt and cheese. However, people diagnosed with lactose intolerance cannot produce enough lactase to digest these milk products completely, thus causing belly pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea, or stomach upset. These symptoms usually start an hour or two after consuming dairy products. In this case, a gastroenterologist tests for lactose intolerance and offers the best treatment, including dietary supplements.
Gallstones
Gallstones are hard nuggets that usually form in your gallbladder and may exist as one large stone or many stones of different sizes. In most cases, if you begin experiencing sudden pain in the right quadrant of your stomach, you might have gallstones. Usually, gallstones form due to imbalances in the components that form the bile. Once you have passed the gallstone, the pain in your abdomen usually disappears.
Heartburn
Heartburn presents as burning or pain in your throat or chest. It is a condition that occurs when acid from your stomach gets into your esophagus. In most cases, heartburns usually come and go on their own or after taking over-the-counter medications. However, if you experience heartburn symptoms more than two times a week, it could be a sign of GERD. If you have GERD, your care provider may prescribe some medications, but severe cases may require surgery. However, if GERD is left untreated, it might result in serious conditions such as chronic inflammation in your esophagus and breathing concerns.
Inflammatory bowel disease
Inflammatory bowel disease is a condition that occurs when your immune system sees food as germs and starts attacking healthy tissues. For this reason, if you have inflammatory bowel disease, your large and small intestines become swollen and irritated, resulting in diarrhea, belly pain, rectal bleeding, and other related symptoms like joint pain, fatigue, and fever.
Celiac disease
It is a genetic condition that affects your immune system, and people with this disorder are contraindicated from consuming gluten. When people with this disorder consume gluten, their immune system starts attacking their small intestine causing diarrhea and pain.
Gastroenterologists can also conduct colon cancer screening even if you are not presenting with cancer symptoms. Therefore, if you are experiencing any gastrointestinal problems and seeking treatment, you can schedule your appointment at LONE STAR GASTROENTEROLOGY today for the appropriate diagnosis and treatment of your condition. The gastroenterologists ensure that the cause of your symptoms is known and dealt with to provide symptomatic relief and recovery.