Gastrointestinal Disorders

How do you support people with gastrointestinal disease at Collective Health Center?

As a lot of my patients already know and I have spoken openly about, I experienced digestive chaos from my childhood to early adulthood. Due to my own personal experiences, I love to be able to help out my patients in the same boat I was with their Gastrointestinal Disorders. While there are so many different disorders and ways to combat them, I primarily focus on the chronic conditions in my practice, this includes Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), intestinal permeability/leaky gut, and acid reflux. Let’s dive into some of the most common gastrointestinal disorders and how we can work together to create a plan that works for your individual body and lifestyle.

Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)

Everything from stress to low stomach acid to even food poisoning can be a cause for SIBO. All of our bodies have good bacteria that work to keep our bodies regulated and healthy. Occasionally, some of this bacteria will accumulate and abnormally overgrow in our small intestine causing issues for our whole body. Common symptoms I have seen for SIBO have been abdominal pain, bloating, constipation or diarrhea, poor appetite, a sense of uncomfortable fullness after eating, nausea, unintentional weight loss, and malnutrition. Though it seems obvious, most people do not know that SIBO is directly correlated with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and is usually involved with more than half diagnosis of the disorder.

Intestinal Permeability/Leaky Gut

When we consume certain foods that don’t agree with our bodies, our intestines actually lose their integrity, allowing for bad bacteria and other materials to pass into other parts of our bodies. What we call a “leaky gut”, medically termed as intestinal permeability, is what happens when the linings of our intestinal wall are compromised and cannot uphold its function as a barrier for the rest of our organs. Common symptoms of intestinal permeability/ leaky gut are chronic diarrhea, constipation or both, bloating, fatigue, brain fog, headaches, joint pains, nutritional deficiencies, and skin diseases such as acne, rashes, or eczema.

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

When it comes to Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), the most common phrase or diagnosis that people may call it is simply acid reflux. The symptoms of GERD/ acid reflux are essentially the heartburn sensation you may feel after eating which can feel worse at night time. But what exactly is going on in your body to cause you to feel these symptoms? Eating certain foods with high acidity or that your body doesn’t combat well with can cause stomach acid to increase and flow back into your esophagus – the tube that connects your mouth and stomach. That is why we feel chest pain, regurgitation, and sometimes even a sensation of a lump in our throats. For some people, their acid reflux kicks in during the nighttime. This can cause more health issues down the road such as chronic coughs, laryngitis, new or worsening asthma, or disrupted sleep. Similarly, there is also Non-Acid Reflux Disease which is essentially the same except the stomach contents that travel back up the esophagus contains pepsin instead of acid.

Food Sensitivities and Intolerances

As I discussed in more detail on my Food Sensitivities and Intolerances page certain foods simply do not sit well with our bodies. Whether we are sensitive or intolerant to them, they can cause some severe damage and pain to our gastrointestinal functions. Simply knowing what foods we can handle and not is a major first step to helping fight off any disorders that we may come across.

Celiac Disease

Celiac Disease is a result of our bodies having an immune reaction to eating gluten – a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. Affecting our small intestine, those with this sensitivity who continue to consume it can, in time, damage the intestine’s lining and prevent it from absorbing the nutrients it needs to keep functioning. While Celiac Disease is predominantly a gastrointestinal disorder, not all people know that it does not always manifest in the gut! I have had patients whose predominant symptom of Celiac was mood related such as depression and anxiety! Everybody is different and that is why a holistic, individual approach is always best to make sure you’re getting a plan that is based around your body!

Gastritis

Gastritis is a common disorder that causes gnawing or burning aches or pains in your upper abdomen that may become worse or better with eating. As with all disorders, each person experiences gastritis differently. For some, it may be the feeling of fullness in their upper abdomen after eating and some may feel all those same symptoms until they eat and are relieved of the pain.

Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI)

The last of the most common types of gastrointestinal diseases is Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI). This is when there is a deficiency of exocrine pancreatic enzymes in our stomachs that result in our inability to digest food properly. Common symptoms of this can be weight loss and diarrhea.

When it comes to helping my patients with gastrointestinal disorders, nutrition is essential. That may seem like a no-brainer, but sometimes it is hard to really know what our body needs and how it is reacting to what we are giving it, or not giving it. Lack of dietary diversity is just as much related to gut health issues as putting in specific foods that are unhealthy for us into our bodies. As someone who has had to learn the hard way from experience with gastrointestinal disorders, I am so glad to be able to pass my knowledge and expertise on to my patients. Holism and persistence are my approach to each patient with these issues. I consider multiple layers of impact on digestive health such as clinical history, movement/exercise, emotional well-being, food sensitivities and intolerances, AND I have a diverse array of natural medicines at my disposal to help you along the way! By digging deep and approaching health from multiple angles to consider each patient as a whole being, I am often able to help my patients shift things in the right direction and get them eating, and digesting, healthier than before!