Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
MORE Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder in Americans. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, one in every five men and women has IBS (which is not the same as inflammatory bowel disease). Women are twice as likely as men to have the disorder. Half of all cases are diagnosed before age thirty-five. Despite its high prevalence in the population, much remains unknown about IBS. This is due in part to the fact that the area affected, the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, is so dynamic. The GI tract comprises the stomach, small intestine and colon (a.k.a. large intestine). It is influenced by the immune and nervous systems, and contains hundreds of different types of bacteria that aid digestion. Patients with IBS have a constellation of symptoms, including abdominal pain and changes in bowel habits – either constipation or diarrhea, said Dr. David Hudesman, a gastroenterologist and professor of medicine at NYU's Langone Medical Center in New York City. "The cause is unclear, but it's a functional disorder," meaning it impairs intestinal function even though the body appears normal in tests, he said. There are four subtypes of IBS, according to a 2016 article by Y.A. McKenzie, et al., published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics: IBS-D is diarrhea-predominant IBS-C is constipation-predominant IBS-M is both diarrhea and constipation IBS-U is unspecified,. Symptoms & causes Normally, food moves through the digestive system by muscle contractions in the intestines. In people with IBS, the contractions are no longer coordinated — they may last for too long or not long enough, according to the Mayo Clinic. Either extreme affects bowel movements and can result in uncomfortable and painful symptoms. The predomi Continue reading >>
Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 In Adults
What is it? Diabetes (di-uh-BE-tez) is also called diabetes mellitus (MEL-i-tus). There are three main types of diabetes. You have type 2 diabetes. It may be called non-insulin dependent or adult onset diabetes. With type 2 diabetes, your body has trouble using insulin. Your body may also not make enough insulin. If there is not enough insulin or if it is not working right, sugar will build up in your blood. Type 2 diabetes is more common in overweight people who are older than 40 years and are not active. Type 2 diabetes is also being found more often in children who are overweight. There is no cure for diabetes but you can have a long and active life if your diabetes is controlled. How did I get type 2 diabetes? Insulin (IN-sul-in) is a hormone (a special body chemical) made by your pancreas (PAN-kree-us). The pancreas is an organ that lies behind the stomach. Much of the food you eat is turned into sugar in your stomach. This sugar goes into your blood and travels to the cells of your body to be used for energy. Insulin acts as a "key" to help sugar enter the cells. If there is not enough insulin or if it is not working right, sugar will build up in your blood. With type 2 diabetes, you may have better control of your diabetes with the right diet and exercise. You may also need to take oral medicine (pills) to help your body make more insulin or to use insulin better. You may also need insulin shots. No one knows for sure what causes type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes runs in families. You are more likely to get it if someone else in your family has type 2 diabetes. You are also more likely to get type 2 diabetes if you are overweight. Being overweight makes it harder for your body to use the insulin it makes. This is called insulin resistance. In insulin resistance, y Continue reading >>
What Is Malabsorption?
Malabsorption is a term for any condition in which one or more essential nutrients or minerals are not properly digested or absorbed by the intestines. Lipids (fats) are the most commonly malabsorbed nutrients, but proteins, carbohydrates, electrolytes (such as sodium and potassium), vitamins and minerals (such as iron and calcium) may be poorly absorbed as well. A multitude of different disorders can result in malabsorption; outlook depends upon the success in treating the underlying cause. Symptoms may range from bouts of gas, diarrhea and stomach cramps that occur only when certain foods are consumed and maldigested to emaciation and other signs of severe malnutrition. Any defect in the functioning of the digestive system (for example, an inadequate production of bile salts by the liver, or digestive enzymes by the pancreas, or cells lining the intestine, or damage to the intestinal absorptive cells) can prevent the proper breakdown of foods and the absorption of adequate amounts of nutrients. A major cause of malabsorption is chronic pancreatitis (often related to alcohol abuse), which may lead to decreased secretion of pancreatic enzymes that digest foodespecially fats and protein. Inflammation or other abnormalities (Crohns Disease and Amyloidosis) in the mucous membrane that lines the intestine may prevent nutrients from being absorbed through the intestinal wall. Surgery to remove diseased segments of the intestine may result in an inadequate amount of absorptive surface. This is called short bowel syndrome. Infections (including acute infectious enteritis) and tapeworm or other parasites may inhibit proper digestion. Some infections may result in an overgrowth of intestinal bacteria, which may also lead to malabsorption. Those with AIDS are particularly prone Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes And Gastroparesis
Gastroparesis, also called delayed gastric emptying, is a disorder of the digestive tract that causes food to remain in the stomach for a period of time that is longer than average. This occurs because the nerves that move food through the digestive tract are damaged, so muscles don’t work properly. As a result, food sits in the stomach undigested. The most common cause of gastroparesis is diabetes. It can develop and progress over time, especially in those with uncontrolled blood sugar levels. The following are symptoms of gastroparesis: heartburn nausea vomiting of undigested food early fullness after a small meal weight loss bloating loss of appetite blood glucose levels that are hard to stabilize stomach spasms acid reflux Gastroparesis symptoms may be minor or severe, depending on the damage to the vagus nerve, a long cranial nerve that extends from the brain stem to the abdominal organs, including those of the digestive tract. Symptoms can flare up any time, but are more common after the consumption of high-fiber or high-fat foods, all of which are slow to digest. Women with diabetes have a high risk for developing gastroparesis. Other conditions can compound your risk of developing the disorder, including previous abdominal surgeries or a history of eating disorders. Diseases and conditions other than diabetes can cause gastroparesis, such as: viral infections acid reflux disease smooth muscle disorders Other illnesses can cause gastroparesis symptoms, including: Parkinson’s disease chronic pancreatitis cystic fibrosis kidney disease Turner’s syndrome Sometimes no known cause can be found, even after extensive testing. People who have gastroparesis have damage to their vagus nerve. This impairs nerve function and digestion because the impulses needed to chu Continue reading >>
Gastroparesis: Causes And Effects
A number of times throughout this book, you’ve come across the terms “delayed stomach-emptying” and “gastroparesis.” As I explained in Chapter 2, elevated blood sugars for prolonged periods can impair the ability of nerves to function properly. It’s very common that the nerves that stimulate the muscular activity, enzyme secretion, and acid production essential to digestion function poorly in long-standing diabetes. These changes affect the stomach, the gut, or both. Dr. Richard McCullum, a noted authority on digestion, has said that if a diabetic has any other form of neuropathy (dry feet, reduced feeling in the toes, diminished reflexes, et cetera), he or she will also experience delayed or erratic digestion. Slowed digestion can be fraught with unpleasant symptoms (rarely), or it may only be detectable when we review blood sugar profiles (commonly) or perform certain diagnostic tests. The picture is different for each of us. For more than twenty-five years, I suffered from many unpleasant symptoms myself. I eventually saw them taper off and vanish after thirteen years of essentially normal blood sugars. Some of the physical complaints possible (usually after meals) include burning along the midline of the chest (“heartburn”), belching, feeling full after a small meal (early satiety), bloating, nausea, vomiting, constipation, constipation alternating with diarrhea, cramps a few inches above the belly button, and an acid taste in the mouth. GASTROPARESIS: CAUSES AND EFFECTS Most of these symptoms, as well as effects upon blood sugar, relate to delayed stomach-emptying. This condition is called gastroparesis diabeticorum, which translates from the Latin as “weak stomach of diabetics.” It is believed that the major cause of this condition is neuropath Continue reading >>
Berberine Treats Diabetes & Digestive Problems - Dr. Axe
Current: Berberine: The Plant Alkaloid that Helps Treat Diabetes & Digestive Problems Berberine: The Plant Alkaloid that Helps Treat Diabetes & Digestive Problems Dr. Axe on Facebook1062 Dr. Axe on Twitter32 Dr. Axe on Instagram Dr. Axe on Google Plus Dr. Axe on Youtube Dr. Axe on Pintrest939 Share on Email Print Article Ethan BoldtSeptember 30, 2015February 6, 2018 Berberine comes to us from China and India, where it was first used in traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic medicine . It’s a natural alkaloid found in a wide variety of traditional herbs, including goldenseal, barberry, goldthread, Oregon grape, tree turmeric and phellodendron. Within these plants, the berberine alkaloid can be found in the stem, bark, roots and rhizomes (rootlike subterranean stems) of the plants. Berberine extracts and supplements, such as berberine HCL, are generally inexpensive, safe and well-known for their broad antibacterial activities — and can help naturally treat conditions without always resorting to antibiotics. For example, berberine has been proven to have many pharmacological effects, including antimicrobial, antitumor, anti-inflammatory and blood glucose–lowering effects. ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ) Berberine is an alkaloid, which is defined as a class of organic compounds of plant origin containing mostly basic nitrogen atoms that have pronounced physiological actions on humans. There is a robust amount of research on this alkaloid that has been conducted to date with repeated double-blind clinical trials. Findings of these studies have shown definitive or likely benefits for a very wide range of serious health ailments, including: Why is this? It’s due to the molecule structures berberine possesses. Its molecular formula is C20H18NO4, and like other protoberberine a Continue reading >>
My Life With Gastroparesis
If you have had diabetes for many years and experience unexplained bouts of severe vomiting and diarrhea from time to time, you may have a moderate form of diabetic gastroparesis. I suffered from these puzzling and completely debilitating episodes for more than six years before I was diagnosed with diabetic gastroparesis. The advice I finally received from a digestive system specialist at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore was a true godsend for me and my family. I have been free from symptoms for over five years now. If you, a loved one, or a patient of yours suffers similar symptoms, I hope the advice I pass along here will help. It has changed my life significantly. My First Episode I first began experiencing bouts of severe vomiting and diarrhea in 1994 around two decades after my diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. During my first episode, I thought I had stomach flu, although the symptoms began quite suddenly, and I did not have the tell-tale fever and body aches. It began with a full feeling in my stomach and the onset of frequent burps, the worst-tasting and -smelling burps I had ever experienced. Over several hours the burps went unabated and became more frequent. Nausea grew and vomiting commenced—the worst vomiting of my life. I was hesitant to leave the bathroom because even after vomiting, the nausea never left. I was vomiting several times an hour. Then my intestines began to rumble in a most extraordinary fashion, followed by, you guessed it, the worst diarrhea I had ever experienced. The combination of vomiting and severe diarrhea, often occurring simultaneously, went on for six or eight hours or more before I started to feel some relief. My First Hospitalization During this first episode, I was admitted to the hospital through the emergency room Continue reading >>
Treatment Of Gastrointestinal Autonomic Neuropathy
Abdominal pain Autonomic neuropathy Constipation Diarrhoea Gastric electrical stimulation Gastroparesis Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are common in the general population. For example, 10–20% of adults suffer from functional GI disorders [1]. In one of the more meticulously performed epidemiological studies on patients with diabetes mellitus type 1 and type 2, Bytzer et al found that symptoms from all parts of the GI tract were even more common in diabetes, and that GI symptoms of moderate to severe intensity were associated with poorer glycaemic control [2]. All parts of the GI tract might be affected by a GI autonomic neuropathy, but those most commonly encountered are related to stomach and bowel dysfunction. If an autonomic GI neuropathy is suspected, GI function tests are performed, and studies have suggested that the results of these need to be interpreted with some caution in terms of assessing any potential association between the observed dysfunction and the specific GI symptoms. For example, in one US survey there were no distinct symptom features that would differentiate between a patient with chronic nausea and vomiting with gastroparesis and one with normal gastric emptying [3]. In all the examples of GI autonomic neuropathy below, the mainstay of basic treatment is, as always, the achievement/maintenance of good glycaemic control. Gastroparesis Dietary treatment represents the fundamental basis of treatment for diabetic gastroparesis, regardless of other therapeutic efforts. The general recommendations are for small, more frequent meals; excess fat and dietary fibre should be avoided and the particle size should be small [4]. The support of a dietitian increases the chances that the diet will have a nutrient intake that reaches the daily energy requirem Continue reading >>
- Role of the Gastrointestinal Tract Microbiome in the Pathophysiology of Diabetes Mellitus
- Relative effectiveness of insulin pump treatment over multiple daily injections and structured education during flexible intensive insulin treatment for type 1 diabetes: cluster randomised trial (REPOSE)
- Reversing Painful Diabetic Neuropathy
Gastroparesis
General Discussion Gastroparesis (abbreviated as GP) represents a clinical syndrome characterized by sluggish emptying of solid food (and more rarely, liquid nutrients) from the stomach, which causes persistent digestive symptoms especially nausea and primarily affects young to middle-aged women, but is also known to affect younger children and males. Diagnosis is made based upon a radiographic gastric emptying test. Diabetics and those acquiring gastroparesis for unknown (or, idiopathic) causes represent the two largest groups of gastroparetic patients; however, numerous etiologies (both rare and common) can lead to a gastroparesis syndrome. Gastroparesis is also known as delayed gastric emptying and is an old term that does not adequately describe all the motor impairments that may occur within the gastroparetic stomach. Furthermore, there is no expert agreement on the use of the term, gastroparesis. Some specialists will reserve the term, gastroparesis, for grossly impaired emptying of the stomach while retaining the label of delayed gastric emptying, or functional dyspepsia (non-ulcer dyspepsia), for less pronounced evidence of impaired emptying. These terms are all very subjective. There is no scientific basis by which to separate functional dyspepsia from classical gastroparesis except by symptom intensity. In both conditions, there is significant overlap in treatment, symptomatology and underlying physiological disturbances of stomach function. For the most part, the finding of delayed emptying (gastric stasis) provides a "marker" for a gastric motility problem. Regardless, the symptoms generated by the stomach dysmotility greatly impair quality of life for the vast majority of patients and disable about 1 in 10 patients with the condition. While delayed emptying Continue reading >>
What's The Connection Between Diabetes And Diarrhea?
No one wants to talk about diarrhea. More so, no one wants to experience it. Unfortunately, diarrhea is often the body's natural way of expelling waste in liquid form when a bacterial or viral infection, or parasite is present. However, there are other things that can cause diarrhea for everyone, and some things that can cause diarrhea specifically in those with diabetes. Diabetes and diarrhea There are various things that can cause diarrhea. These include: Large amounts of sugar alcohols, such as sorbitol, that are often used in sugar-free products Some medications, such as metformin, a common medication used to treat diabetes In some cases, such as with illness or the use of sugar alcohols, diarrhea does not last for long. It tends to stop once the illness is over or the person stops using sugar alcohols. With metformin, the symptoms can go away with time. Some people in whom the diarrhea does not resolve may need to stop taking the medication, however. Bowel diseases may cause lasting problems for people with these conditions. Diarrhea and other symptoms can be managed or controlled with lifestyle changes such as stress reduction, and medications as needed. People with type 1 diabetes are at higher risk of celiac disease, and should check for this if long-term diarrhea is a problem for them. A long-term complication associated with diabetes that can lead to long-term diarrhea (and constipation) is called autonomic neuropathy. Autonomic neuropathy occurs when there is damage to the nerves that control how the body works. Autonomic neuropathy can affect the nerves that control all automatic bodily functions such as heart rate, sweating, and bowel function. Since diabetes is the most common cause of autonomic neuropathy, people with long-term diabetes complications stru Continue reading >>
Bloating, Constipation And Diabetes: How I Fixed My Stomach Problems
Bloating, Constipation and Diabetes: How I Fixed My Stomach Problems Do you ever feel like the food you eat is working against you? Ive been suffering from severe bloating and constipation for years. It got so bad it was significantly impacting my health and happiness. Ive seen an amazing amount of doctors and gastroenterologists. Ive been put through a lot of tests and prescribed all sorts of medication without any of it truly helping. It wasnt until recently I finally found the root cause of my problems and my symptoms (mostly) disappeared. I tell you: its a brand new, happier, and more comfortable world for me! After all the specialists I have seen, it ended up being my hubby who found the right diagnosis though Google searching my symptoms. Usually, I REALLY dont recommend this approach, but the medical system had quite frankly failed me this time. It turns out I have a FODMAP intolerance. By doing a 6-week elimination of specific foods and a 4-week reintroduction, Ive been able to identify the foods my body disagrees with and eliminate or reduce them in my diet. Now almost all of my digestive issues have been resolved (!). FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, And Polyols. In simpler terms, FODMAPs are carbohydrates (sugars) found in some foods. The issue for people intolerant to FODMAPs is that these sugars can be poorly absorbed in the small intestine and start fermenting with bacteria creating gas (here comes the bloat). They can also give other symptoms like constipation or diarrhea. The tricky part is that not all sugars are FODMAP and its really not intuitive which ones are. I ended up buying an app from MONASH University so I can look up foods on the go. Also, you can have an intolerance to some but not all FODMAP f Continue reading >>
An Unintended Consequence Of Diet Soda: Disrupting Friendly Bacteria And Raising Blood Sugar
Diet drinks may have zero calories but those artificial sweeteners are not necessarily sliding through your digestive system unnoticed. According to new research, sugar substitutes can change the guest list at that bacterial party in your intestines known as your microbiota. The researchers who made the finding say that in mice, at least, this disturbance in the internal ecosystem actually raised blood sugar, thus defeating the purpose of these products by increasing risk for type 2 diabetes and obesity. The findings, released today in the Journal Nature, add to a growing understanding that our internal communities of symbiotic bacteria have a profound influence on metabolism and immunity. “It’s a neglected organ,” said the lead researcher on the paper, Eran Elinav, an immunologist with the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. He said he thinks of the human microbiota as a complex ecosystem with thousands of species and sub-species. While bacterial cells are small, they far outnumber those cells we think of as ours. The new results may finally offer an explanation for previous observations and studies showing that people who used a lot of artificial sweeteners don’t always lose weight. But understanding cause and effect is complicated by the fact that being overweight or at risk of diabetes may cause people to choose artificial sweeteners, rather than the sweeteners causing people to gain weight and develop elevated blood sugar. This new research included a handful of experiments on mice and people. One striking observation, said Elinav, was that after 11 weeks, mice given artificial sweeteners in solution ended up the same weight as mice given a sugar solution, even though they consumed fewer calories, and the ones on the artificial stuff had higher blood s Continue reading >>
Gastroparesis
Gastroparesis is a disease of the muscles of the stomach or the nerves controlling the muscles that causes the muscles to stop working. Gastroparesis results in inadequate grinding of food by the stomach, and poor emptying of food from the stomach into the intestine. The primary symptoms of gastroparesis are nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Gastroparesis is best diagnosed by a test called agastric emptying study. Gastroparesis usually is treated with nutritional support, drugs for treating nausea and vomiting, drugs that stimulate the muscle to contract, and, less often, electrical pacing, and surgery. What is gastroparesis? Gastroparesis means weakness of the muscles of the stomach. Gastroparesis results in poor grinding of food in the stomach into small particles and slow emptying of food from the stomach into the small intestine. The stomach is a hollow organ composed primarily of muscle. Solid food that has been swallowed is stored in the stomach while it is ground into tiny pieces by the constant churning generated by rhythmic contractions of the stomach's muscles. Smaller particles are digested better in the small intestine than larger particles, and only food that has been ground into small particles is emptied from the stomach and well digested. Liquid food does not require grinding. The ground solid and liquid food is emptied from the stomach into the small intestine slowly in a metered fashion. The metering process allows the emptied food to be well-mixed with the digestive juices of the small intestine, pancreas, and liver (bile) and to be absorbed well from the intestine. The metering process by which solid and liquid foods are emptied from the stomach is a result of a combination of relaxation of the muscle in parts of the stomach designed to accommoda Continue reading >>
The Gut In Diabetes: Side Effects Of Stomach Problems
Many people have heard of celiac disease, gastroparesis and pancreatitis. But do you know about SBBO? It stands for “small bowel bacterial overgrowth,” and it’s characterized by a buildup of bacteria in the intestines. SBBO doesn’t usually show up on its own, but is present as a consequence of a series of other conditions, like gastroparesis, or side effects of diabetes such as gastric neuropathy. Bacterial overgrowth may be caused by a reduction in the level of acidity in the stomach and/or a loss of the wave-like contraction movements in the small bowel that propel food through the intestine. Risk Factors 1. Gastroparesis: Usually, the propulsive movement in the small intestine prevents bacteria from clinging to the intestinal walls. Gastroparesis causes the gut’s contents to stagnate, interfering with one of the gastrointestinal tract’s (GI) normal cleansing properties. 2. Using Anti-Acids: Use of anti-acids and proton pump inhibitors such as Prilosec and Nexium can reduce gastric acid secretion making it more likely that bacteria will survive the stomach environment and move into the small intestine. Symptoms Symptoms of SBBO can mimic those of other bowel disorders. Patients may experience early satiety, nausea, vomiting, secretory diarrhea, weight loss and epigastric pain. SBBO has the potential to cause significant nutrient deficiencies. In normal digestion, bile from the gall bladder mixes with dietary fat allowing the fat to be absorbed into the circulation. The overgrowth of bacteria disrupts this process, preventing the bile and fat from joining together. The unabsorbed fat causes steatorrhea (fatty diarrhea). When you don’t digest and absorb fat well, you run the risk of fat soluble vitamin deficiencies (A, D, and E) as well possibly developing Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Gastrointestinal Issues
Gastrointestinal disorders occur more often in those with diabetes. In fact, at some point in their life, those with diabetes will develop a GI problem such as ulcers, gallstones, IBS or another GI disorder. Upwards of 75% of diabetes patients report to their doctors experiencing GI symptoms. Overlooked or Misdiagnosed While many experience these symptoms the diagnosis is not always the same and oftentimes is misdiagnosed initially. The entire gastrointestinal tract can be damaged and affected by diabetes starting at the mouth to the esophagus all the way through to the anorectal area. Because of the complex nature of GI symptoms and the area of the gastrointestinal tract that they cover, this leads to issues in diagnosing and treating GI conditions in diabetes patients. I advise reading the following articles: Previously GI conditions were not associated with diabetes. This also lead to misdiagnosis, overlooked conditions or even improper treatments. New research has begun to suggest otherwise, which is leading to an increase in GI issues and conditions in diabetes patients. Blood Sugar Control and its Correlation to Gastrointestinal Conditions Acute and chronic periods of high blood sugar can lead to GI complications. And as with other diabetes complications, poor blood sugar control is usually associated with more severe GI issues. Those with retinopathy and neuropathy should be tested to check for GI conditions. Dysfunction in how the neurons supply the enteric nervous system in the body can lead to GI complications. Similar to how nerves in the feet lead to neuropathy, the body’s intestinal nerves can also lead to enteric neuropathy. This type of neuropathy is known as autonomic neuropathy which can lead to an abnormality in how the body secretes and absorbs nutr Continue reading >>
- Role of the Gastrointestinal Tract Microbiome in the Pathophysiology of Diabetes Mellitus
- Believe It Or Not, But This Treats Diabetes, Asthma, Cholesterol And Kidney Issues Used Together With Okra Water – Now You Will Be Able To Prepare It Yourself
- ADA Issues New Position Statement to Manage Diabetes and Hypertension
