Quit Your Belly Achin': 5 Things You Need to Know About Digestive Disorders

Maybe you’re in love. Perhaps it was something you ate. Or maybe you’re experiencing hunger pangs. Your stomach and other digestive organs experience a wide range of feelings—and not all of them are pleasant. But when should you worry? Here are five things you need to know about digestive disorders:

1. Symptoms

“The symptoms experienced depend on the type of disorder, but the most common symptom is abdominal discomfort, including pain,” says C. Richard Boland, M.D., chief of gastroenterology on the medical staff at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas. Other common symptoms include nausea, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn or blood in the stools. All persistent symptoms should be reported to your doctor.

2. Diagnosis

Digestive disorders can be difficult to diagnose as most aren’t detectable by blood or imaging tests. “Some digestive disorders, like irritable bowel syndrome [IBS] for example, are diagnosed by exclusion,” Dr. Boland says. In other words, IBS is diagnosed when all other disorders have been ruled out.

3. Talking to Your Doctor

Because diagnosis of digestive disorders often relies on symptoms and patient history, it’s important to be open with your physician. Keeping a journal of eating habits and symptoms can help him or her determine whether you have IBS, gastroesophageal reflux disease, ulcers, lactose intolerance, celiac disease or another disorder. “It might be hard to know exactly what it is you’re eating,” Dr. Boland says. “So keeping a diary can be helpful. And also note if you smoke or drink.”

4. Lifestyle Changes

Once you have an idea what foods and behaviors might be causing your symptoms, you can reduce them by modifying your eating habits. For instance, if you get indigestion after eating pizza late at night, consider enjoying a less-greasy dinner earlier in the evening. Or, if you only get bellyaches after eating cereal with milk, you may be lactose intolerant and might need to take an over-the-counter pill when eating dairy products.

5. Treatment

Of course, not all digestive disorders can be remedied by watching what you eat and when. “In fact, while food is the first thing we think of with digestive disorders, not all of them relate to food,” Dr. Boland says. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t treatable. A wide variety of prescription medications, natural remedies, stress reducers and in some cases surgery are available to alleviate symptoms.

For more information about Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, visit www.BaylorHealth.com or call 1-800-4BAYLOR.

Source: Baylor Health Care System