Austin Gastro's Blog

Blog

Symptoms of Lactose Intolerance

Lactose is a natural sugar that is common in dairy products. Lactose intolerance is the inability to breakdown lactose. The condition is due to the body’s inability to create a sufficient amount of lactase, an enzyme that is supplied by the small intestine. Lactase’ job is to break down lactose. When the small intestine doesn’t

Read More

What Causes Hepatitis A?

There are several types of hepatitis viruses. All of them create inflammation and negatively affect liver function. Hepatitis A is very contagious and can be passed through food and water contamination. The virus also spreads from person to person when contact is made with someone who is infected. The Centers for Disease Control report that

Read More

How Can You Improve Your Microbiome?

The gut microbiome consists of a variety of bacteria that thrive within your intestines. Unlike the ones that give you sicknesses, these bacteria are beneficial to the health of your digestive system. However, the gut microbiome is vulnerable to damage when you eat unhealthily, which can lead to poor intestinal health. Like the rest of

Read More

What Can Heartburn Be a Sign Of?

Heartburn is a very unpleasant feeling that is characterized as a burning pain in your chest area. Severe heartburn can make you feel nauseous and want to vomit. The pain is usually worse after eating when lying down or in a bending position. Spicy foods, citrus products, tomato products, fried and fatty foods, and caffeinated

Read More

What Do The Different Types of Hepatitis Mean?

Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver caused by drugs, medications, excessive alcohol use, an autoimmune disorder, or a virus. Hepatitis may be acute or chronic and may spread from person to person, depending on the type of hepatitis you have. There are different types of hepatitis – let’s look at what they are. Hepatitis A

Read More

Help with Heartburn

If you have a pain in the chest that is a burning sensation, especially after eating a large or spicy meal, it is likely heartburn. For people who tend to have heartburn, eating and drinking can cause your body to react in uncomfortable ways. An occasional bout of heartburn is nothing to worry about –

Read More

What Causes Hepatitis B?

There are approximately 1.2 million people in the United States who have hepatitis B, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a division of the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS). This is a type of liver infection that is caused by the hepatitis B virus, or HBV. There are two

Read More

What is a Peptic Ulcer and How Do I Treat It?

A peptic ulcer is an open sore that develops on the inside lining of the stomach and the upper portion of the small intestine. Peptic ulcers also include gastric ulcers which form on the inside of the stomach and duodenal ulcers that develop in the upper portion of the small intestine. Symptoms of a Peptic

Read More

Managing Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is both a digestive disease and an immune disorder. When a person with celiac disease eats a food that contains gluten – which is a protein found in certain grains – the antibodies created by the condition attack when the gluten reaches your small intestine. This response eventually damages the lining of the

Read More