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 your body, your microbiome deserves care and attention. It pays to know how to improve your gut microbiome if you want to keep your digestive tract healthy. Eat ... [Read More]
Austin Gastroenterology
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 – it is usually easily treated by chewing antacid tablets and/or taking an over-the counter heartburn medicine. These can include Prilosec, Pepcid, Prevacid, Zantac, Mylanta, or Pepto-Bismol. If ... [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 main types of hepatitis B: acute and chronic. If you have acute hepatitis B, you should be able to recover from the disease within about six months; however, it can become chronic. ... [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 Ulcer A lot of people who have peptic ulcers are asymptomatic – which means they experience no symptoms. The most common symptom of a peptic ulcer is a dull pain in one particular part of ... [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 small intestine. This can lead to malabsorption of important nutrients, fatigue, bloating, anemia, and diarrhea. The malabsorption of nutrients can cause malnutrition, ... [Read More]
