255 – What is IBS?
IBS is the most common of the functional disorders of the digestive tract. It is characterized by chronic abdominal pain and irregular bowel movements. #255
515 – Functional Dyspepsia and IBS: Incidence and Characteristics
Symptom overlap is common among several functional GI disorders. For instance, care must be taken not to confuse functional dyspepsia with other common disorders that may cause upper gastrointestinal distress, like heartburn, IBS, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), functional abdominal bloating, and functional biliary disorders. This article compares two common functional GI disorders – functional dyspepsia and IBS.
226 – Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Heartburn, Dyspepsia: What’s the Difference?
The anatomical diseases Crohn’s, peptic ulcer, and esophagitis have functional counterparts with some similar symptoms; irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), dyspepsia, and functional heartburn, but these cannot be identified by x-ray or gastroscopy. Thus, for the diagnosis of these functional disorders doctors must rely entirely upon the patient’s description of his or her symptoms.
234- A Noisy Tummy: What Does it Mean?
While seldom of medical importance, for some people a rumbling, growling stomach can be a source of profound embarrassment. Picturesquely dubbed “borborygmi,” bowel sounds seem loudest to the owner, who is sometimes mistakenly convinced they are obvious to all. This article explains the causes of bowel sounds, discusses when the sounds become a cause for medical concern, and offers some tips that may help reduce bowel noises.
262-Understanding Bloating and Distension
Bloating can be described as the feeling that there is an inflated balloon in the abdomen. It is a commonly reported symptom and is sometimes associated with distension, or the visible increase in the width of the area between your hips and chest (abdominal girth). Both bloating and distension cause discomfort, and sometimes pain, and have a negative impact on the quality of life for some individuals.
524 – Confusing or Ambiguous Upper Gut Symptoms
By choosing the appropriate test, a doctor can make a precise diagnosis of a structural upper gut disorder, such as esophagitis or peptic ulcer, by recognizing the diseased area through testing. The patient’s history provides the information that permits the doctor to choose the right test. In the case of the disorders of gastrointestinal function, such as dyspepsia or non-cardiac chest pain, there is no structural abnormality and no diagnostic test. Hence diagnosis of these disorders depends even more upon how the patient describes his or her symptoms. But many people use words to describe symptoms that are vague or misliading to a doctor. Examples are explained – such as indigestion, gas, nausea, chest pain, or vomiting.
105 – Functional Diarrhea – Some Answers to Often Asked Questions
Overview of functional diarrhea, including answers to the following questions: What is diarrhea? What are functional bowel disorders? Is functional diarrhea the same as irritable bowel syndrome? What is the cause of functional diarrhea? What treatments are available for functional diarrhea? Revised and updated 2009.
116 – Doctor – Patient Communication
Functional GI disorders present a special challenge to the doctor-patient interaction for several reasons. First, functional GI disorders are characterized, in most cases, by vague symptoms of variable intensity. Many times, these symptoms involve the most intimate anatomic areas of the body. The sensitivity of these issues can complicate the task for the patient who needs to express them in terms that the physician can interpret to formulate a diagnosis. Secondly, the physician is hampered by the absence of obvious structural lesions that often lessens the likelihood of devising a specific medical intervention that is successful. In some cases, the physician’s own anxiety can be increased by the lack of a symptom complex that leads to well-understood disease entity, such as parasites or lactose intolerance. This deficiency, in turn, often leads both physician and patient to over-investigate the symptoms. So what are the ingredients that comprise successful doctor-patient communication about the functional GI disorders?
221- The Medical History: How to Help Your Doctor Help You
The most important interaction between patient and doctor is the medical history. Through listening to the story of the patient’s illness and asking relevant questions, a physician may often make a diagnosis, or at least begin to understand the nature and location of the complaint. A few easy steps can help make this process more efficient leading to prompt, more precise diagnosis and treatment. Revised January 2012.
179- Difficult to Interpret Intestinal Symptoms
Disorders of gastrointestinal function such as the irritable bowel syndrome or functional constipation, diarrhea, or bloating are characterized by no structural abnormality. In these cases, diagnosis depends entirely upon the history, and diagnostic tests, if needed at all, are done to rule out inflammations, tumors and other anatomic gut disease. Accurate diagnosis depends upon how accurately the individual describes his or her symptoms, and how skillfully the doctor interprets them. Reviewed and updated 2009.
231 – Can Intense Exercise Lead to GI Symptoms?
Can exercise be linked to GI symptoms such as diarrhea or heartburn? This article will help you understand how exercise and associated factors can influence the GI tract.
206 -Health Reporting in the Media: What to Believe?
Most people learn of medical progress through the media. Yet this news is often unhelpful. Exaggerated cures, contradictions, and plainly misleading information can do harm. The problem is not science, but how journalists report it, and how the public interprets it. This essay aims to help readers make sense of health news. Reviewed 2009.
