A healthy gut is essential for overall health and well-being, establishing proper digestion, metabolism and immunity. Meanwhile, poor gut health has been linked to a range of health conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, allergies and mental health disorders. But understanding how to maintain a healthy gut can set patients’ digestive health on the right track.
Gut health refers to the well-being of the digestive system, which is responsible for breaking down food, absorbing nutrients and eliminating waste from the body. It is home to trillions of microorganisms—including bacteria, viruses and fungi—that are collectively known as the gut microbiome.
The doctor says to keep an eye out for symptoms
“When someone presents to the gastroenterologist, the symptoms that are going to make us raise the antennas to look at the microbiome are people who often have irritable bowel syndrome symptoms,” says the Doctor. “They may have bloating, diarrhoea and abdominal pain. Those are the triad of symptoms that will make us at least consider if there is something going on with the microbiome in that individual.”
“So, diarrhoea is without blood and there’s not a fever or associated weight loss with that,” the doctor said. “Because if there are bloody stools, then you have to think about what else can be going on with an individual.
The doctor advises to get tested if symptoms persist
“From a symptom standpoint, if somebody says they have no abdominal pain, no nausea or vomiting, have had one brown, formed bowel movement a day and feel great, then obviously we don’t look for any biome issues,” says the doctor. “But if they present with unexplained abdominal bloating or gas, diarrhoea and abdominal pain, that is a red flag to me as a gastroenterologist.
“It depends on their age, other symptoms and family history, but I’m going to think this may be the gut microbiome, but for goodness’ sake I’ve got to make sure you don’t have colon cancer or diverticulitis or colon polyps,” the doctor added. That is when “we will investigate by doing a colonoscopy or even an upper endoscopy, depending on the patient’s symptoms. Then there are stool studies as well.”
For example, “one of the stool studies that we often do is something called a fecal calprotectin and that is a surrogate marker for inflammation in the gut. So, somebody with diarrhoea that is not bloody, and the fecal calprotectin is elevated, it’s not a slam dunk, but if the fecal calprotectin is elevated, then that makes us worry about an inflammatory condition within the colon.”
Pay attention to bowel pattern change
“Normal bowel behaviour is to have a bowel movement anywhere from once every three days to three times a day. On that bell shaped curve is once a day, but the variation between three times a day and once every three days is pretty large.”
“So, if a patient says they have always had two bowel movements a day for all of their adult life, and now they are having one bowel movement every two days, then—even though those are both considered normal in terms of frequency—that is a change in bowel pattern,.”
The doctor urges about being mindful of taking antibiotics
“Everybody does have a signature microbiome, but it’s billions and billions of microorganisms that live in the gut and it starts from birth. There is variation, but when the microbiome goes sideways—if you will—is when you start having some digestive issues.”
“The classic microbiome shift—in terms of disease—is clostridium difficile, or C. diff. It’s most associated with antibiotic use. What that does is that causes a shift in the microbiome, which is called dysbiosis—a change in the composition or the diversity of the microbiome.
“With antibiotics, how they kill certain bacteria can cause dysbiosis, which is what allows organisms like clostridium difficile to propagate and become symptomatic in terms of an infection that produces a toxin that can be a life-threatening disease,” the doctor added, noting “that’s becoming harder and harder to treat.”
So, it's necessary to make note of all these aspects when getting treated or when consulting the doctor. It's always better to eat healthy and stay active, rather than running towards a cure.
A gastroenterologist helps restore digestive health and well-being. If you're dealing with bloating, discomfort, or irregular digestion, early care can make a big difference. Schedule your appointment today at www.kasperclinic.com or call 7411722580.
