5 Tips To Finding Reliable Colon Health Information When You Need It

From understanding your symptoms, determining which doctor to see and getting a diagnosis, to finding out your treatment options and dealing with the aftermath, the demand for information dominates every step of your journey as a patient.

If you’re like most people, you turn to the Internet for answers to your health questions. But when you enter the term colon cancer into a Google search, you get over 30 million hits. It’s overwhelming!

How does the average person know what to read? How do you know what information is reliable? How do you know the content is up-to-date? How do you determine if the information you are reading pertains to your specific circumstances? Do you remain concerned that there is information out there that might help you and you cannot find?
Here are a few tips to help you in your search.
1.) Check to see if the original source is listed

In the age of fake news and alternative facts, it can be vital to know the original source of information. A warning sign that the information is not trustworthy is if the source is anonymous, or itself may not be a credible scientific/medical source.
2.) Verify the information is scientific and supported by facts

Once you know the source, you need to verify it is respected and reliable. Websites ending in .gov are US government websites and are considered reliable. Websites ending in .edu and associated with medical universities are also reliable sources for health information.

With .com websites, it is important to look for the About section to find out the credentials of the people who created the website. Search for the Mission statement and, if you input information on your health, be sure to read how the company uses your information. What privacy protections are in place? Is the website HIPAA compliant?

Posted by Erin Peterson

Colon Health Blog

Relay For Life Founder Diagnosed With Stomach Cancer

Dr. Gordy Klatt, founder of the American Cancer Society Relay For Life program, says he has been diagnosed with stomach cancer. In an email to Society staff, Klatt stated:

Throughout the years I have spoken and written about how cancer can personally affect everyone. It affects the rich, the poor, and all nationalities and cultures around the world. About 4 weeks ago I was diagnosed with stomach cancer and I have begun my battle with this disease using chemotherapy.”

Klatt is also scheduled to have surgery this summer. Despite his condition, he is tentatively planning to attend his local Relay on June 8 in Tacoma, Washington.

Relay For Life started in the mid-1980s in Tacoma, Washington when Klatt, a colorectal surgeon, wanted to enhance the income of his local American Cancer Society. He decided to personally raise money for the fight by doing something he enjoyed — running marathons.

In the spring of 1985, Klatt spent 24 hours going around a local track –more than 83 miles – and throughout the night, nearly 300 people paid money to run or walk at intervals with him. He raised $27,000, and the experience led to his vision of 24-hour relay teams that raise money for cancer research.

Read More-->> by Sabriya Rice

Gastroenterology Blog

POTS Symptoms – Aching Neck and Shoulders

What it feels like

For me this is one of the most prominent symptoms and it has become worse over the last couple of years. It feels like my shoulders and neck pulls themselves together on their own until they are a big ball of pain. It makes it very hard to relax or find rest while lying down. The pain is like a constant tightening, so it feels like the whole area is going to implode. Moving my head also hurts.

The pain is dominant 90% of the time and is only relieved temporarily by doing yoga. Because an intense tension in the neck always manifests itself as a forerunner seconds or minutes before an “attack”, I feel that there is a strong connection between the two phenomenons. ( An “attack” is where multiple symptoms like brain fog, tremors, and dizziness all flare up at once.) I, therefore, keep an eye out for the tension building up so I can get physically and mentally ready for the attacks before they hit.

Read Complete Blog Post at POTS & Pains

GASTROPARESIS – SYMPTOMS, CAUSES, RISKS, COMPLICATIONS, DIAGNOSIS & TREATMENT

The condition of Gastroparesis is related to the most important organs in the digestive system of human body: The stomach, which is a muscular sac about the size of melon and expands when we eat or drink, to hold the food or liquid as much of a gallon. Once the stomach crushes out the food then the spontaneous strong muscular contractions pushes the food toward the pyloric valve leading to the upper portion of the small intestine, called duodenum. When these spontaneous movements of muscles (motility) do not function properly or their muscular contractions become weak then it leads to a condition called Gastroparesis. In this condition, your stomach’s motility starts working poorly or not at all which prevents the stomach to empty properly thus, interfering the normal process of digestion. There is no known cure for Gastroparesis but dietary changes and certain medications can help manage the symptoms and offer relief from them.

Here’s what you need to know about the symptoms, causes, risk factors, complications, diagnosis and treatment for Gastroparesis.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF GASTROPARESIS?

By Paul Richard Posted April 12, 2017 In Gastroparesis

How I was diagnosed with Gastroparesis

There are few illnesses I suffer from but right now I'm going to talk about Gastroparesis (GP) and how I deal with it. You can pretty much google the word and BAM!!! a ray of stuff pops up. I will leave that part up to you to do...HINT: do some research and tell me what you find :-)

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, gastroparesis "also called delayed gastric emptying, is a disorder that slows or stops the movement of food from the stomach to the small intestine. Normally, the muscles of the stomach, which are controlled by the vagus nerve, contract to break up food and move it through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Gastroparesis can occur when the vagus nerve is damaged by illness or injury and the stomach muscles stop working normally. Food then moves slowly from the stomach to the small intestine or stops moving altogether. Most people diagnosed with gastroparesis have idiopathic gastroparesis, which means a health care provider cannot identify the cause, even with medical tests." In other words, my stomach is paralyzed and don't know why. Makes me wonder why they make wording so complicated and things so long sometimes.

About four years ago, I had collapsed from the abdominal pain I was having. I was having cramps but I was dealing with the pain as best as I can. I had told my doctors about it. I had upper and lower GI exam (if you know what I mean) done; but nothing was found. I started to drop weight but nothing as bad the last two years. But the cramps got worse and the doctors said nothing was wrong so I figured it had to be all in my head and began to brush it off. I would feel cramps and get an under fever and i'd just ignore it. Something is wrong with the thermometer. Over time it was getting worse when came that night I collapsed.


Posted by Smiley Bean Re-Blog By GI Endoscopy Practice

Forever A Liver

Lindsey Miller, the liver who shared her smile and thoughts with all of you, passed away on May 21, 2014.

She loved this blog and was touched by the kindness of her followers. She gave the world 124 posts and countless articles in other publications. The family appreciates the outpouring of love Lindsey got from this blog for the last 3 years and we will cherish that love forever.

Read More>>

Liver Doctor

GERD Friendly Meals

One of the most GERD-friendly meals I eat is grits, greens and beans or some other protein side -- not so much a "recipe" as another "composition" of foods. Quaker Old Fashioned grits provide some protein (4g) and nutrients (20% of your folic acid!) and being corn-based, are a lovely change from pasta, rice, and other grains. (Polenta, another corn-based dish, is similar to grits, but different.) For my GERD-prone gut, the mushy texture is welcome; as I noted in another post, my GERD tends to be calmer when I am eating soft foods like polenta, soups, and such. Grits are especially easy for me to digest and I never have reflux issues after eating them.


However, once again, how your body processes and responds to grits may be different from mine. I was surprised to find this Livestrong article about acidic foods and GERD listing "hominy grits" as a trigger food along with tomatoes, green beans, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and other acidic food suspects. (I rarely have issues with tomatoes or any of these foods. Hmmm.)


Meanwhile, the Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan, Iowa offers this "Bland Diet GERD" one-sheet guide, sourced from the American Dietetic Association and Simplified Diet Manuel. The "bland diet" includes grits as a recommended grain.

Recipe: Grits and Greens

Permanent Affects of Chemo Therapy

Pain in the XXXX

One of the permanent affects of the Chemo Therapy is neuropathy of the extremities. In the past I have described it as a "fuzzy" feeling in my finger tips. I have also been noticing it slightly in the bottom of my feet. The fuzzy feeling is affecting my fine motor skills that require manual dexterity. I notice my printing is now looking like my handwriting. For those of you unfamiliar with my writing, I have printed ever since they stopped giving me a grade in handwriting. I barely squeaked out Cs throughout grade school. My printing has become somewhat distinct as it has evolved into a certain style. It's current legibility is comparable to my 4 year old grandson's writing.

It has not detrimentally affected any other manual function. Typing on the keyboard is a little strange. The tactile feel is not quite there, and I have trouble using a track pad. This will be a permanent result of chemo and one Dr. has recommended vitamin B12 as a possible aide in lessening the affect. Time will also diminish the neuropathy, but to what extent is unknown.

Overall it is a small price to pay. It is also a constant reminder of the cancer and it's possible comeback. I'm currently reading a book by Phillip Yancy, Where is God When it Hurts. The first section is on the value of pain, and how it is a warning system. It also goes into how pain enhances pleasure. Interesting concepts.

Posted by Wada View

Fatigue or Tiredness - GI Endoscopy Practice

Do you feel like you are tired all the time? Are you having difficulty staying awake to watch your favorite TV shows or to do your favorite hobby? Most of us really know how it feels to be tired or sleepy, especially when we are having flu, cold or any other viral infection. Nearly, every one of us is overtired from time to time. But when you start experiencing constant lack of energy and on-going tiredness or fatigue, it may be the time to think about your condition and the best time to check with the doctor.

What is Fatigue?

Fatigue is the condition of a lingering tiredness that is constant and limiting. When you’re having fatigue, you may have persistent, unexplained and relapsing exhaustion. The feeling of fatigue is similar to that which you feel when having flu or missed a lot of sleep. In case of a chronic fatigue, you may wake up in the morning feeling as you haven’t slept or you may be unable to perform properly at work or you may feel too exhausted to manage your routine activities. In most cases, there is a reason for fatigue.

What are the causes of Fatigue?

Most of the time, one or more of your habits is associated with fatigue especially lack of exercise. Usually, fatigue is a symptom of any other medical condition or problem or disease that requires medical treatment.

Here’s a brief overview of some important causes of fatigue:

Lifestyle factors:

Taking an honest record of those things in your daily life that are causing you fatigue is the first step to get relief from the problem. Some of these common factors include:

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