If you feel ill with fever, flu-like symptoms or respiratory illness, please call us to reschedule your appointment. Please Do Not Bring Children Under age 16 to Appointments.

How Diet Affects IBS: Tips for Better Digestive Health

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common digestive disorder affecting millions of people worldwide. Characterized by symptoms like abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation, IBS can significantly impact quality of life. One effective way to manage these symptoms is through dietary changes. We will delve into how diet influences IBS and provide actionable tips for better digestive health.

 

The Role of Diet in IBS

Trigger Foods

For many individuals with IBS, foods rich in fats, dairy, and certain types of carbohydrates—known as FODMAPs—can lead to symptoms. Other triggers might include spicy foods, alcohol, and caffeinated beverages. Identifying and eliminating these triggers can significantly improve IBS symptoms.

 

Foods to Include

A balanced diet for someone with IBS might include lean proteins, low-FODMAP fruits and vegetables, and whole grains. Incorporating foods rich in soluble fiber can also be beneficial in regulating bowel movements.

 

IBS-Friendly Diet Plans

Several diet plans are specifically tailored for individuals with IBS. These plans generally focus on low-FODMAP foods and include soluble fiber to aid in digestion.

 

The Low-FODMAP Diet

This diet restricts various types of carbohydrates that are difficult to digest and likely to ferment in the gut, causing gas and discomfort. The elimination phase removes high-FODMAP foods for a few weeks. Reintroduction occurs gradually to gauge tolerance levels.

 

The Mediterranean Diet

Although not designed for IBS, the Mediterranean diet is often well-tolerated. It emphasizes fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats, while limiting processed foods and sugars that might aggravate IBS symptoms.

 

Dietary Supplements and Probiotics

Some people find relief from IBS symptoms by incorporating dietary supplements and probiotics into their routine. Fiber supplements can help regulate bowel movements, while probiotics can balance gut flora. However, it’s crucial to consult a healthcare provider for personalized advice, as these supplements can also potentially worsen symptoms in some cases.

 

Monitoring and Adjustment

Managing IBS through diet can be a process of trial and error. It’s advisable to maintain a food diary to note which foods trigger symptoms and which offer relief. Over time, this can help tailor a dietary plan that minimizes discomfort and improves digestive health.

Dietary changes can have a profound effect on IBS symptoms. By identifying trigger foods and incorporating IBS-friendly diet plans and supplements, individuals can take significant steps toward better digestive health.

 

 

Struggling with IBS?

Are you struggling with IBS and need guidance from a medical expert? Reach out to us for a personalized consultation that can set you on the path toward better digestive health.

Things You Can Do at Home to Alleviate Constipation

Start Here for Constipation Relief

Constipation is a common condition that can affect anyone at any age. For adults, it may show as infrequent bowel movements (3 or fewer per week) or having difficulty passing stools. Good digestive health helps you feel your best, so the discomfort and sluggish feeling constipation causes can be frustrating and if it goes on too long, can also lead to other issues such as hemorrhoids. There are some things you can try at home for occasional constipation.

 

Hydrate

One of the colon’s most important functions is to absorb water from food. If you don’t drink enough water, your colon won’t be able to absorb enough water and create the right stool consistency. Drink plenty of water throughout the day to soften stools and make them easier to pass. Drinking throughout the day ensures that your body has the constant supply of water it needs to function properly.

 

Move

Being physically active positively impacts virtually all aspects of your health, including your digestion. Even something as simple as walking for 10-15 minutes can help your guts process food better and minimize constipation. As you move, your muscles contract, gently massaging your intestines, helping food move through the digestive tract. Try taking a short walk after you eat to stimulate your digestive system. Take walks during breaks at work or other scheduled intervals during the day too.

 

Eat More Fiber

Fiber is well known for its role in keeping your digestive system regular. What type of fiber you eat makes a difference. If you’re dealing with constipation, try adding more insoluble fiber to your diet. Insoluble fiber keeps your colon from absorbing quite as much water. That increases the water content of your stools and makes them easier to pass. You can get insoluble fiber from foods like whole rice, broccoli, green beans, cabbage, whole grains, beans, nuts, and cauliflower. Add fiber gradually over several days. Increasing your intake too quickly could lead to symptoms like gas, bloating, and cramps–you don’t want to trade one intestinal problem for another.

 

If you’re experiencing constipation, try making positive changes to your water intake, physical activity levels, and your diet. Talk to your doctor if any of your medications cause constipation. If simple lifestyle changes aren’t enough to address your constipation and if it becomes a chronic issue, talk to one of the specialists at Granite Peaks Gastroenterology. They know how to help you get back to a more “regular” life.

3 Ways to Keep Your Gut in Good Shape

Keeping your gut moving is important to your digestive and overall health. There are a few reasons why your gut may not function as well as it could, ranging from poor diet and lifestyle choices to illness or disease. This may lead to constipation, sluggishness, and bloating. With the items you can control, like diet and lifestyle, making smart decisions can help you feel better. What can you do to keep your gut in good shape the way it should?

 

Eat Healthy Fats

Fat sometimes gets picked on when people talk about eating a healthy diet. Healthy fats, such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids, in the proper amounts, are essential to good health. Healthy fats help you feel full, reducing the chances of overeating. Fish, seafood, nuts, seeds, plant oils and fortified foods are good sources of the omega-3 fatty acids. Add these along with plenty of nutritious fruits, vegetables and water to your healthy diet.

 

Manage Stress

When you’re stressed, your body tends to experience the “fight or flight” response. This is in direct opposition to the “rest and digest” response that your body tends to have when you’re eating food. Stress diverts blood away from your digestive system, making it more likely that you might experience poor digestion. Practice stress management techniques that may include regular exercise and meditation for ongoing stress relief, and ultimately, better digestion.

 

Eat Attentively

Sometimes the simplest solution is the key. Eating slowly and with intention can help your digestive system perform better. Chewing your food thoroughly helps your body absorb nutrients more effectively. The longer you chew, the more saliva you produce, which breaks down food before it hits your stomach and intestine. This gives your body more time to register how much you’ve eaten and send the signal to stop before you over-eat.

 

Living a healthy life includes caring for your digestive system by making smart choices. Eat a well-balanced diet of nutritious foods and healthy fats and get a little physical and mental exercise to help manage stress. Your digestive health is important to your overall health. Make the diet and lifestyle choices that help you keep your gut in good shape and help you feel your best.

For the Love of Fiber

By May Marschner, PA and Dr. Andrew Heiner

Fiber, fiber and more fiber…yes, it is important, but did you know it actually helps prevent hemorrhoids and may lower cholesterol?

Most of us know a high-fiber diet has many health benefits, from improving digestion to lowering cholesterol and preventing some diseases. However, most Americans still struggle to get even close to the recommended daily dose of 25-35 grams per day.

Fast Facts

-People who eat enough fiber daily appear to be at a lower risk for developing coronary heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.

-There is evidence fiber supplementation in obese individuals enhances weight loss; however, fiber alone should not be used as a weight-loss method.

-Fiber can help improve hemorrhoid irritation, constipation, diarrhea and can improve irregular bowel habits. Consult a doctor before using if you have these symptoms as they may indicate other health issues.

-With the holidays fast approaching and most people eating more and differently than they normally would, now is a perfect time to increase your fiber intake.

Tips from the Experts for Increasing Fiber Intake

-Slowly start to add more fiber to your diet. If you do this slowly, you are less likely to have GI discomfort. Make sure you drink more fluid, mainly in the form of water, when increasing fiber intake.

-Eat more soluble fiber. Soluble fiber absorbs water. It is found in oat bran, barley, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils and some fruits and vegetables. It is also found in psyllium husk, like that found in Metamucil and similar products.

-Eat more insoluble fiber. Also known as “roughage,” insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water and our digestive systems do not break it down. It is found in foods such as wheat bran, nuts, some vegetables and whole grains.

-Avoid processed snacks with lots of added fiber. These types of snacks, such as bars, can cause gas and bloating and can also have a lot of extra sugar.

Fiber Supplementation

If you find it difficult to get enough fiber in your daily diet, you may choose to add a supplement to increase your fiber intake. Fiber powder is a supplementation used to bulk up the stool. There are several types including cellulose, pectin, gum and psyllium husk. You may have heard of or seen Metamucil on the counter at your grandmother’s house. This contains psyllium husk.

Always consult your healthcare provider prior to adding fiber if you are experiencing any gastrointestinal issues. Determining that symptoms are not caused by a significant health problem is important before making any dietary changes. Dr. Heiner is a strong proponent of the fiber supplement, Metamucil (and no, he does not own stock in the company!).

“Metamucil is magic!” Dr. Heiner says, “It can prevent both constipation and diarrhea. Taken in adequate doses, it produces the perfect BM. Everyone is different, but many do best when they double the recommended dose. When you no longer need toilet paper, you’re probably on the right dose for you. There is virtually no downside to taking Metamucil. Those who take it every day for the rest of their lives will not regret it.”

Fiber | Granite Peaks Gastroenterology

The Facts About Constipation and How to Treat It

by James M Stewart, MD

The gastrointestinal tract is designed to break apart food so that we absorb the nutrients we need while leaving behind the material in food we don’t need. To do this, our body secretes digestive enzymes from the pancreas and water from the body to liquefy the food we eat so that it can mix around in the intestines. Once the nutrients are absorbed, the remaining liquid with the non-absorbed food material enters the large intestine.

The role of the large intestine is to remove as much of the remaining liquid that was added to the food so that we don’t waste water. It is a very slow process and usually takes about 24 hours. Through very slow movements, the liquid waste is slowly turned into solid waste until enough has accumulated. At this point, most of us will feel the need to have a bowel movement and push the solid waste out of the body.

Constipation is when that process takes too long or there is something not functioning correctly with the muscles that coordinate bowel movements. When one meets with a physician, it is important to be very clear what one means by constipation because there are multiple symptoms that are called constipation. Constipation can mean that you have very infrequent bowel movements (less than 3 per week) or that it can very difficult to pass stool (straining while having a bowel movement). For the purposes of this article we will discuss infrequent bowel movements.

Most constipation in the United States is related to slow movement through the large intestine which results in infrequent bowel movements or hard bowel movements. There are many things that slow down the movement through the large intestine and most of them are harmless and do not impact one’s health but can affect one’s wellbeing. Pain medications containing opiates are one of the most common causes of drug-induced constipation. Stress, anxiety, and depression can also alter the function of the large intestine causing things to slow down. Certain diets, particularly those that are low in fiber, can cause temporary constipation. In some cases, the large intestine just doesn’t move as quickly as we would like.

Discussing symptoms with a physician can usually uncover some of the causes of constipation. Blood testing can sometimes help. Colonoscopy can sometimes be useful if there is any suspicion for narrowing in the intestines causing a blockage which can sometimes occur with colon cancer or large polyps.

Once the dangerous causes of constipation have been ruled out, treatment for constipation usually consists of increasing physical activity, dietary changes to increase fiber, using fiber supplements, and sometimes medications. Light to moderate exercise has been shown in multiple studies to help stimulate bowel function to have more regular bowel movements. Fiber supplements like psyllium husk (Metamucil) contains natural fibers which are non-digestible plant products. Other fibers include bran as well as semi-synthetic fibers such as Benefiber and Citracel.

Medications, or laxatives, can be divided into four categories.

• Osmotic laxatives, such as Miralax and lactulose, function much like fiber and help hold more water in the large intestines. These are extraordinarily safe medications because they do not alter any chemical receptors or nerves in the body but just change the osmotic gradient in the large intestine. These medications are not absorbed into the body and are eliminated with a bowel movement.

• Stimulant laxatives, such as Senna or bisacodyl, stimulate the large intestine to have a bowel movement. These medications are available over the counter and are safe for short-term and long-term use. Older versions of these medications were found to be unsafe and were removed from the market many decades ago, but the current medications are safe for long-term use.

• Secretory laxatives, such as Linzess, Amitiza, and Trulance, encourage the body to secrete more fluid into the small intestine to act as a “flush” and push the bowel movement out. These are available as a prescription and are very well tolerated and safe for long-term use.

• Opiate blockers, such as Relistor and Movantik, are only indicated for those using opiate containing pain medications. These medications will block the opiate effect in the intestines while still allowing the anti-pain effect of the opiates.

In summary, most constipation in the United States is caused by a variety of things that can slow down the large intestines. Discussing these symptoms with a gastrointestinal expert can help identify some of the causes of constipation and find ways to reverse them. Also, some constipation can be caused by serious conditions such as colon cancer so further testing may be required. Once the causes of have been identified, there are many safe and sensible therapies to treat constipation and improve one’s quality of life.

Anal Fissures Symptoms and Treatment

By Kelsey Tolbert and Andrew Heiner, MD

Your rectal pain and bleeding may actually be from a fissure
Anal fissures are one of the most common rectal disorders. They are caused by a tear or cut in the anal canal. The symptoms often mimic those of hemorrhoids, and therefore fissures are often mistreated or misdiagnosed. An anal fissure can be acute (lasting < 6 weeks) or chronic (lasting >6 weeks).

Symptoms
The main symptom associated with an anal fissure is pain with defecation. The severity of pain ranges from a mild discomfort to a debilitating, stabbing sensation. Pain can last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours and sufferers often describe the sensation as the feeling that they are “pooping glass.” Anal fissures may also cause bright red bleeding with bowel movements, itching, and/or anal spasm.

Causes
Anal fissures occur when there is high pressure in the anal canal, resulting in the anal sphincter muscle being stretched beyond its capacity. This most frequently occurs with constipation, diarrhea, childbirth, anal intercourse or other trauma.

While fissures are most often benign, they can also be manifestations of more serious conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease malignancy or sexually transmitted infections. If you have symptoms of a fissure, especially if symptoms persist for more than 4-8 weeks, you should see your healthcare provider.

Acute Anal Fissures
The vast majority of anal fissures fall into this category. Acute fissures heal on their own within a few weeks and only require mild conservation therapy. Common ways to treat fissures include:

  • – Taking warm baths. Fill a tub with a few inches of warm water and sit for 20 minutes 2-3 times a day, particularly after bowel movements. The warm water will help to relax the sphincter muscle to promote healing and pain relief. Toilet seat sitz baths are an inexpensive alternative and can be purchased online or at most grocery stores.
  • – Softening or bulking up stool. Avoiding constipation and diarrhea is very important to the healing and prevention of an anal fissure. Taking Metamucil or Citrucel fiber powder twice daily will help to give stool form and promote complete evacuation. Stool softeners or MiraLAX can also be used.

Chronic Anal Fissures
The presence of an anal fissure often causes the anal sphincter muscle to spasm. This spasm can cause the edges of the cut to widen (worsening the tear) and reduce blood flow to the area (prolonging healing). For these reasons, anal fissures can become a cyclical and chronic problem. Chronic anal fissures are treated by a health care provider, often in conjunction with fiber supplementation and warm baths. Common treatments for chronic fissures include ointments, creams, Botox injections, medications, and/or surgery. In some cases, treatment of hemorrhoids can improve anal fissures and prevent reoccurrence.

When to see a Doctor
– If symptoms persist for more than 4-8 weeks
– If you develop rectal bleeding
– If pain is impacting daily activities
– If you develop a change in bowel habits

Each of these can be signs of a more serious condition or may reflect the need for more aggressive treatment. At your appointment, your physician will most likely perform an anal exam and may refer you to have a colonoscopy.

Prevention
Anal fissures can usually be prevented by regulation bowel movements to avoid straining or irritation. This is best achieved by eating well, exercising, and staying well hydrated. Taking a daily fiber supplement such as Metamucil or Citrucel powder is also a good idea, as this promotes overall bowel health.

If you are experiencing symptoms of anal fissures, schedule an appointment with a Granite Peaks Gastroenterology physician today.

Close Menu