Digestion Q & A

What are signs of digestion issues?

Digestion issues are very common, especially if you have a chronic condition that affects your ability to digest food easily or you suffer from food sensitivities. Common signs of digestion issues include:

• Bloating

• Excessive flatulence or belching

• Constipation

• Diarrhea

• Heartburn

• Abdominal pain or cramping

These issues aren’t just uncomfortable, they can also make it difficult to determine what and how much to eat so you can get the nutrition you need. With help from the LIFEstrength team, functional lab testing can take the guesswork out of determining the cause of your symptoms.

What causes digestion problems?

Digestion problems can be caused by a number of digestive diseases that range in severity from mild to severe. Your symptoms may only be present after eating certain foods, or your symptoms may be constant, making it difficult to diagnose the cause of your digestive problems.

Common causes of digestion problems include:

• Leaky gut syndrome

• Crohn’s disease

• Food sensitivities

• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

• Celiac disease

• Gastritis

• Ulcerative colitis (UC)

• Diverticulitis

Your doctor may begin your visit with questions about your symptoms, how often they occur, and if you notice anything that causes them to flare up, including specific foods, stress, or activities.

How are digestion issues diagnosed?

There is a wide range of functional lab tests that can be used to determine the cause of your digestion issues. These tests include blood work to determine if you’re dealing with an infection, autoimmune condition, or inflammation affecting your digestive tract.

Your doctor also discusses your symptoms and might recommend additional testing, including a colonoscopy or endoscopic ultrasound, if you’re suffering from blood in your stool. This may require a referral to a specialist in the area.

How can I improve my digestion?

One of the first steps your doctor takes is collecting small samples of your blood to perform functional lab testing. Your doctor may also ask you to complete a 14-day food diary to track your symptoms.

After analyzing the functional lab work, your doctor can pinpoint proteins in specific foods that may trigger an allergic reaction or digestive issue. Using this information along with tests for leaky gut syndrome and systemic inflammation, your doctor can recommend strategies to avoid harmful foods and instead incorporate foods that reduce inflammation and heal your stomach and intestines.

In some cases, it may be necessary to follow an elimination diet for two to four weeks to determine if a particular food is causing your issues. Other strategies may include specific nutritional supplements to restore nutrient levels that may be depleted or poorly absorbed because of your condition.

Schedule a digestive consultation online or by calling LIFEstrength Health Center today.