Digestive complaints are some of the most common reasons people come to see us, and also some of the most quietly endured. People put up with heartburn every night, or a gut that flares up at the worst moments, and assume it is just how they are.
Much of the time these problems are manageable once you understand them. The skill is in telling apart the everyday and harmless from the small number of symptoms that mean you need a closer look inside. This article covers three of the most common culprits and the warning signs that change the plan.
Acid reflux and heartburn
Acid reflux is when acid from the stomach rises back up into the gullet, the tube that carries food down from your mouth. It causes a burning feeling in the chest, often after meals or when lying down, sometimes with a sour taste or a cough. When it happens often, it is called gastro oesophageal reflux disease.
A great deal can be done without any medicine. Eating smaller meals, not lying down straight after eating, cutting back on fatty and spicy food, alcohol, coffee and fizzy drinks, and losing a little weight all help. When that is not enough, medicines that reduce stomach acid, such as a class called proton pump inhibitors, are often very effective.
Irritable bowel syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a common condition where the gut is sensitive and does not work smoothly, without any damage being visible. It brings on cramping, bloating, wind, and bouts of diarrhoea, constipation, or a mix of the two, often linked to meals or stress.
IBS is genuinely uncomfortable but it does not damage the bowel or lead to cancer. It is usually managed by finding and reducing the foods that trigger it, eating regularly, managing stress, staying active, and sometimes with medicines that ease cramps or settle the bowel. The reason to see a doctor is partly to get help, and partly to make sure it really is IBS and not something that needs investigating.
Gallstones
Gallstones are small, hard lumps that form in the gallbladder, a little pouch under the liver that stores bile for digesting fat. Many people have them and never know. Trouble starts when a stone blocks the flow of bile.
The classic sign is a severe, gripping pain in the upper right side of the abdomen, often after a fatty meal, sometimes spreading to the back or right shoulder. Gallstones are easily seen on an ultrasound scan, which is available here. When they cause repeated pain, the usual treatment is an operation to remove the gallbladder, and this can be done in our operating theatre.
When you need a look inside
Two tests let a doctor look directly at the lining of the digestive tract, and knowing what they are takes the fear out of them.
An endoscopy uses a thin, flexible camera passed through the mouth to examine the gullet and stomach. A colonoscopy uses a similar camera to examine the large bowel from below. Both are done comfortably with sedation, and both allow the doctor to take tiny samples or remove small growths at the same time. We provide both here.
Your doctor may recommend one of these if your symptoms are persistent, if simple treatment has not worked, if you are older and have new symptoms, or if there are any warning signs. A colonoscopy is also the key test for bowel cancer screening and for looking into a change in bowel habit or bleeding.
The warning signs that change everything
Some symptoms should never be filed under ordinary indigestion. See a doctor promptly, rather than waiting, if you notice difficulty or pain when swallowing, ongoing vomiting, losing weight without trying, a lasting change in your bowel habit, or a persistent loss of appetite.
These do not mean something is seriously wrong, but they are exactly the signs that deserve a proper look inside rather than another packet of antacids.
What to do next
If a digestive problem has been part of your daily life for weeks or months, that alone is a good reason to be seen. Most people leave with a clear explanation, a simple plan, and a lot less discomfort.
And if your symptoms turn out to need a scan, an endoscopy or a colonoscopy, it is far better to know. Living with gut trouble is not something you simply have to accept.
Ongoing gut trouble? Get it properly assessed at Newtown.
Consultation, laboratory testing, ultrasound scanning, and both endoscopy and colonoscopy are available under one roof at 55 Woodford Street, Port of Spain, so if your symptoms need a closer look it can be arranged in one place. When surgery is required, for example to remove a troublesome gallbladder, we have an operating theatre on site. Our Accident and Emergency department is open 24 hours for severe or sudden abdominal pain.
This article is for general education only and is not a substitute for personal medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider about your own health. If you believe you have a medical emergency, call or visit our 24-hour Accident and Emergency department immediately.