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You may be able to ignore a cold, a headache or a sore elbow, but a digestive problem is something else altogether. Whether it’s gas, intestinal cramps, a bout of nausea or a chronic condition like irritable bowel syndrome, a gastrointestinal disorder commands your full attention. Some digestive conditions are merely annoying, but others, if left untreated, can affect the health of your entire body and can even become life-threatening.
Researchers have only recently begun to understand the many and often complex diseases that affect the digestive system. This area of scientific research is highly active, as digestive disorders affect so many people.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is caused by the abnormal backflow, or reflux, of stomach acid and juices into the esophagus, the tube that leads from the throat to the stomach. The backflow of stomach acid and juices into the esophagus occurs when the valve between the lower end of the esophagus and the stomach (the lower esophageal sphincter, or LES) does not close tightly enough.
Overeating or bending forward after eating occasionally causes heartburn and a sour taste in the mouth. Occasional heartburn does not mean you have GERD. In GERD, the reflux—and heartburn—last longer and occur more often.
The main symptom of GERD is a frequent uncomfortable feeling of burning, warmth, heat, or pain just behind the breastbone, commonly referred to as heartburn.
How is GERD diagnosed?
Your health professional will take a medical history and perform a physical exam. If GERD is suspected, your doctor may prescribe medications such as acid reducers to treat symptoms of GERD without performing any tests. If your symptoms respond to these medications, your doctor usually will diagnose you as having GERD.
Tests that may be done to diagnose GERD or confirm a diagnosis include: Endoscopy, (examining the inside of your esophagus and stomach using an endoscope); Upper gastrointestinal series, which allows a health professional to examine the upper portion of a person’s digestive system.
Treatment for GERD begins with making lifestyle changes and, if necessary, taking nonprescription antacids or acid reducers. Severe GERD symptoms usually require stronger prescription medications, such as proton pump inhibitors or prokinetic agents, for successful treatment. Lifestyle changes are usually combined with prescription medications to help control the symptoms.
Many people who develop GERD have the condition for the rest of their lives. They need to consider long-term lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking and avoiding foods that make the symptoms worse, and the possibility that they will be taking medications to help control the symptoms for many years. Surgery, such as fundoplication surgery, which strengthens the valve between the esophagus and stomach, may be an option for people for whom medications do not provide adequate relief or who are not able to take medications to control their GERD symptoms because of side effects. However, many people continue to need some medications even after surgery.
The rubric “lifestyle modifications” is the term physicians use when recommending non-pharmaceutical treatments for GERD. A 2006 review suggested that evidence for most dietary interventions is anecdotal; only weight loss and elevating the head of the bed were found to be supported by evidence..
Gastroenteritisis an irritation and inflammation of the digestive tract. Its symptoms include abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea brought on by exposure to bacteria, amoebas, parasites, toxins, certain drugs, enzymes or allergens in foods. Treatment usually includes bed rest, fluids, bismuth-containing products such as Pepto-Bismol® and anti-nausea drugs.
In a study reported in the Journal of the Beijing Medical University (1992), it was noted that goji reduced antibodies associated with allergy-type reactions.
Gastritisis is an inflammation of the stomach lining, which is sometimes caused by eating irritating substances. Some people with gastritis have no symptoms, but many experience vague pain, a feeling of fullness, loss of appetite, belching, nausea and vomiting. Atrophic gastritis is a weakening of digestion caused by reduced activity of stomach cells. Treatment for gastritis consists of eliminating irritating foods, avoiding aspirin, and taking antacids if the condition persists.
Goji has long been used in the treatment of atrophic gastritis. Goji itself is easily digested, especially when taken in its highly bio-available juice form.
Ulcers can occur almost anywhere in the esophagus, stomach or small intestine. Almost all stomach ulcers are caused either by a bacterial infection by Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) or by use of NSAIDs (non-steroidal pain medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen or naproxen). Most H. pylori-related ulcers can be cured with antibiotics. NSAID-induced ulcers can be cured with time, stomach protective medications, antacids and avoidance of NSAIDs. Spicy food and stress may aggravate ulcer symptoms in some people.
Goji can restore the balnce of the body’s important anti-inflammatory SOD enzyme. Repenishing the body’s infalmmaatory enzymes with goji may eliminate the need to take anti inflammatory drugs, which can irritate the digestive tract and cause ulcers.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) involves a problem in the workings of the muscles in the intestines, which is characterized by gas, abdominal pain, and diarrhea or constipation, or both. Although it can cause considerable pain and discomfort, it does not damage the digestive tract, nor does it lead to more serious digestive diseases later, such as cancer. It occurs more frequently in women under age 35 and may be related to psychological stress. Treatment includes a diet high in fiber and low in fat. Certain gas-producing foods, such as those in the cabbage family, should be avoided, as should any other suspected irritants.
Adaptogens are herbs that help the body to adapt and to cope with stress, goji is one of the most revered adaptogens in all traditional Asian herbal medicine.
Crohn’s disease is an ongoing disorder that causes inflammation of the digestive tract, also referred to as the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Crohn’s disease can affect any area of the GI tract, from the mouth to the anus, but it most commonly affects the lower part of the small intestine, called the ileum. The swelling extends deep into the lining of the affected organ. The swelling can cause pain and can make the intestines empty frequently, resulting in diarrhea.
Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease, the general name for diseases that cause swelling in the intestines. Because the symptoms of Crohn’s disease are similar to other intestinal disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis, it can be difficult to diagnose. Ulcerative colitis causes inflammation and ulcers in the top layer of the lining of the large intestine. In Crohn’s disease, all layers of the intestine may be involved, and normal healthy bowel can be found between sections of diseased bowel.
Crohn’s disease affects men and women equally and seems to run in some families. About 20 percent of people with Crohn’s disease have a blood relative with some form of inflammatory bowel disease, most often a brother or sister and sometimes a parent or child. Crohn’s disease can occur in people of all age groups, but it is more often diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 and 30. People of Jewish heritage have an increased risk of developing Crohn’s disease, and African Americans are at decreased risk for developing Crohn’s disease.
In Asia, the goji berry has been used as an immune system regulator for centuries. The noted ethnobotanist, Dr. James A. Duke, classifies goji as an immunomodulator — an enhancing substance that can balance and normalize abnormal immune response.
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