Educational Resources

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a recently identified disease that is increasing in frequency in both adults and children. It is an allergic disease of the esophagus, the muscular tube that connects the mouth to the stomach. The allergic reaction causes build-up of eosinophils in the lining of the esophagus. Eosinophils are a type of white blood cell that play an important role in the immune system. However, they may cause considerable damage when they enter a tissue in large numbers. EoE is the disease that results from the prolonged accumulation of eosinophils in the lining of the esophagus.

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Diverticular disease affects the colon. The colon is part of the large intestine that removes waste from your body. Diverticular disease is made up of two conditions: diverticulosis and diverticulitis. Diverticulosis occurs when pouches, called diverticula, form in the colon. These pouches bulge out like weak spots in a tire. Diverticulitis occurs if the pouches become inflamed.

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Your diagnosis of ulcerative colitis (UC) is uniquely your “own,” but you are not alone. Experts estimate that 700,000 people in the United States may have this condition - affecting both men and women equally - with many diagnosed in their teens and early 20s. The condition is unique, both in symptoms and treatment response, for each person. A therapy that works for one individual may not be right for your specific needs.

Although scientists do not know the exact cause of ulcerative colitis, this condition is categorized as a type of chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Chronic disease just means that there is no cure, and that symptoms may come and go, and flare up for reasons not clearly understood. However, UC has different characteristics than other IBDs, such as Crohn’s disease.

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A polyp in the colon can be defined as any extra tissue that protrudes into the inside (or lumen) of the large intestine (colon), but typically is due to excess of the lining (epithelium). They vary in size from microscopic to several inches in diameter.

What are the symptoms?
Typically there are no symptoms unless the polyps are large. However, patients may experience blood in the stool, constipation or diarrhea.

What are the risks of having polyps?
The greatest risk is that some types (primarily adenomas) may become cancerous. As adenomas grow in size, the chance of the growth eventually making a malignant transformation gets higher.

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It might seem incredible, but your diagnosis of Celiac disease is good news! Because now, your doctor has conclusively found the source of your symptoms, which were probably troubling you for a long time. And, once you start on a gluten-free diet, you will begin to see fewer symptoms and feel much better!

Celiac disease? Never heard of it!
That’s because it is less talked about than diabetes or heart disease, for example. However, most people experience uncomfortable stomach and intestinal symptoms for years until they are properly diagnosed! Celiac specialists estimate 3 million Americans are affected but that more than 85% of people with the problem are undiagnosed, or improperly diagnosed with another condition. But Celiac disease is not new.

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The esophagus is a tube about ten inches long that begins at the back of your throat. At the end, the place where it connects with your stomach, there is an anatomical area called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). The LES opens to allow food to pass through to be digested, and it also then closes to prevent the stomach acids from entering the esophagus.
When the LES fails to work properly, acid from the stomach can reflux, which means, it “flows back,” and then up into the esophagus. This causes that burning sensation you may feel in your chest called “heartburn.”

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A colonoscopy allows a doctor to look inside the entire large intestine. The procedure enables the physician to see things such as inflamed tissue, abnormal growths, and ulcers. It is most often used to look for early signs of cancer in the colon and rectum. It is also used to look for causes of unexplained changes in bowel habits and to evaluate symptoms like abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, and weight loss.

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Constipation means that a person has three bowel movements or fewer in a week. The stool is hard and dry. Sometimes it is painful to pass. You may feel ‘draggy’ and full. Some people think they should have a bowel movement every day. That is not really true. There is no ‘right’ number of bowel movements. Each person’s body finds its own normal number of bowel movements. It depends on the food you eat, how much you exercise, and other things. At one time or another, almost everyone gets constipated. In most cases, it lasts for a short time and is not serious. When you understand what causes constipation, you can take steps to prevent it.

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GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) is a common condition involving the esophagus (the muscular tube that connects the back of the mouth to the stomach) that can occur at any age, but typically begins to appear around age 40. Many people refer to this disorder as heartburn or indigestion. GERD is caused when the muscular valve at the lower end of the esophagus relaxes, allowing the contents of the stomach to backwash, or reflux, into the esophagus. These gastric contents contain strong acids and bile that are very irritating to the lining of the esophagus.

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The term hemorrhoids refers to a condition in which the veins around the anus or lower rectum are swollen and inflamed. Hemorrhoids may result from straining to move stool.

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a functional disorder of the digestive system; that is, it is an abnormality in the way the gut normally functions, but does not have a known specific structural or biochemical alteration. It is sometimes referred to as spastic colon, mucous colitis, spastic colitis, nervous stomach, or irritable colon. Approximately 10-15% of Americans suffer with this disorder, and it is the most common diagnosis made by gastroenterologists. Patients experience a variety of symptoms, particularly abdominal discomfort and a modification of bowel habits. Some people experience constipation, others experience diarrhea, still others experience alternating constipation and diarrhea. Other symptoms include abdominal pain or cramping, a bloated feeling, gas (flatulence), and mucus in the stool.

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Upper endoscopy enables the physician to look inside the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum (first part of the small intestine). The procedure might be used to discover the reason for swallowing difficulties, nausea, vomiting, reflux, bleeding, indigestion, abdominal pain, or chest pain. Upper endoscopy is also called EGD, which stands for esophagogastroduodenoscopy.

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The tests your doctor recently performed have found a bacterial infection in your stomach calledHelicobacter pylori. This spiral-shaped bacteria, which causes most ulcers, lives in the lining of the stomach and goes undetected - often for many years - before being discovered.

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Barrett’s Esophagus (BE) is an esophageal disease that can occur in people who have a history of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Over time, the corrosive stomach acid from GERD causes damage to the esophagus. If acid reflux is not controlled, the surface and deeper layers of esophageal tissue are affected.

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Your recent test results have identified a unique type of intestinal inflammation called Microscopic Colitis (MC), specifically, collagenous colitis. The term “colitis” simply means inflammation of the colon. The good news is that treatments and changes in food can very often give people fast relief from abdominal pain, cramps, diarrhea and other symptoms of collagenous colitis.

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Your recent test results have identified a unique type of intestinal inflammation called Microscopic Colitis (MC), specifically, lymphocytic colitis. The term “colitis” simply means inflammation of the colon. The good news is that treatments and changes in food can very often give people fast relief from abdominal pain, cramps, diarrhea and other symptoms of lymphocytic colitis.

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What is Crohn’s Disease? Crohn’s is an intestinal disorder that falls under the category of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and includes a number of diseases affecting the digestive tract. This condition, first identified in 1932 and named after Dr Burrill B. Crohn, is most associated with intestinal irritation that starts at the end of the small bowel called the ileum, and continues through the colon. Abdominal pain and cramping, constipation and/or diarrhea are the widespread symptoms.

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It might seem incredible, but your diagnosis of Celiac disease is good news! Because now, your doctor has conclusively found the source of your symptoms, which were probably troubling you for a long time. And, once you start on a gluten-free diet, you will begin to see fewer symptoms and feel much better!

View the full article

In 2011, nearly 50,000 Americans will die from colorectal cancer. This disease, which usually originates in polyps found in the colon (large intestine) or rectum, is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States - but it doesn’t have to be this way.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 60 percent of colorectal cancer deaths could have been prevented through routine screenings after age 50. These preventative screenings are also therapeutically beneficial to patients, as they can detect polyps, which can then be removed during the procedure before they become cancerous.

Several different types of screening tests are currently used to find polyps and/or colorectal cancer. Talk with your doctor to determine which test is best for you.

Early detection is key in the fight against colorectal cancer - when a case is identified and treated early on, CDC data has shown that the five-year relative survival rate is 90 percent. A number of research institutions and healthcare companies are working to improve the diagnostic process for colorectal cancer by examining ways to make screening less invasive, while maintaining accuracy.

One such endeavor is the use of the Septin 9 methylated DNA biomarker to detect colorectal cancer in blood plasma, at any stage of the disease and within any part of the colon or rectum.

According to research presented at ASCO in 2010, an improved version of the SEPT9 methylated DNA test detected 90% of cancers at a specificity of 89%. This is good news for millions of Americans who do not currently comply with colorectal cancer screening guidelines! The SEPT9 blood-based colorectal cancer screening test appears to be an easy and sound way to detect cancers at the stage where excellent treatment outcomes are within reach.

A colonoscopy allows your doctor to examine the inner lining of your colon and rectum, using a thin, flexible tube called a colonoscope. With a video camera attached to the end, the colonoscope can take photos and/or video of your entire large intestine, helping to find ulcers, colon polyps, cancers and areas of inflammation or bleeding. A colonoscopy is also sometimes recommended as a follow-up test when an abnormality is detected during one of the other two tests listed below.

High-Sensitivity Fecal Occult Blood Testing (FOBT) includes two different types of stool tests. The first utilizes the chemical guaiac to detect blood in the stool, while the second uses antibodies to do the same. Using a preparation kit provided by their physician, a patient typically gathers a stool sample and returns it to their doctor or laboratory, where the sample is analyzed for blood.

Flexible Sigmoidoscopy is similar in procedure to a colonoscopy, in that a physician uses a short, thin, lighted tube to check for polyps or cancer inside a patient’s rectum and colon. However, unlike a colonoscopy, this test does not offer a complete view of the entire colon - only the lower third.