Digestion Blog

Dr. Anna Dauer, Deaconess Palliative Care Medical Director, and Andrea Lantz, LCSW, Palliative Care Clinical Social Worker

Perhaps you’ve heard the term “palliative care” but weren’t sure what it meant. Palliative care is specialized medical care for people with chronic illnesses, focusing on providing patients with relief from the symptoms, pain and stress of a chronic illness regardless of the diagnosis. The overall goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family.
 

When is heartburn more than just heartburn? The quick answer is when the heartburn happens two or more times per week over several weeks, your taco dinner with hot sauce isn’t to blame and it may be time to talk to your doctor about GERD.
 

Ankita Bahuva, MD, Internal Medicine, Deaconess Clinic Downtown

Your doctors’ appointments are an important and valuable time to connect with your doctor, share your perspective and information, and learn from your doctor’s expertise.  The best appointments happen when patients are very prepared.
 

Dr. Mark Graves, Internal Medicine, Deaconess Clinic Downtown
 
Probiotics and prebiotics—these are some health and nutrition “buzz words” right now. But do you know what they mean, and how pre-and-probiotics may affect your health?

Grant Glackman, patient and Dr. Rubin Bahuva, Deaconess Clinic Gastroenterologist

You’ve heard that colon cancer screening saves lives. In this article, a patient shares his story about how a routine colonoscopy may’ve saved his life at the age of 61. He and his doctor together explain what a colonoscopy is, and why it’s important.  

Jacklyn Oakley, MD, Deaconess Family Medicine Residency
 
Few things can make a person as miserable as a case of diarrhea (also known as “the runs, “the trots” and other charming euphemisms).  No one wants to talk about it, but I’m going to because I want to help you know how to treat diarrhea well at home-- both to ease the misery as quickly as possible, and to possibly prevent an unnecessary doctor’s visit.  

Dr. Devi Kodali, Deaconess Cancer Services
 
March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month, so we are working to increase awareness about the importance of colon cancer screening. Did you know that only 4 in 10 cases of colon cancer are diagnosed at early stages?  

Dr. Christi Pagett, Family Medicine, Deaconess Clinic West
Sometimes heartburn is more than just a reaction to greasy or spicy foods.  It can be a symptom of a chronic condition called GERD, gastroesophageal reflux disease.  GERD is a condition where there is a back-flow of stomach contents (including stomach acid) into the esophagus.  

Dr. Greg Rodocker, Deaconess Clinic Family Medicine
Deciding when to see a doctor, whether for your own, a family member or a child’s illness, can be a difficult decision.   You know that sometimes a “virus is just a virus,” and that you just need to rest, drink lots of fluids, and give it a few days. But sometimes an illness needs treatment, whether through antibiotics or other medications and symptom care.

Dr. Kalyana Lavu, Deaconess Clinic Gastroenterologist

IBS is most common in women, and is most common in women under 50. However, men or women at any age can be diagnosed. It does occur in children, but is far more common in adults.  Some of the most frequently asked questions can be found here.