Blog Archive
Millions suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a chronic digestive system condition that’s associated with bloating, belly cramps, diarrhea, and constipation. Like many digestive problems, IBS symptoms tend to flare up in response to triggers, including a surprising number of foods. Digestive Disease Specialists in Moline, Illinois, and Bettendorf, Iowa,...
It’s easy to take swallowing for granted. But if you have an esophageal stricture, swallowing can become more difficult, making eating an uncomfortable and anxious experience. An esophageal stricture is a narrowing of your esophagus — the tube that carries food from your mouth to your stomach. When you swallow...
About a million Americans suffer from ulcerative colitis (UC), a subset of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes sores in the lining of your large intestine (colon). People who have UC suffer from a wide array of symptoms that can be challenging to manage. Those symptoms tend to be worse...
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic digestive disease that affects millions of Americans. While researchers are still learning about the underlying causes of IBD, they do know it’s related to an abnormal immune system response that targets your digestive system. IBD actually includes two conditions — Crohn’s disease and...
Hemorrhoids affect millions of Americans, and like many medical issues, they tend to become more common with age. In fact, by the time you’re in your 50s, there’s a 50/50 chance you’ll have these sore, swollen veins. Fortunately, there are medical treatments that can help manage your hemorrhoids and the...
About half the world’s population is infected with the Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacterium, a tiny organism that’s associated with stomach ulcers and gastritis. Without treatment, long-term infection can lead to an increased risk for stomach cancer as well. Fortunately, H. pylori infections are highly treatable, leaving many to wonder...
Hepatitis is a surprisingly common medical problem involving inflammation of the liver, the “chemical factory” of your body. In fact, millions of Americans have hepatitis, including many who are undiagnosed — and therefore, untreated. While most of us have heard of hepatitis, many people don’t know a lot about the...
As many as 10% of Americans suffer from Barrett’s esophagus, which is a condition that happens when the tissue lining the esophagus undergoes changes. Over time, these changes can increase your risk of developing esophageal cancer. Barrett’s esophagus doesn’t cause symptoms on its own, but it is associated with specific...
As many as 45 million Americans suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which is a chronic condition that causes an array of uncomfortable and unpleasant symptoms, such as severe cramps, bloating, excess gas, diarrhea, and constipation. Anyone can develop IBS, including kids, although it does tend to happen more commonly among women....
Hepatitis is a relatively common cause of liver problems, with severe or untreated cases leading to liver failure. Knowing how to prevent hepatitis infections is important for people of all ages and from all walks of life. At Digestive Disease Specialists in Moline, Illinois, and Davenport, Iowa, our team is...
More than 500,000 Americans suffer from Crohn’s disease, which is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that can affect any part of your digestive tract. While there’s no cure, Crohn’s disease can be managed, and the earlier you seek treatment, the better for your health. At Digestive Disease Specialists...
Despite the fact that Helicobacter pylori infections are very common, many people haven’t heard of them. In fact, as many as 40% of Americans are infected by H. pylori bacteria at some point during their lives, although not everyone develops symptoms. H. pylori infections are the primary cause of peptic ulcers (sometimes...
This year, about 153,000 Americans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer and more than 50,000 will die as a result of the disease, according to data from the Colorectal Cancer Alliance. The good news is, colorectal cancers tend to grow slowly, and having regular colonoscopy screenings can help your doctor...
More than a million Americans have their gallbladders removed each year in a procedure called a cholecystectomy. Gallbladder removal is often performed in people with painful gallstones, but it’s also used to treat gallbladder cancer. However, many gallbladder problems, including painful gallstones, can be treated without surgery using a technique called endoscopic retrograde...
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is a minimally invasive procedure that evaluates your bile ducts, which are small channels that allow bile (a digestive juice) to flow between your liver, pancreas, gallbladder, and small intestine. While healthy bile ducts freely transport bile, if the ducts become narrow or completely blocked, you...
Roughly a million Americans are diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC), which causes inflammation and ulcers in the colon and rectum. Ulcerative colitis is a chronic disease with no known cure. However, there are treatments that can help you manage your symptoms and reduce their severity. Ulcerative colitis affects people in different ways,...
Millions of Americans suffer from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a chronic bowel disease that includes both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. IBD can cause widespread inflammation, either in the large intestine (ulcerative colitis) or anywhere in your digestive tract (Crohn’s disease). Most people with IBD experience significant symptoms, including abdominal...
As many as 70 million Americans are affected by digestive problems, with symptoms that include heartburn, gas, bloating, and problems with their bowel habits. Digestive conditions can be caused by many factors, but there’s no denying that your diet can play a big role in how frequently those symptoms flare up. At Digestive...
Millions of Americans have liver inflammation due to a hepatitis infection. And while many people think of hepatitis as a single disease, there are actually several forms with different causes and different treatments. Treating hepatitis early is essential for preventing permanent liver damage and liver failure. Our team at Digestive Disease Specialists, with locations...
Most people have heard of stomach ulcers, a relatively common medical problem that causes persistent stomach pain, but few have heard of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacteria, the most common cause of these ulcers. According to the National Library of Medicine, up to 40% of Americans become infected with H. pylori, and many never...
Ulcerative colitis (UC) affects about 1 million Americans, causing pain and other symptoms that can interfere with daily life. A type of inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis can’t be cured, but there are lots of things you can do to manage and reduce its symptoms, including lifestyle changes and medication. At Digestive...
Heartburn isn’t uncommon. For many people, it’s something they experience occasionally, maybe after eating a particularly spicy meal or going to bed after eating a large meal. But, if you’re part of the 20% of the population with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), heartburn is a chronic or recurrent problem. GERD occurs...
When your bowels are healthy, it’s easy to take them for granted. But for the many Americans who suffer from colitis, bowel function is rarely far from their minds. With locations in Moline, Illinois, and Davenport, Iowa, Digestive Disease Specialists helps patients manage their colitis symptoms with innovative treatment options tailored to...
Millions of Americans have chronic hepatitis, a serious liver disease that can have life-threatening complications. Just as concerning is that as many as two-thirds of those infected with viral hepatitis don’t even know they’re infected, and that means they’re not being treated. Although hepatitis is certainly serious, many people lead healthy lives...
More than a half million Americans suffer from Crohn’s disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that affects the lining of your digestive tract (most commonly the small or large intestine). Researchers aren’t sure what causes Crohn’s disease, but they believe it’s probably caused by a combination of genetics...
Preventive screenings of any kind play an invaluable role in helping you stay one step ahead, and this is certainly true of the colonoscopy. In fact, deaths due to colorectal cancer in the United States have been steadily declining over the past few decades thanks, in large part, to this...