Digestive Health

Digestive Health

The digestive system is a long digestive tract that starts at the mouth and ends at the anus. This system is involved in the breakdown of complex food materials into smaller units that can then be absorbed into the bloodstream. The activities of the digestive system, the "gut" are essential for the healthy functioning of the human body.

The complexity of the digestive tract and its activities can leave the gut exposed to infectious diseases, toxins, and other toxic substances that can adversely affect digestive health.

Digestive diseases can also be caused by internal derangements such as genetic factors and autoimmune attacks on the digestive organs.

A healthy gut environment is also maintained by specific bacteria and microorganisms present in the gut. Diet and lifestyle factors such as stress, alcohol intake, and medications can kill gut bacteria and result in a disruption of the normal gut environment.

Digestive Diseases

Digestive diseases can affect any part of the digestive system including the stomach, intestines, anus, and even the liver. Digestive diseases can either be infectious or non-infectious.

When a disease is infectious, it means it can easily spread from one person to another and can cause community outbreaks. Infectious diseases can be caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, or parasites.

On the other hand, non-infectious diseases cannot be spread from one person to another. Non-infectious diseases are caused by poisons, toxins, and even when the immune system attacks the digestive system.

Non-infectious digestive diseases can also be functional gastrointestinal diseases associated with dysfunctional motility, altered gut flora, gut hypersensitivity, dysfunctional mucosal functional, altered central nervous system control, or a combination of any of these.

In 2021, a study was carried out by the Rome Foundational Global Study which revealed a global prevalence of functional gastrointestinal diseases of about 40%. This study shows a need to maintain a stable gut microflora for good digestive health, and optimal overall health.

Screening for Digestive Diseases

Just like other diseases, comprehensive screening for digestive diseases starts with taking a medical history, checking for symptoms, and physical examination of patients. A comprehensive screening plan is recommended by your medical team and is essential to narrow down the cause of the disease to begin treatment early.

Diarrhea and abdominal discomfort are often seen in almost every digestive disease. They are what you see that tells you to seek treatment. The type of diarrheal stool is often used by doctors to tell the cause of the disease. For example, in salmonella, the stool usually has a strong smell and may contain blood, while the stool in cholera looks like rice water.

Common symptoms caused by most digestive diseases include:

• *Diarrhea - may be bloody or non-bloody
• *Nausea
• *Vomiting
• *Abdominal pain and discomfort

Early intervention is essential to control symptoms and prevent severe disease. Severe symptoms in digestive diseases include:

• *Bloody diarrhea
• *High-grade fever
• *Bloody vomiting
• *Severe dehydration

At Montis, we provide comprehensive screening panels that can narrow down the specific cause of your digestive issues. Comprehensive and Advance Gut screening usually contains tests used in the screening of digestive diseases which may include:

• *Fecal occult blood test - Used to check for blood in the stool.
• *Stool culture - Culture tests are used to check for bacteria in the stool.
• *Urea Breath test - Test for Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria that causes stomach ulcers
• *Colonoscopy
• *Electromagnetic Resonance Scan (BR) scans
• *DLBE test (Inflammation in the stomach and colon)

Treating Gut Illnesses

Untreated diarrhea and vomiting can result in excessive fluid loss and shock. Some pathogens can also produce toxins that can spread to other sites to cause disease. The treatment of digestive diseases is focused on improving disease symptoms, and preventing severe disease.

Fluid replacement and treatment of diarrhea and vomiting are part of the earliest interventions to treat digestive diseases. Oral rehydration therapy with zinc is always recommended to replace fluids lost from diarrhea. Loperamide (Imodium) is an effective anti-diarrheal that is often prescribed to control diarrhea.

Following tests to diagnose the specific cause of the disease, targeted therapy can then start to treat the disease. Antibiotics can be prescribed to treat bacterial diseases, antivirals to treat viral while antiparasitic drugs can be used to treat diseases caused by parasites. At Montis we also provide modern treatment options such as:

• *Colon hydrotherapy - Colon hydrotherapy helps to clear bad bacteria out of the gut to enable good gut bacteria to grow. The process forces cleansing water into the colon through the rectum to flush out colon contents.
• *Coffee enemas - Coffee enemas are another form of colon hydrotherapy where coffee is used. In this procedure, brewed coffee is passed into the colon through the colon to clean the colon
• *Detox drips - Detox drips are also helpful to detoxify the blood. Detox drips can contain detox cocktails mixed with vitamins and minerals as a supplement
• *Gut Plus - Probiotics refer to healthy bacteria that are residents of the gut. Gut plus help to maintain healthy gut flora and prevent the growth of bad bacteria that can cause disease. Certain foods also contain probiotics, such as yogurts to restore the normal gut flora. Probiotic supplements are also available that can help improve the probiotics population in the gut.