Gastroenterology Medicine & Health Pages
Bull Elephants Advice on Treating IBS
By Dr. Gifford Jones
Would you like to have your picture taken in the nude sitting on a toilet? Then have the photo published in The Globe and Mail, Canada’s national newspaper? Surely, we’d all sue for such an indignity. But a recent photo showed Diew, a bull elephant whose been trained to sit on an elephant-sized toilet. No doubt the photo meant to stress that the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is an elephant-sized problem. But editors published the wrong photo.
It’s ironic that an elephant can be trained to sit on a toilet seat, but humans can’t be taught how to avoid IBS. It’s estimated that 25 percent of North Americans suffer from this disconcerting disease.
Alcoholic Cirrhosis From Eating?By Dr. Gifford Jones
I’d bet a thousand to one that 99.9 percent of readers have never heard of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Yet a recent report from Johns Hopkins University claims that 25 percent of North Americans suffer from this disorder. What is it, how can it be prevented and treated?
Today you would have to be living on Mars not to know that heart disease and diabetes are often related to obesity. Now excessive pounds are also causing liver disease. We all tend to forget that whether we’re dealing with war, love or medicine one problem often leads to a greater one.
The Do’s And Don’ts of Rectal BleedingBy Dr. Gifford Jones
General Douglas MacArthur, on his retirement from the U.S army, reminisced, “old soldiers never die they just fade away.” I’ve now written over 1,500 newspaper columns and some never seem to die nor fade away. For instance, a previous article dealing with a unique way of treating hemorrhoids and anusitis continues to trigger letters from readers every year. Readers who say they remember the column, but can’t recall the cure. But these letters also show that many people fail to learn a basic rule; never, never, ignore rectal bleeding.
There Are Stools And There Are StoolsBy Dr. Gifford Jones
This column is written with tongue in cheek. But are you bored as I am, at holiday dinner parties listening to friends talk about their blood cholesterol level or the latest treatment for arthritis? If so, and you don’t mind not being invited again, start discussing stools. The point is that not all stools are created equal and their composition often tells the difference between being healthy or ill.
So what constitutes a healthy stool? Dr. Michael Levitt, an Australian colonrectal surgeon, has written a witty book titled, The Bowel Book. He says that the human gastrointestinal tract (GIT) was designed to operate best when stools resemble the shape and consistency (although not the same colour) of an unripe banana.
Think “refrigerator” when treating hemorrhoidsBy Dr. Gifford Jones
Would Napoleon Bonaparte have won at Waterloo if he hadn’t been suffering from painful hemorrhoids? Directing the battle while on horseback with swollen hemorrhoids could not have been easy. We’ll never know the answer to that question. But today there are solutions for treating this common condition. One answer is as close as the refrigerator door. But there’s a major pitfall to avoid.
While I was reading about Napoleon‚s life I received this letter from a reader. She wrote, “ I’m pregnant and have suffered for months from hemorrhoids. And even when not pregnant I’m always annoyed by rectal itching and burning. I’m at my wit’s end as I’ve tried every over-the-counter preparation without relief. What can I do?”
The Great Canadian Fart SurveyBy Dr. Gifford Jones
This week it’s tough getting back to work. I’ve just returned from a cruise around South America’s Cape Horn. Each day I was pampered on Holland America’s ship, the Ryndham. Then a stay in Rio de Janeiro strolling Copacabana’s magnificent beach. One doesn’t forget the bikini-clad Latin ladies! So still in a vacation mood I’ve searched hard and long for a lighter topic for this week’s column. I finally found The Great Canadian Fart Survey.
This study will never be nominated for a Nobel Prize. It’s certainly not a topic for a sedate dinner party. But there are some amazing facts suitable for Trivial Pursuit. Besides the problem is universal. Kings, Queens and the rest of us are all affected by it.
Don’t Let Your Dignity Kill YouBy Dr. Gifford Jones
“Why in the name of Heaven do I submit to this procedure every five years? To be forced into such an undignified position makes me wonder each time if there’s a God.”
My answer remains conclusively the same. I’d rather face15 minutes of immodesty to months of dying slowly from cancer of the large bowel. So don’t be fooled by a recent newspaper headline stating that colonoscopy isn’t 100 percent foolproof. If you use this report as an excuse for not lying on the colonoscopy table it could be a fatal error.
A Novel Way To Relieve Rectal DiscomfortBy Dr. Gifford Jones
“How can I get rid of rectal irritation?” Or “what is the best treatment for hemorrhoids?” Every year readers ask these questions. Some have given up hope of ever getting rid of rectal discomfort. Yet for many sufferers help is as close as the refrigerator door.
Dr. Warren Rudd is Director of the Rudd Clinic for Diseases of the Colon and Rectum in Toronto. He stresses that many people think they’re suffering from hemorrhoids. But the cause for the discomfort is a condition called “anusitis”, a frequently overlooked problem.
A New Drug To Treat HeartburnBy Dr. Gifford Jones
Nietzsche, the German philosopher wrote in 1886 that “The belly is the main reason why man does not mistake himself for a god.” The gnawing, burning pain that accompanies heartburn, the most common symptom of dyspepsia or digestive disease always reminds us we’re very human. Now, a new medication will provide speedier relief for this ungodly distress.
Heartburn is a huge problem. In Canada more than seven million people suffer from symptoms of digestive disease. It’s the fourth most common reason to visit a physician and accounts for seven percent of all family doctor visits.
Please Help MeBy Dr. Gifford Jones
What is the worst part of being a medical journalist? It’s not the long hours researching and writing a column. The never-ending deadlines week after week. It’s when the written word becomes too authoritative and readers think you know more than you do. And you simply cannot deliver the goods.
A few weeks ago that scenario happened. A young woman wrote that she suffered from Crohn’s Disease. That she had been hospitalized 30 times, endured several operations, and treated by a variety of medication. And yet her life was still a living hell. She asked, “Did I have any way to help her?”
The Fallacy of Colonic CleansingBy Dr. Gifford Jones
Why didn’t they teach me this treatment at The Harvard Medical School? It could have saved my patients and me a lot of headaches. A simple procedure that helps every disease in the book. But can colonic irrigation accomplish all these things? And is there a dangerous downside?
Several readers have seen web sites advocating this practice and wonder about its benefits. So I clicked into the internet to see what’s offered. And there’s plenty to entice the unsuspecting medical consumer.
What You Should Know About I.B.S.By Dr. Gifford Jones
Napoleon Bonaparte at one time needed a soldier for a particularly hazardous mission. The story goes that he ordered several soldiers to face a firing squad. He picked the stoic who showed no tendency to move his bowels. Napoleon might also have concluded that this soldier did not suffer from “the irritable bowel syndrome” (IBS).
A recent report in the Canadian Medical Association Journal says that 15 percent of adults in North America suffer from IBS. And that it’s notoriously hard to diagnose and treat.
Will you get an ulcer this Christmas?By Dr. Gifford Jones
During this hectic festive season do partygoers face an increased risk of developing a peptic ulcer? Many people will suffer from headaches and gastritis after overindulging. But can too many martinis, rich foods and stress trigger a duodenal ulcer? As the holiday season begins it’s time to separate fact from fiction.
Contrary to popular belief most peptic ulcers do not occur in the stomach. 75 per cent start in the duodenum, the U-shaped uppermost part of the small bowel, into which the stomach empties. The majority of ulcers range from the size of a pea to a 25 cent coin. And males are twice as likely to develop one.
Don’t Love Your Liver Too LateBy Dr. Gifford Jones
Have you ever worried about your liver? Most people would answer “no” unless they’re heavy drinkers. Rather, they’re concerned about a possible heart attack, stroke, cancer and other problems. It’s an ironic situation since the liver, one of the most complicated organs in the body, is the most abused. What does it do? And why is it wise not to love your liver too late.
Public opinion polls reveal that most people know practically nothing about their liver. Yet every day the human liver performs over 5,000 chores.
The 90 Percent Solution For Anusitis and HemorrhoidsBy Dr. Gifford Jones
Many people think they’re suffering from hemorrhoids. But the cause of their discomfort is often “anusitis” a common, but frequently overlooked condition. In this case a hemorrhoid operation won’t relieve the symptoms. This week two common problems that have plagued mankind for centuries. There’s a easy cure for both and one may be as close as the refrigerator door.
Anusitis is an inflamed area just inside the anus. Most patients complain of a small amount of discharge around the anal area. This constant wetness macerates the skin causing multiple tiny cracks, which in turn trigger itching.
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