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 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 Oxyzhealth, we provide comprehensive screening panels that can narrow down the specific cause of your digestive issues. Comprehensive 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
● Computerized Tomography (CT) scans
● Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans
● Barium meal tests
● Liver function test – can be used to check for liver diseases
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 Oxyzhealth, 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
● Probiotics – Probiotics refer to healthy bacteria that are residents of the gut. Probiotics 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 gutflora. Probiotic supplements are also available that can help improve the probiotics population in the gut.
Gut+ Probiotic Supplements from Oxyzhealth
The gut is a host to trillions of bacteria – both good and bad. Keeping a constant gut flora population has been proven to be effective in the prevention of digestive diseases, and the maintenance of a healthy gut.
Our probiotic supplement, Gut+ probiotic, is loaded with over 20 billion colony-forming units (CFU) of the bacteria, Pylopass. Pylopass is a patented strain of Lactobacillus reuteri from Denmark that has been proven to reduce the bacterial load of Helicobacter pylori in the gut. In turn, it can prevent gastrointestinal symptoms related to H. pylori infection such as heartburn and acid reflux.
In 1994, the World Health Organization also labeled Helicobacter pylori as a class 1 carcinogen making it more concerning. Chronic Helicobacter pylori infection can cause metaplastic changes in the stomach which can progress to cancer.
Pylopass in our Gut+ probiotic supplement offers a safe, non-invasive, non-pharmacological approach to prevent the colonization of the gut by H.pylori. The Pylopass strain in the Gut+ probiotic is designed to target H.pylori without disturbing the normal gut flora.
Conclusion
Digestive health can affect the general health and well-being of everyone. Digestive diseases are very common and can easily spread from one individual to another. Screening for digestive diseases is essential to control early symptoms before it gets worse.
Several treatment options are available that can provide relief and heal digestive diseases. Lactobacillus has been shown to be effective to prevent and provide relief for various types of diarrhea seen in digestive diseases.
At Oxyzhealth, Gut+ probiotic is loaded with probiotics to improve gut flora. Our team of health professionals are also always available, and easily accessible to help you keep your gut healthy and free of diseases.
