Latest Articles by Gastroenterology Associates

The pancreas is a long gland organ that sits behind the stomach in the upper abdomen and releases digestive enzymes and hormones—namely, insulin—into the body. Thus, it plays a critical role in digestion and blood sugar regulation. Pancreatitis occurs when the pancreas becomes inflamed.

One of the most common causes of gallbladder pain are gallstones—hardened deposits of digestive fluid, also called gallstone disease, or cholelithiasis. Gallstones may never manifest symptoms, but if they move to block the bile duct or the gallbladder (cholecystitis), they can cause severe pain, and may call for surgical removal of the gallbladder, a procedure called a cholecystectomy.

Helicobacter pylori, or H. pylori, is a type of bacteria that may infect the stomach lining. It is estimated that much of the world’s population has H. pylori in their system, but not everyone harboring the bacteria will experience symptoms of an associated infection.

Those living with celiac disease or another form of gluten sensitivity are warned to eliminate gluten entirely from their diets to avoid inflammation and other side effects associated with ingesting the protein. Many who do not suffer from this intolerance are also discovering that maintaining a gluten-free diet could be a healthy alternative to their current Western diets, which are typically laden with gluten-containing products, such as bread, cereals, baked goods, pasta, etc.

If you are looking to kick gluten for any reason, here are several helpful tips for a smooth transition:

Acid reflux happens when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), a ring of muscle between the esophagus and stomach, does not operate correctly. The job of the lower esophageal sphincter is to relax to let food pass through to the stomach, then close to prevent stomach acid from creeping into the esophagus. When the tissue is weakened or malfunctions in some way, stomach acid may splash back into the esophagus and cause inflammation that we often refer to as “heartburn.”

In the medical world, GERD is an acronym for Gastroesophageal reflux disease. It’s a digestive disorder related to the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), a ring of muscle between the esophagus and stomach.

Normally, the LES relaxes and opens its ring to allow food to enter the stomach, then closes back up. With GERD, the LES is weakened or moves in an abnormal way that leaves the passageway open for stomach acid to splash back up into the esophagus. Your stomach is equipped to handle the stomach acid, but over time, that same stomach acid could be erosive to your esophagus. The inflammation caused by stomach acid is referred to as acid reflux, or often felt as heartburn.

Together, colon and rectal cancers (often referred to as colorectal cancer) are the third most common type in the United States, with an estimated 145,600 new cases and 51,020 deaths expected in 2019. You can significantly lower your risk of developing advanced colorectal cancer by knowing your risks and taking proactive screening measures to detect polyps. If all adults over the age of 45 received preventative screening, as is recommended by the American Cancer Society, thousands of colorectal cancer-related deaths could be avoided, each year.

To raise awareness about the dangers of colorectal cancer, also known as colon cancer, Gastroenterology Associates (GA)—one of the largest gastroenterology practices on Long Island—hosts an annual gathering of doctors, staff, lawmakers, and patients at its partner outpatient facility, Long Island Center for Digestive Health (LICDH). Its goal is to decrease the incidence of colon cancer, and increase early detection. [VIDEO]