Is the only time you consider visiting a medical professional at Middle Park Health when you are experiencing severe pain, such as a broken bone, or an issue you can’t ignore? It’s normal to experience some symptoms and then have them disappear after a few days.
However, what’s not normal is experiencing digestive issues for more than two weeks and not doing anything about it. The problems could vary significantly between people. Still, ignoring them doesn’t mean they will go away on their own, and that could be a cause for concern.
Why Timely Care for Digestive Problems Matters
The tummy aches, irritations, or constipation you experienced as a child always seemed to go away by themselves. As an adult, it’s tempting to think the same will always be true for you. However, since your gut has aged with you, it may be difficult to shake off ailments as quickly as when you were growing up.
Throughout the years, your digestive system has been exposed to various irritants and problems that culminate in serious digestive issues as you age. Some of these irritants include:
- Medications: Popping pills for every minor issue starts to catch up with you as you grow older. Given that your gut wasn’t designed to digest medicine, you end up experiencing diarrhea, nausea, bleeding ulcers, abdominal pain, and constipation, among other problems.
- Sedentary Lifestyle: This is the number one cause of various gastrointestinal diseases, including constipation and the development of hemorrhoids, which are swollen blood vessels in your lower gastrointestinal tract.
- Gravity: Over time, the diaphragm sinks, resulting in less support for the point where the esophagus meets the stomach. This sinking results in a hiatal hernia and is capable of causing acid reflux and heartburn.
- Dehydration and Inactivity: As you join the workforce, you may have less time to engage in physically demanding activities, and aging only worsens digestive issues.
The common catalyst in combination with one or more of the above issues is your diet. If your current regime does not provide you with all the vital nutrients together with the above cases, you end up experiencing aggravated digestive issues.
Common Digestive Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore
Some symptoms can come about due to some foods not going down well. A quick visit to a pharmacy can solve the issue. However, not all manifestations have the exact cause. This is why it’s essential to pay a visit to a medical practitioner if the symptoms persist over a prolonged period.
Some of these symptoms include:
Chronic or Worsening Heartburn
Heartburn after binging on fatty, spicy foods or alcohol is typical. Nonetheless, if it occurs more than twice a week, or gets progressively severe, then it’s time to visit your medical care provider.
Bloody Diarrhea
Having bloody diarrhea once shouldn’t set off alarms, but if it\’s frequent, that’s another matter altogether. Also, the quality of blood in the stool could indicate various issues ranging from a bleeding ulcer, Crohn’s Disease, or simply the effect of a blood thinner. However, if the stool is more blood than fecal matter, a quick visit to a Middle Park Health emergency room is necessary.
Vomiting Blood
The appearance of this symptom is never a good signal, regardless of the quality of the blood. Unless you swallowed blood or some cranberry juice, there shouldn’t even be a debate about what to do. Head to an emergency room immediately, as it indicates several acute problems in your GI tract, some of which may require surgical intervention.
Severe Abdominal Pain
The occasional tummy ache is normal. If it extends beyond what you consider normal in terms of pain levels and duration, then head to your nearest emergency room immediately. Terrible abdominal pain could indicate an extreme medical emergency such as a ruptured appendix, an ectopic pregnancy, or even a heart attack. All three require surgical services.
Abdominal Bloating or Distension
This means abdominal swelling caused by too much eating or gas. Even so, if the inflammation does not subside after what you consider to be enough time to digest food, or release the gas, then visit an emergency room. In case of increased bloating accompanied by fever, or if your abdomen is painful, get in touch with a Middle Park Health medical professional immediately.
Feeling Full After Small Meals
If you’ve been getting full with smaller portions of food, this could be an indicator of a grievous issue. If you experience nausea, the problems could imply gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Digestive Health Care at Middle Park Health
Visit any of our Middle Park Health clinics if you are experiencing GI issues. We are a family practice clinic offering a variety of services. Our six clinics have been serving the people of Colorado and offering walk-in, acute, and even surgical services.
If you currently struggle with GI issues, get in touch with us. We’d love to help you overcome them and live your best life now.
Contact Middle Park Health today to learn more, or to schedule an appointment.
