Irritable Bowel Syndrome Center - Cambridge, MA
Cambridge Gastroenterologist Doctors for Irritable Bowel SyndromeType of Physician: Gastroenterologist What is a Gastroenterologist? A subspecialty certification by the Board of Internal Medicine; practitioners focus on the stomach, intestines, colon, liver, and gallbladder (digestive organs). The gastroenterologist treats conditions such as abdominal pain, ulcers, diarrhea, cancer, and jaundice and they consult with surgeons when abdominal operations are indicated. Specialty: Gastroenterology Common Name: GI Doctor Gastroenterologist Doctors in Cambridge * Harvard Vanguard Medical Specialties Cambridge  Cambridge Hospital Medical Specialists  Harvard Vanguard Medical Specialties Cambridge  Harvard Vanguard Gastroenterology  Harvard Vanguard Gastroenterology  Harvard Vanguard Gastroenterology  Pastor Medical Group  Harvard Vanguard Gastroenterology  Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates Surgery  Harvard Vanguard Gastroenterology  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Gastroenterology  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center  John Chobanian MD  Ram Chuttani MD  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Gastroenterology  Mt Auburn Gastroenterology Associates  Harvey Goldman MD  Mt Auburn Gastroenterology Associates  Ciaran P Kelly MD  John T. Lamont, MD  Anthony J Lembo MD  Cambridge Gastroenterology Associates  Beth Israel Deaconess Med Ctr Digestive Disease Ctr  Beth Israel Deaconess  Torre Morgan MD  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Gastroenterology  Beth Israel Deaconess  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Gastroenterology  Beth Israel Deaconess  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Gastroenterology  Helen M Shields MD  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Gastroenterology  Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Gastroenterologic Oncology  Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Gastroenterologic Oncology  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Liver Center  Beth Israel Deaconess Gastroenterology  Beth Israel Deaconess Gastroenterology  Brigham & Women's Hospital Gastroenterology  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Liver Center  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Liver Center  Beth Israel Deaconess Gastroenterology  Beth Israel Deaconess Gastroenterology  Beth Israel Deaconess Gastroenterology  Beth Israel Deaconess Gastroenterology  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Liver Center  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Liver Center  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Liver Center  Beth Israel Deaconess Gastroenterology  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Liver Center  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Liver Center  Charles Trey & Associates PC  Brigham & Women's Hospital Gastroenterology and Hepatology Associates  Brigham & Women's Hospital Gastroenterology and Hepatology Associates  Brigham & Women's Hospital Gastroenterology and Hepatology Associates  Brigham & Women's Hospital Gastroenterology and Hepatology Associates  Brigham & Women's Hospital Gastroenterology and Hepatology Associates  Brigham & Women's Hospital Gastroenterology and Hepatology Associates  Brigham & Women's Hospital Gastroenterology and Hepatology Associates  Brigham & Women's Hospital Gastroenterology and Hepatology Associates  Brigham & Women's Hospital Gastroenterology and Hepatology Associates  Brigham & Women's Hospital Gastroenterology and Hepatology Associates  Brigham & Women's Hospital Gastroenterology and Hepatology Associates  Blackwell Medical Associates  Blackwell Medical Associates  Kinnari R Kher MD  Blackwell Medical Associates  MGH Gastroenterology Associates  MGH Gastroenterology Associates  MGH Gastroenterology Associates  MGH Gastroenterology Associates  MGH Gastroenterology Associates  MGH Gastroenterology Associates  MGH Gastroenterology Associates  MGH Gastroenterology Associates  MGH Gastroenterology Associates  MGH Gastroenterology Associates  MGH Gastroenterology Associates  MGH Gastroenterology Associates  MGH Gastroenterology Associates  MGH Gastroenterology Associates  MGH Gastroenterology Associates  MGH Gastroenterology Associates  MGH Gastroenterology Associates  MGH Gastroenterology Associates  MGH Gastroenterology Associates  MGH Gastroenterology Associates  MGH Gastroenterology Associates  MGH Gastroenterology Associates  MGH Gastroenterology Associates  MGH Gastroenterology Associates  MGH Gastroenterology Associates  Massachusetts General Hospital Gastroenterology  MGH Gastroenterology Associates  MGH Gastroenterology Associates  MGH Gastroenterology Associates  MGH Gastroenterology Associates  MGH Gastroenterology Associates  Pediatric GI & Nutritional Associates at MGH  MGH Gastroenterology Associates Cambridge, MassachusettsUpcoming Local Events2012-06-10
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Irritable Bowel SyndromeRead the Irritable Bowel Syndrome article » What is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common ailments of the bowel (intestines) and affects an estimated 15% of persons in the US. The term, irritable bowel, is not a particularly accurate one since it implies that the bowel is responding irritably to normal stimuli, and this may or may not be the case. The several names for IBS, including spastic colon, spastic colitis, and mucous colitis, attest to the difficulty of getting a descriptive handle on the ailment. Moreover, each of the other names is itself as problematic as the term IBS. IBS is best described as a functional disease. The concept of functional disease is particularly useful when discussing diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The concept applies to the muscular organs of the gastrointestinal tract; the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, gallbladder, and colon. What is meant by the term, functional, is that either the muscles of the organs or the nerves that control the organs are not working normally, and, as a result, the organs do not function normally. The nerves that control the organs include not only the nerves that lie within the muscles of the organs but also the nerves of the spinal cord and brain to which they connect. Some gastrointestinal diseases can be seen and diagnosed with the naked eye, such as ulcers of the stomach when visualized with certain methods. Thus, ulcers can be seen at surgery, on X-rays, and at endoscopy. Other diseases cannot be seen with the naked eye but can be seen and diagnosed with the microscope. For example, celiac disease and collagenous colitis are diagnosed by microscopic examination of biopsies of the small intestine and colon, respectively. In contrast, gastrointestinal functional diseases cannot be seen with the naked eye or with the microscope. In some instances, the abnormal function can be demonstrated by tests, for example... Recommended Reading Related to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)What is colonoscopy?Colonoscopy is a procedure that enables an examiner (usually a gastroenterologist) to evaluate the inside of the colon (large intestine or large bowel). The colonoscope is a four foot long, flexible tube about the thickness of a finger with a camera and a source of light at its tip. The tip of the colonoscope is inserted into the anus and then is advanced slowly, under visual control, into the rectum and through the colon usually as far as the cecum, which is the first part of the colon.
Why is colonoscopy done?Colonoscopy may be done for a variety of reasons. Most often it is done to investigate the cause of blood in the stool, abdominal pain, diarrhea, a change in bowel habit, or an abnormality found on colonic X-rays or a computerized axial tomography (CT) scan. Individuals with a previous history of polyps or colon cancer and certain individuals with a family history of some types of non-colonic canc... Other Related Irritable Bowel Syndrome ArticlesEmergency Contact for Cambridge
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Suggested Reading on Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) by Our Doctors
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Related Diseases & Conditions
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Constipation
- Constipation is defined medically as fewer than three stools per week and severe constipation as less than one stool per week. Constipation usually is caused by the slow movement of stool through the colon. There are many causes of constipation including medications, poor bowel habits, low fiber diets, abuse of laxatives, hormonal disorders, and diseases primarily of other parts of the body that also affect the colon.
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Fibromyalgia
- Fibromyalgia, formerly known as fibrositis, causes chronic pain, stiffness, and tenderness of muscles, tendons, and joints without detectable inflammation. Fibromyalgia patients have an unusually low pain threshold. Symptoms of fibromyalgia include fatigue, abnormal sleep, mental/emotional disturbances, abdominal pain, migraine and tension headaches, and irritable bladder. Treatment of fibromyalgia involves patient education, medication, exercise, and stress reduction.
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Intestinal Gas
- Gas or "intestinal gas" means different things to different people. Everyone has gas and eliminates it by belching or farting (passing it through the rectum).
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Diarrhea
- Diarrhea is a change is the frequency and looseness of bowel movements. Cramping, abdominal pain, and the sensation of rectal urgency are all symptoms of diarrhea. Absorbents and anti-motility medications are used to treat diarrhea.
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Abdominal Pain
- Abdominal pain is pain in the belly and can be acute or chronic. Causes include inflammation, distention of an organ, and loss of the blood supply to an organ. Abdominal pain can reflect a major problem with one of the organs in the abdomen such as the appendix, gallbladder, large and small intestine, pancreas, liver, colon, duodenum, and spleen.
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Lactose Intolerance
- In lactose intolerance, the digestive system cannot digest lactose (the main sugar in milk). Symptoms of lactose intolerance include diarrhea, flatulence, abdominal pain, abdominal bloating, abdominal distention, and nausea. There are several tests to diagnose lactose intolerance. Treatment is generally made with dietary changes, supplements, and adaptation to small amounts of milk.
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Indigestion (Dyspepsia, Upset Stomach)
- Dyspepsia (indigestion) is a functional disease in which the gastrointestinal organs, primarily the stomach and first part of the small intestine, function abnormally. It is a chronic disease in which the symptoms fluctuate infrequency and intensity. Symptoms of dyspepsia include upper abdominal pain, belching, nausea, vomiting, abdominal bloating, early satiety, and abdominal distention (swelling). These symptoms are most often provoked by eating.
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The Digestive System
- Digestion is the complex process of turning food you eat into the energy you need to survive. The digestive process also involves creating waste to be eliminated, and is made of a series of muscles that coordinate the movement of food.
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Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth
- Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) refers to a condition in which abnormally large numbers of bacteria (at least 100,000 bacteria per ml of fluid) are present in the small intestine and the types of bacteria in the small intestine resemble more the bacteria of the colon than the small intestine. There are many conditions associated with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, to include: diabetes, scleroderma, Crohn's disease, and others. There is a striking similarity between the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and SIBO. It has been theorized that SIBO may be responsible for the symptoms of at least some patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Symptoms of SIBO include: excess gas, abdominal bloating, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
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Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Triggers and Prevention
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional disease that can affect the quality of those who suffer from this condition. Individuals with IBS can make lifestyle changes that may modify or control the number and severity of episodes. Certain foods, medications, and hormone levels may trigger IBS episodes. Learn how to prevent the number and severity of IBS episodes of diarrhea and constipation.
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Constipation
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Medications
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Procedures & Tests
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Doctor's & Expert's Views
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