Dr. Lee was born in Shanghai, China, and received his college and medical training in the United States. He is fluent in English and three Chinese dialects. He graduated with chemistry departmental honors from Harvey Mudd College. He was appointed president of AOA society at UCLA School of Medicine. He underwent internal medicine residency and gastroenterology fellowship training at Cedars Sinai Medical Center.
Jay W. Marks, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
There are three situations in which abnormally increased amounts of gas are
produced in the colon.
Malabsorption of sugars and carbohydrates. Reduced digestion or
absorption by the small intestine allows increased amounts of sugar and
carbohydrate to reach the colon where greater amounts of gas are produced.
The most common example of malabsorption leading to increased production of
gas is lactose (milk)
intolerance. Lactose intolerance is due to a genetic lack of the enzyme in the lining of the small
intestine that digests lactose,
the sugar in milk. Other causes of malabsorption that can lead to excessive
production of gas include: (1) malabsorption of other sugars such as
sucrose, sorbitol, or fructose; (2) diseases of the pancreas that cause
inadequate amounts of pancreaticenzymes (that are necessary for digesting
sugars and carbohydrates in the small intestine) to enter the small intestine; and
(3) diseases of the lining of the small intestine (for example, celiac
disease) that reduce the sugar and carbohydrate-digesting enzymes in the
lining and reduce absorption of sugars and carbohydrates.
Rapid intestinal transit. Normal digestion and absorption of
sugars and carbohydrates requires time. If food passes through the small
intestine too rapidly, there is not enough time for digestion and absorption to
be completed, and more sugar and carbohydrate reach the colon. The best
example of rapid intestinal transit is among individuals who have had a
large amount of their small intestine removed surgically. There are also a small
number of individuals with intact small bowel who, for unexplained reasons,
have abnormally rapid transit through the small intestine.
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). In patients with SIBO, large numbers of gas-producing
bacteria are present in the small intestine. The abundant bacteria in the small
intestine compete with the small intestine for sugars and carbohydrates and produce
large amounts of gas.
Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth - Symptoms ExperiencedQuestion: Please describe the symptoms, and treatment of your small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.
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.
Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory disease,
primarily involving the small and large intestine, but which can
affect other parts of the digestive system as well. Abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and weight loss are
common symptoms.
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).
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition characterized by high levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood. The two types of diabetes are referred to as type 1 (insulin dependent) and type 2 (non-insulin dependent). Symptoms of diabetes include increased urine output, thirst, hunger, and fatigue. Treatment of diabetes depends on the type.
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.
IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) is a common gastrointestinal disorder involving abnormal gut contractions (motility) characterized by abdominal pain,
bloating, mucous in stools, and irregular bowel habits with alternating diarrhea
and constipation, symptoms that tend to be chronic and to wax and wane over the
years. Treatment options include medication and lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise, and stress management to control symptoms. Also called spastic colitis, mucus colitis, nervous colon syndrome.
Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease of the connective tissue. It is characterized by the formation of scar tissue (fibrosis) in the skin and organs of the body, leading to thickness and firmness of involved areas. Scleroderma is also referred to as systemic sclerosis, and the cause is unknown. Treatment of scleroderma is directed toward the individual features that are most troubling to the patient.
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.
Digestion RSS
Healthy Living Tips
This site complies with the