These five categories sum up what can go wrong in the digestive system to cause to cause both acute and chronic symptoms. Whatever your disease label — colitis, Crohn’s, leaky gut, irritable bowel, parasites, Candida, Sibo etc. — it sums up to an inflammatory pattern that causes disturbances within your intestinal tract. It doesn’t matter what label was given to your set of symptoms as disease labels can be misleading at times. The most common intestinal symptoms are bloating, loose stools, constipation, nausea, abdominal pain and distension. Let’s break down these labels and try to make some sense of why you are having symptoms. Here is a list of the most common intestinal disease labels. Let’s see if we can put some pieces together to give us a better picture.
Crohn’s Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and colitis are just disease labels, which have little to do with the cause of the inflammation in the gut. Bloating, loose stools, constipation, nausea, abdominal pain and distension are a result of the inflammation. The inflammation is an effect of the cause. Suppression of symptomology is not a pathway to intestinal or overall health. It is a road to a lifetime of immune suppressive drugs, possible surgeries and more that allow the illness to be perpetual, called disease management.
Small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) may have similar symptoms. Perverse bacteria have taken over the digestive system and are causing chronic symptoms. Many of these cases are diagnosed with one of the disease labels, Crohn’s Disease, Colitis or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Candida Albicans (fungal infection) from overuse of antibiotics, birth control pills and steroid use will cause lots of bloating, smelly gas and loose stools. Fatigue, brain fog and irritability may also be present.
Leaky gut can cause a diversity of symptoms in the digestive system but may also have a role in auto-immune conditions, chronic fatigue and allergies as well.
Parasites can also cause similar symptoms such as bloating, loose stools, constipation, abdominal pain and dissension. Usually diagnosed as Crohn’s Disease, Colitis and irritable bowel (IBS).
Vagus Nerve Syndrome can cause a multitude of intestinal symptoms previously mentioned including nausea. May also include more diverse symptoms like fatigue, blood pressure issues, anxiety, racing heart and palpitations. You may have a wide range of disease labels thrown at you, depending on what type of health practitioner or doctor you have seen. It is rare to find someone who both understands the causes of Vegas Nerve Syndrome and knows how to address those causes properly. It is a complex issue, as many suffer from this illness. Few are properly diagnosed and fewer have found proper guidance.
All these above tell us we have an unhealthy microbiome. You could not have been given a disease label and have a healthy microbiome. Upgrade your microbiome and you will see huge changes in your intestinal microbiome and your symptoms. It can be that simple. We can look at specifics to guide us to what the overall picture is telling us by simply ordering a Microbiome Labs BiomeFx™ Stool Test that can break down components of your intestinal tract (microbiome) into underlying patterns that we can work with to achieve intestinal health.
Typical story, my neighbor has had symptomatic colitis for over 25 years and is on immune suppressive therapy and regular intestinal drainage. He was never told by his gastroenterologist about the importance of the microbiome. Millions of people suffer needlessly from gut issues because they were sold a disease label and never questioned it. They never had a proper intestinal workup by looking at the possible causes, which all lie in the microbiome. They all suffer from an unhealthy microbiome and are unaware that getting proper testing and specific supplementation can support their digestive system back to normal. The health of the intestinal microbiome can be restored once you are aware of the specific concerns going on and use directed supplements to support the process.