Chronic Digestive Disorder
Embarrassing, uncomfortable, painful …. bloating, belching, burning, cramping, aching, bleeding …. all this occuring on the top end.
Referred as Chronic Digestive Disorder, brings about symptoms such as cramping, aching, distention … with an urgent need to find a toilet with who knows what will come out …. all this at the bottom end.
In Chronic Medical Conditions, the physiologic stress of the symptoms described above often diminish appetite, alter hunger, and impair digestion.
We may lose weight, or our body may lose muscles mass while expanding our mid-section fat …. we become ‘skinny-fat’s’.
Impaired digestion leads to impaired absorption of what we have eaten. And undigested foods, passed to the lower half of the gut, cause serious problems.
“We are what we eat …. NOT !!!
“We are what we ABSORB !!! “
When digestion is initially stressed, stomach acid becomes elevated. Many of us have felt this as ‘heartburn’ during times of stress.
Many of us have NOT felt this and then were later diagnosed with a ‘bleeding ulcer’ when our stools became black, tar-colored, or bloody. Maybe we were found to be anemic.
If the stress persists, eventually stomach acid will wane, sometimes become depleted. As stomach acid wanes, just as some people have no stomach symptoms with an elevated stomach acid, some experience no stomach symptoms or pain at all.
Some will feel ‘heartburn’ even though there is a depletion of stomach acid.
Nonetheless, this lack of stomach acid eventually means:
- the microbes on any non-cooked foods do not get sterilized
- incomplete breakdown of protein into the tiny building blocks for our body’s neurotransmitters, for our immunity, and for tissue replacement
- failure to emulsify fats and oils
- failure to absorb essential minerals like iron, calcium and zinc
- failure to absorb B-vitamins … our ‘anti-stress’ vitamins
- we begin to develop allergies that we never had before
- we can no longer tolerate certain foods without having an untoward reaction
As we spiral around, things become progressively worse … and the pathological factors begin to move to other tissues.
Often the joints will begin to ache, or excess phlegm will accumulate in the sinuses or bronchial tubes, or our neck and throat and tongue will swell showing ‘scalloping’ of toothmarks on its outer edges. Feet and ankles can swell. Fingers too. Rashes or cracked lips can begin.
Unraveling and repairing the progression and permutations of disordered digestion is the first step to ‘healing from within’.
Knowing what to eat or drink …. animal products or vegetarian … cooked or raw …. fresh, organic or superfood powders …. enzymes or not … probiotics or pre-biotics … gluten or not ….enough questions to drive any of us neurotic … food neurotic.
When things are out of control, there are a few key things which need to be known:
- is stomach acid adequate and how much of a meal can it adequately digest?
- are the pancreas & liver contributing appropriately to digestion?
- are the normal wave-like contractions, ‘peristalsis’, moving things downward … or is there spasm …. or reversal (whether symptomatic or not) ?
- has the incompletely digested proteins injured the lower gut … ie, created a ‘Leaky Gut’ …. allowing incompletely digested and non-sterilized microbes entry into our lymphatics and bloodstream
- has the gut microbiome mutated?
- have viruses, fungi, amebas, protozoan parasites set up shop in the gut lining ?
- do I now have food allergies or food intolerances ?
In some cases, the story of how one became ill, under what conditions, and the physical exam is enough to begin treatment with a Genetically Personalized Diet plan.
In other cases of chronic digestive disorder, specialized laboratory testing is required to begin the reconstitution of the health of the gut, and to re-establish baseline functional nutrition.
In some cases, the restoration of foundational nutrition deserves to be augmented or rescued by IV Vitamins, Minerals & Neurotransmitters.
As time goes on, broken digestion leads to broken metabolism, then broken immunity.
Repair needs to be done in the correct order.
If the driveway to your house had a massive sink-hole, you wouldn’t order truckloads of lumber, bricks, and tile be delivered to remodel the upstairs bedroom and bath.
Taking unnecessary supplements at times of digestive weakness often compounds the problem.
If any of the above rings true, you may have a chronic digestive disorder. Take the time to find out what needs to be done first, and what is the most logical path forward.
You’ll save time, money, anguish.