Digestion issues, such as acid reflux, diarrhea, or stomach cramps, can significantly affect your quality of life. Therefore, it’s important to get to the bottom of your digestive problems and treat the source instead of the symptoms.
Functional medicine involves taking a holistic approach to the diagnosis and treatment of health concerns, including problems with digestion.
Instead of just prescribing a drug to alleviate symptoms, functional medicine doctors take the time to get to know their patients’ health profiles to determine what could be causing digestive issues.
Here are some examples of root causes of digestion problems:
Food sensitivities
Leaky gut
Parasites
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Celiac disease
Crohn’s disease
Gastroparesis
Stress can cause digestive issues by disrupting the bacterial balance in your gut, and it’s a common trigger for IBS symptoms. Too much stress can cause problems like constipation, diarrhea, cramps, and excess gas. Functional medicine treatment plans aim to help you reduce or cope with stressors in your life so you can avoid triggering symptoms.
A major factor in digestion is, of course, the things you consume. A functional medicine practitioner examines your diet and runs tests to identify allergies or food sensitivities that could be causing your symptoms. They can also suggest foods that will help clean and balance your gut, which can help with your digestion and mood.
By testing for parasites, leaky gut, and food sensitivities, individuals can gain insight into the root causes of their digestion issues. This knowledge allows for personalized treatment approaches, such as targeted antimicrobial therapy for parasites, gut-healing protocols for leaky gut, and dietary modifications for food sensitivities. Addressing these underlying factors can help alleviate digestive symptoms, improve nutrient absorption, and promote overall gut health. It is important to consult with a healthcare professional experienced in functional medicine or gastroenterology to determine the most appropriate tests and treatment plan for individual circumstances.
If you’ve gone to doctors, taken prescription drugs, and tried diet plans but nothing worked, you could benefit from a more personalized method that takes multiple factors into account, including your lifestyle choices, genetics, and environment. Dr. Alicia Newsome can listen to your story and help you on the path to healthy digestion.
