You are starting a bowel movement and you suddenly feel a sharp pain in your anal area. When you look in the toilet you see bright red blood, or you see bright red blood on your toilet paper. Don’t panic, these are not the symptoms of anal cancer. You probably … Read More
When you think about gut health, you are thinking about the last part of your digestive system, called your colon. Both the foods you eat and the foods you avoid affect your gut health. Eating for a healthy colon can help you avoid gut problems like colon cancer, inflammatory bowel … Read More
Do you use the Bristol Stool Chart?’ The Bristol Stool Chart is a human-poop evaluation guide developed at the British Royal Infirmary in 1997. It can help you determine if your feces are normal. The Bristol Stool Chart—also called the Bristol Stool Scale—s widely used in clinical settings, especially with … Read More
A natural diuretic is an herb or plant used for their effect on the urinary tract and fluid balance. Diuretics are primarily used to eliminate excess fluid from body tissues, to flush the urinary tract in the treatment of urinary infections, and in detoxification of the body via increased excretion … Read More
The importance of fiber in the diet cannot be overemphasized. Dietary fiber—what we used to call “roughage” or “bulk”—can help prevent or alleviate chronic constipation, hemorrhoids, diverticulosis, IBS, and possibly colorectal cancer. There is some early evidence suggesting that a high-fiber diet may lessen or prevent food allergies, and dietary … Read More
If you have unsightly varicose veins, self-help strategies—such as weight loss, physical activity, not standing up for long periods of time, elevating your legs when sitting down, and wearing compression stockings—can sometimes mitigate their appearance. However, if these approaches don’t help, and if you're bothered by the appearance of your … Read More
In today’s age, the term “digital” may make you think electronic or photographic. But, alas, digital here refers to a finger, so a digital rectal exam (DRE) is an examination of your rectum with the physician’s gloved and lubricated index finger. Both men and women undergo a digital rectal exam, … Read More
Everyone knows that we need proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals, but we often forget about fiber in the healthy eating equation. Fiber occurs naturally in foods that come from plants. Interestingly, we don’t actually digest fiber, yet it has been shown to be extremely beneficial for gut health. At … Read More
No one wants to talk about constipation, but just about everyone has to deal with it at some point. Remedies for constipation vary, but most of us would rather resolve it without the use of medications. Constipation, usually defined as having fewer than three bowel movements in a week, may … Read More
Let’s be honest: Hemorrhoids are not an easy topic of conversation for most people. However, they’re very common. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease, about 75 percent of us experience hemorrhoids sometime during our lives. If you have ever suffered the pain, itching, burning, … Read More
