Have you already seen your primary care doctor (or even GI specialists) about chronic gut issues, only to be given a prescription to deal with the symptoms?
Perhaps you are dealing with regular bloating, acid reflux or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), diarrhea, stomach cramps or even fatigue and brain fog?
Unfortunately, most doctors recommend antacids (like Tums, Pepto-Bismol) or proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) to deal with “overactive” stomach acid or some other medication to deal with the symptoms.
While some OTC medicines may temporarily ease symptoms, they can seriously harm you in the long-term because you’ll never explore what caused your symptoms in the first place.
This is emblematic of a conventional medicine approach – going downstream from observed symptoms towards a diagnosis (to be addressed with a symptomatic prescription medicine). In an insurance-based practice, that’s really the only thing that can be accomplished in a typical 7-minute visit!
The problem with this is that there are many reasons why you could experience chronic digestive distress, and unless you understand the true root cause of what’s ultimately leading to the observed digestive symptoms, you don’t know how to fix it for good.
That’s why the conventional approach to chronic digestive disorders is really frustrating for both patients AND doctors:
Patients never get to truly resolve their digestive issues… instead just managing their symptoms, while primary care doctors feel ill-equipped to identify what’s really causing the observed gut issues.
While the symptoms of 100s of gut diseases are literally the same (bloating, gassiness, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain), they may be caused by very different mechanisms that require a specialized approach.
That’s why it’s dangerous to mask the warning symptoms with over-the-counter remedies like antacids, laxatives or antidiarrheals – without investigating the true root causes.
In the 1990’s, we made incredible advances in understanding that our health is deeply linked to our microbiome – a collection of microbes including bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses that live on and inside the human body.
The bacteria in our gut microbiome help digest our food, protect our immune system, fight harmful bacteria or viruses, and produce important nutrients like B12, thiamine (B1) and riboflavin.
They also produce important neurotransmitters that allow for proper brain function. This is why people with poor gut health oftentimes report brain fog!
Unfortunately, these new advances in science take around 17 years to find their way into conventional doctors’ practices… so that’s why you may be better served by a functional medicine provider like our team at Harris Internal Medicine.
The functional medicine approach to healing the gut is relying on advanced lab testing, followed by creating a custom-tailored, personalized protocol to restore your body’s innate healing potential so we can bring your body back into balance.
Since the gut impacts our health on so many levels, it’s the first place we focus on when we explore a new patient’s case – determining whether they have leaky gut, irritable bowel syndrome, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), or its cousin small intestinal fungal overgrowth (SIFO).
The lab tests help us arrive at a precise diagnosis, so we understand how to address the underlying dysfunction for good – whether it’s unresolved stealth infections, environmental toxins, food allergies or other endocrine or system-wide issues.
Sadly, conventional doctors aren’t equipped to untangle these complex, interdependent issues because there’s simply not enough time in a standard 7-minute visit – nor was the topic covered in their standard medical school training.
Oftentimes, I’ve heard from patients things like “I have a “sensitive stomach” which seems to have become an accepted term for “just grin and bear it.”
But what it could actually mean is a serious gut imbalance that might have far-reaching consequences for your overall wellness.
Don’t just chalk it up to having a “sensitive” stomach or “getting older,” seek out care from a functional medicine-trained provider to avoid compromising your long-term health.
At Harris Internal Medicine, our expert team is trained to investigate the symptoms and causes of your chronic digestive disorder and craft an effective treatment plan that’s supported by the appropriate lab tests.
If you have been experiencing chronic symptoms that may be connected with digestive problems and are looking for answers, schedule a free discovery consult today!
Do you have questions about starting your path back to health? Our patient coordinator is standing by, happy to answer any questions you have to determine if our approach is right for you.
4000 Shakerag Hill #302, Peachtree City GA 30269 Phone: 770.954.5010 info@harrisinternalmed.com