Digestive Health Archive

Early detection of colorectal cancer saves lives. Now there are more ways than ever to get screened (and fewer excuses not to). American Cancer Society screening guidelines now include colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, CT scanning, at-home stool testing, and blood testing.

Many people live with both IBS and fibromyalgia, facing gut issues plus ongoing pain and fatigue. Doctors suspect a connection, but it’s not yet clear how the two are linked.

Discover what bilirubin is, why levels rise on blood tests, and how liver, bile ducts, or red blood cells can each play a role in hyperbilirubinemia.

Aging is the single biggest risk factor for developing cancer. As people get older, DNA damage accumulates in cells, and chronic inflammation and imbalances in gut bacteria become more common. All of these factors may contribute to the age-related increase in cancer cases.

Recovering from diverticulitis and unsure about fruits and veggies? See how your diet should change short term and what to focus on long term.

Longtime guidance about skipping nuts, seeds, and popcorn after diverticulitis is being challenged. Learn what newer research suggests about your diet.

Back and pelvic pain in people with Crohn’s can signal sacroiliitis or other joint inflammation. Learn how doctors sort this out from routine back strain.

Pain from gallstones (hardened, stonelike lumps of bile or other digestive fluids that block bile ducts) usually occurs in a distinct pattern. Gallstone attacks typically provoke steady, intense pain in the upper right abdomen that can radiate to the shoulder or back.

Not all cases of gallstones need treatment. Many people have gallstones that never cause pain or other symptoms and can be left alone. But if gallstones cause persistent pain or other symptoms, doctors often opt to surgically remove the gallbladder.

An elevated lymphocyte count usually indicates a simple viral illness. Less often, it could indicate a blood cancer. How the number is calculated shapes what it may mean.