Hiccups The hiccup, hiccough, hicka, geehouk, hoquet, hipo, hikke, whatever you call it, nearly everyone has had this annoying experience. You may be wondering what causes them and, more importantly, how to stop them. What are hiccups? A hiccup is an often-repeated, breathing-related movement that does not serve any respiratory function. It involves a sudden, [...]
Diet for Short Bowel Syndrome What is short bowel syndrome? Short bowel syndrome (SBS) is a malabsorptive condition in which more than 50% of the intestine is surgically removed. Symptoms include chronic diarrhea (or high output ostomy), dehydration, cramping, bloating and heartburn. Malnutrition is a common issue when a person is unable to absorb adequate [...]
Stress and Your Gut Unreasonable deadlines. Being stuck in traffic. Having too much to do and not enough time to do it in. Most of us are familiar with these kinds of daily stresses that get our heart racing, our breath quickening, and our stomach churning. Of course, just having a digestive condition can be [...]
Product Review Tecta®: A remodeled PPI with a longer half-life Dr. George Sachs was the first to describe the molecular structure and mechanism of action of the acid-producing pumps found in the stomach lining, in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, in 1976. This discovery led to his later innovation of the first medication in the [...]
BC Government's Healthcare Silo Approach to Drug Policy Cost $43.5 million Vancouver, BC - January 22, 2009 - A new study published in the journal, Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics,1 reveals that a BC Government PharmaCare policy introduced in July 2003, which was intended to reduce costs by $42 million with minimal impact on patient health, [...]
Functional Dyspepsia: Highly Connected to Other Illnesses If you have a gastrointestinal (GI) disorder, you know that managing it can be difficult enough on its own; however, new research reveals that individuals suffering from certain GI disorders are also more likely to have other health problems. Past research has demonstrated that people with irritable bowel [...]
The Unassuming Wonders of the Esophagus Located behind the mighty lungs and heart, the esophagus works hard for us but its function is something many of us take for granted. It seems simple enough – you swallow, food and liquids go down your throat and, shortly after, land in your stomach. End of story. In [...]
Click here to download a PDF of this information. Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease Eosinophils (e-o-sin-o-fills) are a type of white blood cell that are a normal part of the immune system. When triggered by allergies or infection, eosinophils increase in number and become active. In the short-term, this response is important and effective in clearing the [...]
Better Pharmacare Coalition poll reveals British Columbians oppose changes to planned expansion to BC government’s Reference Drug Program Better Pharmacare Coalition eager to work with government to get it right for patients Vancouver, February 9, 2016 – A recent Better Pharmacare Coalition (BPC) poll1 has found that British Columbians oppose expansion of the Ministry of [...]
Click here to download a PDF of this information. Gastroparesis The term ‘gastro’ refers to the stomach, and ‘paresis’ means partial paralysis; therefore, gastroparesis means partial paralysis of the stomach. To understand what goes wrong in gastroparesis, it is important to know how a healthy digestive tract functions. When we eat, we start by chewing [...]
Managing GERD with PPIs Weighing the Benefits versus Potential Risks Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) occurs when the upper portion of the digestive tract is not functioning properly, causing stomach contents to flow back into the esophagus. Recurring heartburn is the most common symptom; others include the sensation of food or liquid coming up into the [...]
Public Service Announcements The British Columbia Association of Broadcasters (BCAB) announced its members have chosen the GI (Gastrointestinal) Society and its associated registered charity, the Canadian Society of Intestinal Research, as this year’s Humanitarian Award recipient. With this award, BCAB will provide the GI Society with advertisements on television and radio stations across British Columbia. The [...]
Track Your Digestive Health Read the article to learn more, then download our free printable templates to get started! Available in full-page or half-page sizes. Do you maintain a journal for digestive health? By recording your experiences on a particular day – such as what you ate, how much water you drank, or the state [...]
Product Review IBgard® for IBS Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a very common, functional gastrointestinal disorder. It affects approximately 13-20% of Canadians and has symptoms that include abdominal pain, bloating, and altered bowel habits such as constipation and/or diarrhea. Treatment for IBS is often multifaceted and can include a combination of dietary and lifestyle changes, [...]
Click here to download a PDF of this information. Dysphagia Dysphagia is the medical term used to describe difficulty swallowing. Dysphagia can make eating, drinking, and swallowing medications uncomfortable and/or unsafe, and can affect quality of life since eating is often tied to culture, family, work, pleasure, and many other important areas of life. Swallowing [...]
Diabetes and the Gut The pancreas produces a hormone called insulin, which helps regulate the metabolism of carbohydrates in the body by signaling cells to take in glucose from the bloodstream. Diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or when cells in the body do not respond to insulin the way they [...]
Gastroparesis Patients Willing to Take Massive Risks for Cure Gastroparesis is a motility disorder in which food does not move from the stomach into the intestine as quickly as it should (delayed gastric emptying). It occurs when the pair of nerves that connects the brainstem to the gastrointestinal tract (vagus nerve) is damaged or does [...]
How Cystic Fibrosis and Fabry Disease Affect the Gut Cystic Fibrosis When you think of cystic fibrosis (CF) and the parts of the body it affects, the lungs and respiratory system will likely come to mind. However, it also affects other parts of the body. CF is a rare, life-shortening genetic disease caused by mutations [...]
MS and the Gut Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system. In those with MS, the immune system attacks the protective covering of the nerves (myelin) in the brain and spinal column (known as the central nervous system, or CNS). Without this protective covering, nerve cells can’t send messages [...]
Stomach Cancer Gastric cancer, more commonly known as stomach cancer, is an umbrella term that refers to several cancers originating in the stomach. In this article, we focus on gastric adenocarcinoma, which is a type of cancer that develops from the glands in the lining of the stomach. It makes up about 90% of all [...]
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