Author: justchunty

Kidney infections are a type of urinary tract infection that usually moves from your bladder to your kidneys. Bacteria are the most common cause. Symptoms include fever, trouble peeing, lower back pain and pain when you pee. Kidney infections are treated with antibiotics.

What is a kidney infection (pyelonephritis)?

A kidney infection (pyelonephritis) is a type of urinary tract infection (UTI). Bacteria cause it when they move from another part of your body, like your bladder, up to one or both of your kidneys.

Kidney infections can be more serious than lower UTIs. See a healthcare provider if you have symptoms of a kidney infection.

How common are kidney infections?

About 1 in 2,000 people get a kidney infection every year in the U.S.

How can you tell the difference between a kidney infection and a UTI?

A kidney infection is a type of urinary tract infection (UTI). But when people say “UTI,” they often mean a lower urinary tract infection, or infection of their bladder or urethra. A lower UTI and a kidney infection can have similar symptoms, but a kidney infection is more likely to suddenly make you feel sick, give you a fever or cause pain in your lower back or side.

What are the signs and symptoms of a kidney infection?

Symptoms of a kidney infection include:

• Fever.
• Chills.
• Pain in your lower back or side.
• Pain when you pee (urinate).
• Bloody or cloudy pee (hematuria or pyuria) that might smell bad.
• Urgent or frequent need to pee.

What causes kidney infections?

Bacterial infections are the most common cause of kidney infections. Viruses can cause them, too, but it’s rare in people who are healthy. Some types of bacteria that cause kidney infections include:

• E. coli.
• Proteus mirabilis.
• Enterobacter.
• Staphylococcus.

How do you get a kidney infection?

Your kidneys make pee (urine) to get rid of waste. The pee moves through tubes (ureters) to your bladder (a pouch that holds your pee until you go to the bathroom). From there, it moves through another tube (urethra) to leave your body. This usually cleans out any bacteria or other germs with it.

Sometimes, bacteria can move upwards into your body and infect parts of your urinary tract, including your urethra, bladder (cystitis) or ureters. From there, they can move into one or both of your kidneys, causing a kidney infection. Bacteria that get into your blood from another part of your body can also infect your kidneys.

What are the risk factors for kidney infection?

Risk factors for kidney infections include:

• Blockage. Anything that keeps you from emptying the pee out of your urinary tract can allow bacteria to grow and back up into your kidneys. This includes kidney stones, enlarged prostate and uterine prolapse. Pressure on your bladder during pregnancy can also increase your risk.
• Vesicoureteral reflux. This is a condition where pee goes the wrong way and backs up from your bladder.
• Conditions that put you at increased risk for infections. These include diabetes, HIV and being on immunosuppressive medications.
• Your anatomy. Women have a shorter urethra, which makes it easier for bacteria to move up to their bladder and kidneys.

What are the complications of a kidney infection?

Sometimes, kidney infections can lead to life-threatening complications, especially in people with a weakened immune system or other underlying health issues. These include:

• Emphysematous pyelonephritis. This is a condition where bacteria start destroying parts of your kidneys and create gas. It’s most common in people with diabetes.
• Renal papillary necrosis. This is a condition that damages your kidneys.

How is a kidney infection diagnosed?

A healthcare provider diagnoses a kidney infection by reviewing your symptoms and testing your pee for signs of infection (urinalysis). They may also test your blood and get images of your kidneys with a CT scan or renal ultrasound.

How can you tell if you have a kidney infection?

Only a healthcare provider can diagnose you with a kidney infection. If you have symptoms of a urinary tract infection with fever and pain in your side, you might have a kidney infection.

How is a kidney infection treated?

Healthcare providers treat kidney infections with antibiotics. You’ll have to take antibiotics for at least 14 days. If you’re very sick or if you aren’t getting better with antibiotics, you might need to be treated in the hospital or take antibiotics for longer.

What medications treat kidney infections?

Your provider may prescribe one or a combination of antibiotics to treat a kidney infection. They may include:

• Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX).
• Amoxicillin or augmentin.
• Ceftriaxone or cephalexin.
• Ciprofloxacin or levofloxacin.

How soon after treatment for a kidney infection will I feel better?

You should start feeling better within two to three days of starting antibiotics. It may take longer for some people. You need to complete your prescription of antibiotics even if you start to feel better.

What can I expect if I have a kidney infection?

The outlook for kidney infections is usually good. You may need to be treated in the hospital if:

• You’re very sick or have infections in other places in your body.
• You have an underlying condition, like a weakened immune system.
• The infection isn’t getting better with treatment.

How long does a kidney infection last?

With treatment, you can feel better from a kidney infection in a few days (though you need to finish the course of antibiotics). But if your infection is harder to treat, it could last for several weeks.

Can a kidney infection go away by itself?

For some people, lower UTIs can go away on their own, but kidney infections can lead to serious complications if left untreated. Talk to a healthcare provider if you have symptoms of a kidney infection.

What can I do at home for a kidney infection?

Drinking plenty of water and avoiding alcohol and caffeine can help your kidneys while they fight the infection. But you shouldn’t try to cure a kidney infection with a home remedy. Follow your provider’s recommendations for taking any prescribed medications and for how to take care of yourself at home.

Can kidney infections be prevented?

Kidney infections often start as infections in your bladder. Preventing these lower urinary tract infections is the first step in preventing kidney infections. Some ways to prevent infections in all parts of your urinary tract include:

• Drink plenty of fluids. Talk to your healthcare provider about the amount of water and other fluids they recommend for you each day.
• Empty your bladder completely. Holding in your pee can help bacteria grow.
• Pee before and after having sex. This helps remove any bacteria that’s in your urinary tract.
• Practice good hygiene. Things like showering regularly and changing out of wet or sweaty underwear can help prevent bacteria from getting into your body. After you poop, wipe from front to back. This helps push bacteria in your poop away from openings in your body.

How do I take care of myself?

Drink plenty of fluids and take all of your medication as prescribed. Keep taking antibiotics until you’ve finished your prescription, even if you feel better. Your infection may come back if you stop taking your medication too soon.

When should I see my healthcare provider?

See a healthcare provider if you’re having trouble peeing or if you notice changes in your pee (like blood or cloudiness).

When should I go to ER for a kidney infection?

Go to the nearest emergency room if you have any signs of severe dehydration or serious illness, including:

• Fever or pain that comes on suddenly.
• Not peeing or peeing very little.
• Confusion or mental changes.
• Severe shortness of breath.

What questions should I ask my doctor?

It might be helpful to ask your healthcare provider:

• How do I take my medications?
• What can I do at home to feel better?
• How can I prevent a kidney infection in the future?

A note from QBan Health Care Services

Kidney infections are rarely serious when treated promptly. Practicing good hygiene and emptying your bladder completely can help prevent UTIs that can move up to your kidneys. If you have an underlying condition that makes you more likely to get an infection, talk to your provider about preventing infections.

Kidney disease means your kidneys aren’t working properly and are beginning to lose their function. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) worsens over time. High blood pressure and diabetes are two common causes of CKD. There’s no cure for CKD, but you can take steps to preserve function for as long as possible. Late-stage kidney disease requires dialysis or a kidney transplant.

What is chronic kidney disease?

Chronic kidney disease (CKD and chronic renal disease) means that there’s damage to your kidneys and they aren’t working as well as they should. Your kidneys are like a filter in your body — filtering out wastes, toxins and extra water from your blood. They also help with other functions like bone and red blood cell health. When your kidneys begin to lose their function, they can’t filter waste, which means the waste builds up in your blood.

Kidney disease is called “chronic” because kidney function slowly decreases over time. CKD can lead to kidney failure, which is also called end-stage kidney disease. Not everyone with CKD will develop kidney failure, but the disease will often worsen without treatment. There’s no cure for chronic kidney disease. But there are steps you can take to slow kidney damage. Treatments like dialysis and transplantation are options for kidney failure (end-stage kidney disease).

What do your kidneys do?

You have two kidneys. They’re bean-shaped organs that are located toward your back, on either side of your spine, just underneath your rib cage. Each kidney is about the size of your fist.

Your kidneys have many jobs, but their main job is to clean your blood, getting rid of toxins, waste and excess water as urine (pee). Your kidneys also balance the amount of electrolytes (such as salt and potassium) and minerals in your body, make hormones that control blood pressure, make red blood cells and keep your bones strong. If your kidneys are damaged and don’t work as they should, wastes can build up in your blood and make you sick.

What are the 5 stages of chronic kidney disease?

There are five stages of chronic kidney disease. The stages are based on how well your kidneys are able to filter out waste from your blood. Blood and urine tests determine which stage of CKD you’re in.

The stages range from very mild (stage 1) to kidney failure (stage 5). Healthcare providers determine the stage of your kidney function according to the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Your GFR is a number based on the amount of creatinine, a waste product, found in your blood.

Stage	GFR (mL/min)	What It Means
Stage 1	90 and higher	Your kidneys are working well but you have signs of mild kidney damage.
Stage 2	60 to 89	Your kidneys are working well but you have more signs of mild kidney damage.
Stage 3a	45 to 59	Your kidneys aren’t working as well as they should and show mild to moderate damage. This is the most common stage. You may notice symptoms at this stage.
Stage 3b	30 to 44	Your kidneys show moderate damage and don’t work as well as they should. With the right treatment, many people can stay in this stage and never advance to stage 4.
Stage 4	15 to 29	You have very poor kidney function; your kidneys are severely damaged and close to not working.
Stage 5	Less than 15	Your kidneys are very close to failing or have stopped working. You may need kidney dialysis or a kidney transplant at this stage.

How common is this condition?

About 15% of adults in the United States have chronic kidney disease. Some 37 million people in the U.S. are living with chronic kidney disease.

What are the symptoms of chronic kidney disease?

In the early stages of kidney disease, you usually don’t have noticeable symptoms. As the disease worsens, symptoms may include:

• A need to pee more often.
• Tiredness, weakness, low energy level.
• Loss of appetite.
• Swelling of your hands, feet and ankles.
• Shortness of breath.
• Foamy or bubbly pee.
• Puffy eyes.
• Dry and itchy skin.
• Trouble concentrating.
• Trouble sleeping.
• Numbness.
• Nausea or vomiting.
• Muscle cramps.
• High blood pressure.
• Darkening of your skin.

Keep in mind that it can take years for waste to build up in your blood and cause symptoms.

What does it feel like when something is wrong with your kidneys?

You typically don’t have any signs of kidney disease, especially in its early stages. Once you begin having symptoms, the first sign something is wrong may involve swelling in your hands and feet, itchy skin or needing to pee more often. Since symptoms vary, it’s best to call your healthcare provider if you believe there’s something wrong.

What are common causes of kidney disease?

Kidney diseases happen when your kidneys are damaged and can’t filter your blood. With chronic kidney disease, the damage tends to happen over the course of several years.

High blood pressure (hypertension) and diabetes are the two most common causes of chronic kidney disease. Other causes and conditions that affect kidney function and can cause chronic kidney disease include:

• Glomerulonephritis. This type of kidney disease involves damage to the glomeruli, which are the filtering units inside your kidneys.
• Polycystic kidney disease. This is a genetic disorder that causes many fluid-filled cysts to grow in your kidneys, reducing the ability of your kidneys to function.
• Membranous nephropathy. This is a disorder where your body’s immune system attacks the waste-filtering membranes in your kidney.
• Obstructions of the urinary tract from kidney stones, an enlarged prostate or cancer.
• Vesicoureteral reflux. This is a condition in which pee flows backward back up your ureters to your kidneys.
• Nephrotic syndrome. This is a collection of symptoms that indicate kidney damage.
• Recurrent kidney infection (pyelonephritis).
• Diabetes-related nephropathy. This is damage or dysfunction of one or more nerves, caused by diabetes.
• Lupus and other immune system diseases that cause kidney problems, including polyarteritis nodosa, sarcoidosis, Goodpasture syndrome and Henoch-Schönlein purpura.

Is kidney disease hereditary?

Yes, kidney disease can run in biological families. Risk factors for CKD, like diabetes, also tend to run in families.

Who is at risk for chronic kidney disease?

Anyone can get chronic kidney disease. You’re more at risk for chronic kidney disease if you:

• Have diabetes.
• Have high blood pressure.
• Have heart disease.
• Have a family history of kidney disease.
• Have abnormal kidney structure or size.
• Are over 60 years old.
• Have a long history of taking NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) pain relievers. This includes over-the-counter (OTC) products and some prescription pain relievers.

What are the complications of chronic kidney disease?

Some of the complications of chronic kidney disease include:

• A low red blood cell count (anemia).
• Weak and brittle bones.
• Gout.
• Metabolic acidosis. This is a chemical imbalance (acid-base) in your blood caused by a decrease in kidney function.
• High blood pressure.
• Heart disease and blood vessel disease, including increased risk of stroke and heart attack.
• Nerve damage.
• High potassium (hyperkalemia), which affects your heart’s ability to function correctly.
• High phosphorus (hyperphosphatemia).
• High risk of infection due to a weak immune system.
• Fluid buildup, leading to swelling in your feet, ankles and hands.

How is kidney disease diagnosed?

First, your healthcare provider will take your medical history, conduct a physical exam, ask about any medications you’re currently taking and ask about any symptoms you’ve noticed.

Your healthcare provider will order blood and urine tests to check kidney function.

Specifically, the blood tests will check:

• Your glomerular filtration rate (GFR). This describes how efficiently your kidneys are filtering blood — how many milliliters per minute your kidneys are filtering. Your GFR is used to determine the stage of your kidney disease.
• Your serum creatinine level, which tells how well your kidneys are removing this waste product. Creatinine is a waste product from muscle metabolism and is normally excreted in your pee. A high creatinine level in your blood means that your kidneys aren’t functioning well enough to get rid of it in your pee.

Urine tests will look for protein (albumin) and blood in your pee. Well-functioning kidneys shouldn’t contain either.

Other tests may include imaging tests to look for problems with the size and structure of your kidneys — such as ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and/or computerized tomography (CT) scans. Your healthcare provider may also order a kidney biopsy to check for a specific type of kidney disease or to determine the amount of kidney damage.

How is chronic kidney disease treated?

There’s no cure for chronic kidney disease (CKD), but steps can be taken to preserve your kidney function so they work as long as possible. If you have reduced kidney function:

• Make and keep your regular healthcare provider/nephrologist (kidney specialist) visits. These providers monitor your kidney health.
• Manage your blood glucose (sugar) if you have diabetes.
• Avoid taking painkillers and other medications that may make your kidney disease worse.
• Manage your blood pressure levels.
• Follow a kidney-friendly diet. Dietary changes may include limiting protein, eating foods that reduce blood cholesterol levels and limiting sodium (salt) and potassium intake.
• Don’t smoke.
• Exercise/be active on most days of the week.
• Stay at a weight that’s healthy for you.

Medications for kidney disease

Depending on the cause of your kidney disease, you may be prescribed one or more medications. Medications your nephrologist may prescribe include:

• An angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) to lower your blood pressure.
• Phosphate binder if your kidneys can’t eliminate phosphate.
• A diuretic to help your body eliminate extra fluid.
• Medications to lower cholesterol levels.
• Erythropoietin to build red blood cells if you’re anemic.
• Vitamin D and calcitriol to prevent bone loss.

What is kidney dialysis?

Because there’s no cure for CKD, if you’re in end-stage kidney disease, you and your healthcare team must consider additional options. Complete kidney failure will result in death if it’s left untreated. Options for end-stage kidney disease include dialysis and kidney transplantation.

Dialysis is a procedure that uses machines to remove waste products from your body when your kidneys are no longer able to perform this function. There are two major types of dialysis:

• Hemodialysis: With hemodialysis, your blood is circulated through a machine that removes waste products, excess water and excess salt. The blood is then returned to your body. Hemodialysis requires four-hour treatments, three times a week.
• Peritoneal dialysis: In peritoneal dialysis, a dialysis solution is placed directly into your abdomen through a catheter. The solution absorbs waste and then is removed via the same catheter. Fresh solution is added to continue the process of cleaning. You can perform this type of dialysis yourself. There are two types of peritoneal dialysis: continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), which involves a change in dialysis solution four times a day; and continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis (CCPD). CCPD uses a machine to automatically fill, remove and refill the fluid during the nighttime.

What is a kidney transplant?

Kidney transplantation involves replacing an unhealthy kidney with a healthy kidney. Kidneys for transplantation come from two sources: living donors and deceased donors. Living donors are usually family members, partners or friends. A living kidney donor is possible because a person can live well with one healthy kidney.

Deceased donor kidneys usually come from people who are organ donors. All donors are carefully screened to make sure there’s a suitable match and to prevent any transmissible diseases or other complications.

On average, people wait about three to five years for a kidney from a deceased donor. It’s usually quicker to receive a kidney from a living donor.

What can I expect if I have kidney disease?

If you have kidney disease, you can still live a productive home and work life and enjoy time with your family and friends. To have the best outcome possible, it’s important for you to become an active member of your treatment team.

Early detection and appropriate treatment are important in slowing the disease progression, with the goal of preventing or delaying kidney failure. You’ll need to keep your medical appointments, take your medications as prescribed, stick to a nutritious diet and monitor your blood pressure and blood sugar.

Can kidney disease be prevented?

Seeing your healthcare provider on a regular basis throughout your life is a good start for preventing kidney disease. About 1 in every 3 people in the United States is at risk for kidney disease. People at high risk may have regular tests to check for CKD so it’s detected as early as possible. Some other things you can do to prevent CKD are:

• Manage your high blood pressure.
• Manage your blood sugar if you have diabetes.
• Eat a well-balanced diet.
• Don’t smoke or use tobacco.
• Be active for 30 minutes at least five days a week.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Take nonprescription pain relievers only as directed. Taking more than directed can damage your kidneys.
• Limit alcohol-containing beverages.

How long can someone live with chronic kidney disease?

While CKD can lead to death, many people with the condition live long and happy lives after diagnosis. Most people who seek treatment for kidney disease and manage their condition never progress to kidney failure or death. That’s why it’s important to attend all your checkups and work with your healthcare provider on a treatment plan.

The leading cause of death in people with CKD is actually heart disease, a complication of CKD. Managing other health conditions that negatively impact your kidneys is also key to maintaining your kidney function.

When should I see my healthcare provider?

Early detection can help prevent kidney disease from worsening to kidney failure. Work with your healthcare provider to manage conditions that are known to cause kidney disease. These include diabetes, high blood pressure and other diseases that affect your kidneys.

Since kidney disease often doesn’t cause symptoms in the early stages, the best thing you can do is work with your provider to understand your risk and attend all annual or scheduled visits with your provider.

Most people don’t have symptoms until CKD is severe. Contact your provider if you:

• Feel more tired than usual.
• Don’t feel like eating.
• Start peeing more than usual.
• Have trouble sleeping or focusing.
• Have muscle cramps, itchy skin or swollen feet and ankles.

How do you know if your kidneys are struggling?

You may not know your kidneys are struggling. Most people don’t have symptoms of kidney disease in the early stages. That’s why it’s important to attend annual wellness exams with your primary care provider to manage chronic conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure that can lead to kidney disease.

What foods are bad for kidneys?

In people with healthy kidneys, there aren’t necessarily bad foods or foods that hurt your kidneys. But, if you have CKD, your healthcare provider may recommend a kidney-friendly diet. Elements of a kidney-friendly diet may include:

• Avoiding foods that are high in salt. This also helps control blood pressure.
• Eating the right amount of protein. Protein creates more waste than other food groups. So, since your kidneys remove waste, lowering protein can help preserve their function.
• Eating heart-healthy foods.
• Eating foods low in phosphorus. This includes fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains. Foods like dairy and beans are high in phosphorus.
• Avoiding foods high in potassium like bananas, oranges and potatoes.

Since following a kidney-friendly diet is hard to understand and to do, it’s always a good idea to consult a dietitian as part of your treatment plan. They can help make sure you’re eating the right types of food if you have chronic kidney disease.

What color is urine when your kidneys are failing?

Your pee shouldn’t change color, but may be foamy or frothy, which means there’s excess protein in your pee. Excess protein means your kidneys aren’t filtering toxins from your body.

A note from QBan Health Care Services

A CKD diagnosis can make a profound impact on your life. Treatment for the condition is lifelong, and it takes time and patience. Don’t be afraid to ask your healthcare providers any questions you have. Try to take comfort in the fact that managing kidney disease is possible. In fact, many people live many years with kidney disease. Lean on your family members or friends to help you cope. There are also online and in-person support groups available to help people with CKD connect with each other. Seek support from those who love you, so that together, you can work through treatment for CKD.

Kidney cysts are small, fluid-filled or solid pouches that form on or in your kidneys. Most people who have them don’t even know they do. You might need treatment if your cyst is complex, becomes infected or presses on other organs.

What are kidney cysts?

Kidney cysts (renal cysts) are usually small, round sacs that have a thin wall and contain a watery fluid. As you get older, cysts can form on the surface of your kidneys or in structures inside your kidneys called nephrons.

Kidneys are the filtration system for your body. The nephrons are made up of a filter and a tube. As blood flows through your kidneys, the nephrons remove extra water and waste products, which leave your body as urine (pee). 

Kidney cysts can range in size, although most tend to be less than 2 inches wide. They can also grow over time or stay about the same size. Some people may have several cysts, while others have just one. You can have one or more cysts in one or both kidneys.

Kidney cysts typically don’t affect how well your kidneys work, and they’re usually not a cause for concern. In rare cases, a very large cyst can cause pain. Your healthcare provider may just want to monitor it and make note of it in your health history. In some cases, a kidney cyst is suspicious, and your provider may recommend additional tests or remove it.

Types of kidney cysts

There are generally two types of kidney cysts: simple and complex. Most kidney cysts are simple cysts. Healthcare providers use the Bosniak system to classify kidney cysts into five levels (named after the physician who developed the system).

Simple kidney cysts

Simple kidney cysts are almost always noncancerous (benign) and harmless. They typically don’t cause symptoms unless they become very large. You may not even know you have one. Simple cysts are fluid-filled and round, with thin walls. These are category I on the classification scale and don’t require any follow-up or treatment.

Complex kidney cysts

Complex kidney cysts have a chance of being or becoming cancerous. Your healthcare provider will monitor, treat or remove a complex cyst. They look different from a simple cyst. Complex kidney cysts may be solid (not filled with fluid), irregularly shaped or have a thick outer wall. Complex cysts are far less common than simple cysts.

Your provider will classify a complex cyst as II, II-F, III or IV. A level II cyst doesn’t require follow-up care, but a level II-F does (the F stands for follow-up). The risk of cancer for a II-F cyst is approximately 5%. A category III complex cyst has about a 50% to 80% chance of being cancerous, so your healthcare provider will remove it. A category IV cyst has about a 90% chance of being cancerous, so this type also requires removal.

Should I worry about a kidney cyst?

Simple kidney cysts are almost always harmless. They’re called simple because there’s little chance they’ll develop into something more serious. Complex cysts can sometimes be a sign of kidney cancer. Your healthcare provider will want to monitor cysts for changes that could be cancerous or remove the cyst.

How common are kidney cysts?

Simple kidney cysts are most common in people over 50. Up to half of people older than 50 will have at least one kidney cyst. Males are more likely to have kidney cysts.

What symptoms do kidney cysts cause?

Simple kidney cysts usually don’t cause any symptoms. In fact, most people who have them don’t know they have them. The cysts become a problem if they rupture (break open) and start to bleed, become infected, or grow so large that they push against other tissues and organs within your abdomen.

When simple kidney cysts do cause symptoms, they might include:

• Pain or aches in your side between your ribs and hips, or in your stomach or back.
• Fever.
• Frequent urination (having to pee often).
• Blood in your pee or dark pee.

Depending on where the cyst is located, it can affect how your kidney works. It can also lead to a type of high blood pressure if the cyst prevents the kidney from filtering extra fluid from your blood.

What causes kidney cysts?

Kidney cysts occur when the tube of a nephron begins to swell and fill with fluid. Researchers don’t know what causes this, but they do know that simple cysts aren’t inherited (they don’t happen because of conditions you get from your biological parents). They believe an injury or microscopic blockages in the tubules may lead to the development of simple kidney cysts.

What are the risk factors for simple kidney cysts?

Healthcare providers aren’t entirely sure what makes people more likely to get kidney cysts, but they know you’re more likely to have them if you’re older than 50.

Some medical conditions can cause kidney cysts. These include:

• Polycystic kidney disease.
• Chronic kidney disease (CKD).
• Von Hippel-Lindau disease.
• Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC).

What are the complications of simple kidney cysts?

Most kidney cysts don’t cause complications or long-term problems because they’re simple cysts. If your healthcare provider determines a cyst is complex, they may watch it for changes or remove it.

Kidney cysts can cause complications like:

• Infection: The cyst becomes infected and causes pain, fever or other symptoms.
• Blockage of urine: The cyst becomes large enough to block urine flow. This can cause kidney damage and infections.
• Burst cyst: The cyst breaks open and causes pain, blood in your pee and other symptoms.
• Bleeding Cyst: Bleeding occurs inside the cyst, which can break the cyst open and cause bleeding around your kidney.

How are simple kidney cysts diagnosed?

Healthcare providers often find a simple kidney cyst by accident while performing imaging tests for another condition. If they notice a cyst, they may recommend other tests to see if the cyst is simple or complex.

• Ultrasound: High-frequency soundwaves and echoes create images of your kidneys.
• Computed tomography (CT): X-rays and computer processing produce 3D images of your kidneys.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): An incredibly powerful magnet, radio waves and computer processing create images of your kidneys. An MRI can help your provider tell the difference between cysts filled with fluid and solid masses. 
• Kidney function tests: Blood and urine tests can tell your provider how well your kidneys are working and if the cyst is affecting their function.

Your healthcare provider may determine a kidney cyst needs monitoring. If this is the case, they’ll likely repeat imaging tests every six months to two years. If the cyst causes symptoms between follow-up appointments, you should call your healthcare provider.

How is a kidney cyst treated?

In most cases, your provider won’t need to treat a simple kidney cyst. But, if a cyst is pressing on another organ or is affecting the way your kidney works, cyst removal might be necessary. If your provider believes the cyst is cancerous or could lead to cancer, they may also decide to remove it.

There are two procedures that healthcare providers use most often to treat kidney cysts:

• Aspiration and sclerotherapy: Your provider inserts a long needle under your skin to puncture the cyst and drain the fluid. Sometimes, they’ll also inject a special solution into the cyst so it’s less likely to fill up again.
• Surgery: Surgery to remove a cyst is usually laparoscopic. Your healthcare provider inserts thin instruments through small incisions in your abdomen. During surgery, your provider drains the cyst and then cuts or burns away the outer tissue of the cyst.

What is the outlook for someone with kidney cysts?

Since simple kidney cysts are almost always harmless, the outlook is excellent. Treating a cyst due to infection, rupture or blockage is very effective and most people make a full recovery.

If you have a complex kidney cyst, your healthcare provider will either remove it or watch it closely for changes. Removing a complex cyst before it becomes cancerous is usually very effective with few complications.

Can simple kidney cysts be prevented?

You can’t prevent a simple kidney cyst. You can only reduce your risk by:

• Drinking plenty of water.
• Making sure you don’t consume excess sodium.
• Managing chronic conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure (hypertension).

Talk to your healthcare provider about ways you can best care for your kidneys.

Does a simple kidney cyst need to be watched over time?

It’s very important that a healthcare provider evaluate the type and location of a kidney cyst. There are often characteristics — such as cyst wall thickness, fluid density and irregular cyst wall shape — that may indicate the cyst is more likely to be, or could become, cancerous.

Generally, a small, simple cyst doesn’t need monitoring. But, your healthcare provider is the best person to determine if and how often you should return for a follow-up.

When should I call my healthcare provider about kidney cysts?

You should call your healthcare provider if you experience any of the symptoms of a kidney cyst, such as:

• Pain in your side, stomach or low back.
• Blood in your pee.
• Fever.
• Changes in urination habits like peeing more or less often.

What questions should I ask my provider?

It’s natural to have questions about a diagnosis. Some questions you may want to ask include:

• Will the cyst get larger?
• What type of kidney cyst do I have?
• Are my kidneys still working well?
• What treatment do you recommend?
• What are the pros and cons of the treatment options?
• What symptoms could indicate a problem?
• Do you recommend any lifestyle changes or adjustments to what I eat?

A note from QBan Health Care Services

Hearing you have a cyst on your kidney may sound alarming. But rest assured, kidney cysts are common and usually not a cause for concern. Your healthcare provider may recommend more tests to get a better look at the cyst to determine if treatment is necessary. Talk to your provider about what type of cyst you have and what it means for your health. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. In most cases, your provider will monitor the cyst over time and ask you to watch for signs of a problem like pain, fever or blood in your pee.

Kidney stones are clusters of crystals that form from minerals and other substances in your urinary tract. Most stones pass out of your body in your pee on their own, but they can be very painful as they move through. You might need a procedure to break up or remove the stone if it can’t pass on its own or is causing a blockage.

What are kidney stones?

Kidney stones are solid masses or crystals that form from substances (like minerals, acids and salts) in your kidneys. They can be as small as a grain of sand or — rarely — larger than a golf ball. Kidney stones are also called renal calculi or nephrolithiasis.

Depending on the size of your kidney stone (or stones), you may not even realize that you have one. Smaller stones can pass through your urinary tract in your pee with no symptoms. Large kidney stones can get trapped in your ureter (the tube that drains urine from your kidney down to your bladder). This can cause pee to back up and limit your kidney’s ability to filter waste from your body. It can also cause bleeding.

It can take as long as three weeks for kidney stones to pass on their own. Even some small stones can cause extreme pain as they go through your urinary tract and out of your body. You may need a provider to break up and remove a stone that can’t pass on its own.

How common are kidney stones?

About 1 in 10 people will get a kidney stone during their lifetime. They’re most common in men in their 30s and 40s. They’re also more common among non-Hispanic white people.

What are the symptoms of kidney stones?

The most common symptom of kidney stones is pain in your lower back, belly or side (flank pain). It might feel like it extends from your groin to your side. It can be a dull pain or sharp and severe. It’s sometimes called colicky pain because it can get worse in waves.

Other kidney stone symptoms include:

• Nausea and vomiting.
• Bloody pee.
• Pain when you pee.
• Inability to pee.
• Feeling the urge to pee a lot.
• Fever or chills.
• Cloudy or foul-smelling pee.

Smaller kidney stones may not cause pain or other symptoms.

What causes kidney stones?

Your pee contains minerals, acids and other substances, like calcium, sodium, oxalate and uric acid. When you have too many particles of these substances in your pee and too little liquid, they can start to stick together, forming crystals or stones. Kidney stones can form over months or years.

Types of kidney stones

Stones are named for the type of crystals they’re made up of:

• Calcium-oxalate and calcium phosphate stones. Calcium-based stones can form when you eat high-oxalate or low-calcium foods and aren’t drinking enough fluids. Calcium-oxalate stones are the most common type of kidney stones.
• Uric acid stones. Eating animal proteins (beef, poultry, pork, eggs and fish) can cause uric acid stones to form.
• Struvite stones. Bacterial infections can cause struvite stones. Repeated infections can lead to a staghorn calculus, a very large kidney stone that usually needs to be surgically removed.
• Cystine stones. An inherited condition called cystinuria causes cystine stones. Cystine is a substance made of two cysteine amino acids bound together.

What are the risk factors for kidney stones?

You might be at a higher risk of developing kidney stones if you:

• Don’t drink enough fluids.
• Eat meat and other protein-rich foods.
• Eat foods high in sodium or sugars (sucrose and fructose).
• Take vitamin C supplements.
• Have a family history of kidney stones.
• Have a blockage in your urinary tract.
• Have had stomach or intestine surgery, including gastric bypass surgery.
• Take certain medications. This includes some diuretics, calcium-based antacids, some antiseizure medications and certain
• Have certain medical conditions.

Medical conditions that increase kidney stone risk

Certain health conditions can put you at a higher risk for kidney stones. These include:

• Cystic fibrosis.
• Cystinuria, a genetic disorder that causes a buildup of cystine.
• Diabetes.
• Gout.
• High blood pressure.
• High calcium levels in your urine (hypercalciuria).
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
• Kidney cysts.
• Obesity.
• Osteoporosis.
• Parathyroid disease.
• Primary hyperoxaluria.
• Hemiplegia or paraplegia (types of paralysis).

What are the complications of kidney stones?

Kidney stones can put you at risk for:

• A blockage that backs pee up into your kidney, causing it to swell (hydronephrosis).
• Kidney infection (pyelonephritis).
• Acute kidney injury (a type of kidney failure that can be reversible).
• Frequent urinary tract infections (UTIs).
• Chronic kidney disease (CKD).

How are kidney stones diagnosed?

Healthcare providers use imaging, blood and urine (pee) tests to diagnose kidney stones. If your provider suspects you have a kidney stone based on your symptoms and physical exam, you may need one or more of these tests:

• Urine test. A provider can test your pee for blood, stone-forming crystals and signs of infection.
• Imaging. X-rays, CT scans (computed tomography scans) and ultrasound can help your healthcare provider see the size, shape, location and number of stones.
• Blood tests. A provider can use blood tests to check your kidney function, detect infections and look for high levels of calcium or other conditions that could lead to stone formation.

How are kidney stones treated?

If you have a small stone that’s likely to pass on its own, your provider will have you monitor your symptoms until it passes in your pee. They might prescribe medications that keep you comfortable and help the stone pass on its own.

Larger stones need treatment depending on their size, location, whether they’re causing infections or symptoms, and other factors. If you have a large stone or a blockage, or if a stone isn’t passing on its own in a few weeks, your provider will recommend procedures to break up or remove it.

Medications

If you have a kidney stone that can pass on its own and isn’t causing infection, a provider may prescribe or recommend medications to:

• Relax your ureter to help stones pass. Commonly prescribed medicines include tamsulosin (Flomax®) and nifedipine (Adalat® or Procardia®).
• Manage nausea and vomiting.
• Manage pain. Even small stones that can pass on their own can be very painful. Your healthcare provider may prescribe medications or make recommendations for over-the-counter (OTC) medications to manage the pain. Ask your provider before taking ibuprofen. It can increase the risk of kidney failure if you take it during an acute attack of kidney stones — especially if you have underlying health conditions.

Kidney stone procedures

If you have a kidney stone that can’t pass on its own or is blocking your urinary tract, your provider will recommend a procedure to break up and/or remove the stone. The type of procedure they recommend depends on many factors, including the size and location of the stone. Kidney stone procedures include:

• Shockwave lithotripsy. A provider uses shockwaves to break apart the stones from the outside of your body. The fragments can move through your urinary tract and out of your body more easily.
• Ureteroscopy. A provider inserts a scope through your urethra and bladder and into your ureter. Instruments the provider passes through the scope can break up and remove the stone. The smaller pieces can move through your urinary tract and out of your body more easily.
• Percutaneous nephrolithotomy. Your provider may recommend percutaneous nephrolithotomy when they can’t treat a kidney stone with other procedures. During percutaneous nephrolithotomy, your provider inserts a tube directly into your kidney through a tiny incision (cut) in your back. An ultrasound probe breaks apart and removes the stones.
• Laparoscopic surgery. During laparoscopic surgery, your provider makes a small incision to remove the stone. In some rare cases, your provider might need to perform open surgery (with a larger incision) instead of laparoscopy.

Can kidney stones go away on their own?

Yes, around 80% of kidney stones can pass on their own. The amount of time it takes for you to pass a kidney stone depends on its size and location. A stone that’s smaller than 4 mm (millimeters) may pass within one to two weeks. A larger stone could take about two to three weeks to completely pass. Once the stone reaches your bladder, it usually passes in a few days.

If you think you have a kidney stone, make sure a provider evaluates you to check for blockages or other complications. It’s important to follow up with your healthcare provider if you don’t pass the stone within four to six weeks.

What can I expect if I have kidney stones?

Around 90% of small kidney stones (smaller than 6 mm) and 60% of large stones (larger than 6 mm) pass on their own. If you have a large kidney stone or one that’s blocking the flow of pee, you’ll need to have a procedure to break up and/or remove it. Sometimes, smaller stones that were expected to pass on their own can grow or move to create a blockage.

If you’ve had kidney stones, you’re likely to get more in the future. You’ll likely need to work on preventing them with changes to the foods you eat and, sometimes, medication.

What is the best way to get rid of kidney stones?

If your provider thinks your kidney stone can pass on its own, you should drink plenty of water to help flush it out. Take any medications as prescribed and follow your provider’s recommendations on what to eat and drink (and what to avoid).

Can kidney stones be prevented?

The things you eat and drink can impact your risk for kidney stones. Talk to your healthcare provider or dietitian about ways that you can reduce your risk. They might recommend:

• Drinking plenty of water.
• Limiting animal proteins.
• Limiting foods high in sugar and sodium.
• Limiting foods high in oxalates. If you have calcium oxalate stones, your provider might recommend you avoid foods like spinach, rhubarb, wheat bran, tree nuts and peanuts.
• Maintaining a weight that’s healthy for you.
• Eating foods that are good sources of calcium. While it may not seem like it, foods high in calcium can help prevent kidney stones. The same isn’t true for calcium supplements or antacids with calcium, which can increase your risk for stones.
• Prescription medications. If changes to the things you eat don’t help, your provider may prescribe medications that help prevent kidney stones. The type of medication depends on the type of stones you get.

Can I live a normal life with kidney stones?

Kidney stones shouldn’t stop you from going about your daily activities, or drastically reduce your quality of life. Thanks to passing them while you urinate, and thanks to treatment options, kidney stones aren’t permanent.

Do kidney stones cause kidney disease?

If you’ve had kidney stones, you’re at a higher risk for more kidney stones and chronic kidney disease.

Are kidney stones deadly?

No. Kidney stones don’t cause death.

When should I see my healthcare provider?

Don’t hesitate to see your healthcare provider if you’re experiencing symptoms of kidney stones. If you have a kidney stone, you’ll need to know where it’s located and what size it is so that you can get treatment and prevent complications.

When should I go to the emergency department?

Go to the emergency department if the pain is unbearable. You may be prescribed medication for your pain and any nausea/vomiting.

What questions should I ask my healthcare provider?

You may want to ask your provider:

• Do I have a kidney stone or is there another reason for my symptoms?
• What type of kidney stone do I have?
• What size is my kidney stone?
• Where’s my kidney stone located?
• How many kidney stones do I have?
• Do I need treatment or will I be able to pass the kidney stone?
• Should I be tested for kidney disease?
• What changes should I make to my diet?
• What type of procedure should I have to get rid of the stones?

A note from QBan Health Care Services

Kidney stones can be frustrating at best and agonizingly painful at worst. To stop your situation from getting worse, you should be evaluated by a healthcare provider as soon as possible. The pain can get severe, and surgery might be necessary. Remember: Don’t skip your prescriptions, drink lots of water and follow any dietary guidelines. Also, remember that kidney stones are a temporary condition. They won’t bother you forever.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic condition that happens when you have inflammation in your colon. Most people with UC experience periods of symptom flare-ups followed by periods of remission without symptoms. Signs and symptoms include diarrhea, bloody stools, abdominal cramping and weight loss Treatments include medication and surgery.

What is ulcerative colitis (UC)?

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a lifelong condition that causes inflammation and ulcers inside your colon (large intestine). UC is one of the most common types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), alongside Crohn’s disease. UC often causes bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramping. It may make you have to poop more.

Most people with UC experience periods when they experience symptoms (flare-ups), followed by longer periods of no symptoms (remission).

Types of ulcerative colitis

Healthcare providers classify UC based on where the inflammation is in your colon. The inflammation usually starts in your rectum, which is close to your anus (butthole). The inflammation can spread and affect all or part of your colon. Types include:

• Ulcerative proctitis: Inflammation affects your rectum.
• Inflammation affects your rectum and sigmoid colon (the lower, S-shaped part of your colon).
• Left-sided colitis: Inflammation affects the left side of your colon.
• Pancolitis: Inflammation affects your entire colon.

UC may be mild, moderate or severe, depending on your symptoms. The most severe form, fulminant ulcerative colitis, is rare. It can cause life-threatening complications that require urgent medical treatment.

How common is ulcerative colitis?

Together with Crohn’s disease, another type of inflammatory bowel disease, UC affects up to 1 in 250 people in North America and Europe. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (U.S.), up to 900,000 people in the U.S. are living with UC.

What are the symptoms of ulcerative colitis?

Ulcerative colitis symptoms often get worse over time. In the beginning, you may notice signs of mild UC, including:

• Diarrhea (may or may not be bloody).
• Increased bowel movements or episodes of diarrhea (four or fewer episodes daily).
• Urgent bowel movements (sudden need to poop).
• Tenesmus (feeling like you have to poop but being unable to).
• Mild abdominal (belly) cramping or tenderness.

Later, you may also have symptoms of moderate to severe UC, including:

• Frequent bowel movements or episodes of diarrhea (four or more episodes daily).
• Blood, mucus or pus in your stool.
• Severe belly cramping.
• Fatigue (extreme tiredness).
• Sudden weight loss.
• Nausea.
• Fever.

About half of people have mild symptoms during flare-ups. Others experience frequent fevers, bloody diarrhea, nausea and severe abdominal cramps.

Other UC symptoms

About 25% of people with UC eventually develop conditions and associated symptoms that affect body parts other than their colon. The inflammation can spread to your bones, joints, eyes, skin and liver.

Symptoms include:

• Joint pain and swelling.
• Red, burning or itchy eyes.
• Painful bumps, rashes or ulcers on your skin.

What causes ulcerative colitis?

Researchers think the cause of ulcerative colitis is complex and involves many risk factors. Most agree that it’s related to an overactive immune response. Your immune system’s job is to protect your body from germs and other dangerous substances. But sometimes, your immune system mistakenly attacks your body, which causes inflammation and tissue damage.

Risk factors

Anyone can get ulcerative colitis, but your risk is greater based on your:

• Age: Most people get diagnosed between 15 and 30 years old or when they’re older than 60.
• Race and ethnicity: You’re at greater risk of UC if you’re white, especially if you’re of Ashkenazi Jewish descent.
• Genetics: You’re more likely to develop UC if a first-degree relative (parent, sibling or child) has it. Up to 20% of people with UC have a family member with UC or Crohn’s disease.
• Gut microbiome. Your gut microbiome consists of bacteria, viruses and fungi in your digestive system. Think of it as your gut’s ecosystem. People with UC have differences in their microbiomes when compared to people without. Researchers aren’t sure why.

Other factors, like stress and your diet, don’t increase your risk of developing UC, but they can trigger a symptom flare-up. One of the best things you can do if you’re diagnosed with UC is to note your triggers so you can avoid them.

What are the complications of ulcerative colitis?

Having ulcerative colitis raises your risk of developing other conditions that may require additional monitoring and treatment, including:

• Anemia: Severe bleeding from your colon can cause anemia, or a reduced number of red blood cells.
• Colon cancer: UC increases your risk of developing colon cancer. Your risk depends on where in your colon the inflammation is (with proctitis posing the least risk) and how long you’ve had UC. Discuss your risk factors with your provider.
• Osteoporosis: The inflammation can spread to your bones and joints, causing bone weakening or osteoporosis.
• Primary sclerosing cholangitis: Inflammation that spreads to your liver can cause primary sclerosing cholangitis, a condition that causes liver scarring. The damaged tissue can prevent your liver from working as it should.
• Growth and development issues in children: UC can limit a child’s colon function, so they can’t absorb key nutrients needed for growth and development. In addition to taking medicine to treat UC, your child may need vitamins to get the nutrients their bodies need.

Emergency complications of UC that require immediate treatment in the ER include:

• Dehydration: Frequent trips to the bathroom can deplete your body of the fluids it needs (dehydration). You may need IV fluids in the hospital if your dehydration is severe.
• Perforation: A hole in your colon (perforation) is a medical emergency, requiring immediate treatment.
• Severe bleeding: Depending on your blood loss, you may need a blood transfusion.
• Toxic megacolon: Severe inflammation can cause your colon to stop working. When this happens, the materials inside your colon build up, expanding your colon walls while toxins seep into your bloodstream. This rare complication is called toxic megacolon. It most commonly occurs alongside fulminant ulcerative colitis.
• Blood clots: UC increases the risk of clotting in your blood vessels (veins, arteries and capillaries). These clots can be life-threatening, depending on where they are.

How is ulcerative colitis diagnosed?

To diagnose UC, your healthcare provider will perform a physical exam and ask about your symptoms and family history of IBD. They’ll order tests and perform procedures to rule out conditions similar to UC.

Tests and procedures include:

• Blood tests: Your blood can show signs of anemia, which may mean you have bleeding in your colon or rectum. Blood tests can also help providers rule out other causes of your symptoms, like an infection.
• Stool samples: Signs of infection, parasites (tiny organisms that can live in a person’s body) and inflammation can show up in your poop.
• Imaging tests: Your healthcare provider may need a picture of your colon and rectum. You may need a specialized type of X-ray called a barium enema to reveal signs of inflammation in your colon. A CT scan (computed tomography scan) and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) can show signs of inflammation in your colon, especially with moderate and severe UC. An X-ray can show complications like megacolon or perforation.
• Endoscopic tests: An endoscope is a thin, flexible tube with a tiny camera. Your provider can insert the endoscope through your rectum to see inside your colon and take tissue samples for testing (biopsy). Common endoscopic tests to diagnose UC include colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy.

How is ulcerative colitis treated?

The goal of treatment is to put you into remission if you’re experiencing a flare-up or help you maintain remission if you’re not currently experiencing symptoms. Treatment options include medications and surgery.

Medications

Healthcare providers use several medications (alone or in combination) to calm inflammation in your large intestine. Reducing the swelling and irritation lets the tissue heal. It can also relieve your symptoms so you have less pain and diarrhea.

Medications for UC include:

• Aminosalicylates: Your healthcare provider may prescribe sulfasalazine (Azulfidine®) for mild to moderate ulcerative colitis. Let your provider know if you’re allergic to sulfa. They can prescribe a sulfa-free aminosalicylate instead, such as mesalamine (Canasa®, Delzicol®, Asacol® HD, Pentasa®, Lialda®, Apriso®).
• Corticosteroids: If you have a severe form of ulcerative colitis, you may need a corticosteroid such as prednisone (Deltasone®) or budesonide (Entocort® EC, Uceris®). Because corticosteroids have serious side effects, healthcare providers only recommend them for short-term use.
• Immunosuppressants: Your healthcare provider may recommend an immunosuppressant to calm your immune system. These medicines include 6-mercaptopurine (Purixan®, Purinethol®), azathioprine (Azasan® and Imuran®) or methotrexate (Trexall®).
• Biologics: Biologics treat moderate to severe ulcerative colitis by calming parts of your immune response. Medications like infliximab (Remicade®), adalimumab (Humira®), golimumab (Simponi®), certolizumab pegol (Cimzia ®), vedolizumab (Entyvio®) and ustekinumab (Stelara®) are biologics.
• Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors (small molecule drugs): Drugs like tofacitinib (Xeljanz®) stop one of your body’s enzymes (chemicals) from triggering inflammation. Upadacitinib (RinvoQ®) is another JAK inhibitor.

Surgery

Surgery is an option if medications aren’t working or if you’re experiencing serious complications. About 30% of people with ulcerative colitis need surgery at some point. About 20% of children with ulcerative colitis will need surgery.

There are two kinds of surgery for ulcerative colitis. Both involve a proctocolectomy, surgery to remove all or part of your colon and rectum.

• Proctocolectomy and ileal pouch: The proctocolectomy and ileal pouch is the most common procedure for ulcerative colitis. This procedure removes your colon and rectum but leaves your anus intact. Then, the surgeon forms an ileal pouch, a section of small intestine that attaches to your anus. Once you’ve healed, this section of your small intestine acts as a new rectum that allows you to poop as you typically would.
• Proctocolectomy and ileostomy: If an ileal pouch isn’t an option, your healthcare team might recommend a permanent ileostomy (without an ileal pouch). Your surgeon removes your colon, rectum and anus. They make an opening in your belly that attaches to a pouch outside your body (ileal stoma) that collects poop. You’ll empty the bag regularly.

What can I expect if I have ulcerative colitis?

A few people have one flare-up and never have another. Others have chronic symptoms that are difficult to manage. Most people have symptoms that come and go, with periods of flare-ups and longer periods of remission. In up to 30% of people, ulcerative symptoms worsen and happen more often. Eventually, they’ll need surgery.

Most people manage UC by avoiding triggers and taking medicines regularly to prevent inflammation. You’ll also need frequent provider visits to monitor your health. For example, depending on your risk, you may need regular colonoscopies to screen for colon cancer. Your provider can advise you.

Does ulcerative colitis ever go away?

The only “cure” for UC is surgery to remove your colon and rectum. Still, most people can manage UC with medications or surgery. With UC treatment, the goal is achieving and maintaining remission. Your healthcare provider can help you get there.

How can I prevent ulcerative colitis flare-ups?

You can reduce your likelihood of a flare-up by identifying and avoiding your triggers. Tips for avoiding common triggers include:

• Managing stress: Get at least seven hours of sleep a night, exercise regularly and find healthy ways to relieve stress, such as meditation.
• Avoid NSAIDs: For pain relief or a fever, use acetaminophen (Tylenol®) instead of NSAIDs like Motrin® and Advil®. NSAIDs can worsen ulcerative colitis symptoms.
• Avoid foods that trigger flare-ups: No single meal plan prevents flare-ups. Your food triggers may be different from someone else’s. Still, many people find it helpful to avoid dairy and high-fiber foods. Work with your provider to develop a personalized meal plan to avoid trigger foods without depriving yourself of essential nutrients.

It’s a good idea to note your triggers in a diary you can share with your provider. Together, you can work on strategies to avoid things that may cause a flare-up.

When should I call my doctor about my ulcerative colitis?

Call your healthcare provider immediately if you have:

• Heavy, persistent diarrhea.
• Blood leaking from your anus with clots of blood in your stool.
• Constant pain and a high fever.

What should I ask my healthcare provider?

Questions to ask include:

• How does the type of UC I have affect my prognosis (outcome)?
• What’s my risk of experiencing complications from UC?
• What treatments do you recommend?
• What risks or side effects can I expect from treatment?
• How can I change my lifestyle to prevent flare-ups?
• What can I do at home to manage symptoms of a flare-up?

A note from QBan Health Care Services

It’s essential to work closely with your healthcare team if you have ulcerative colitis. Take your medicines as prescribed, even when you don’t have symptoms. Skipping your medicine can lead to flare-ups and make your condition harder to manage. Make sure you understand how your risk of complications impacts your care. For example, you may need more frequent blood tests or colonoscopies than someone without UC. Ask how your care plan will increase your likelihood of staying in remission while promoting your overall health.

Crohn’s disease is a lifelong condition that causes inflammation in your digestive tract. It can lead to symptoms like ongoing diarrhea, belly pain and weight loss. These symptoms often come and go in cycles, called flares and remission. There’s no cure, but treatment can reduce inflammation, manage symptoms and help improve your quality of life.

What Is Crohn’s Disease?

Crohn’s disease is a long-term condition that causes swelling and irritation in your digestive tract. It’s one of the main types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Crohn’s happens when your immune system overreacts and attacks your digestive tract, causing inflammation. Symptoms can range from mild to severe.

For some people, Crohn’s disease can be debilitating. Ongoing inflammation may lead to frequent bathroom trips, pain, fatigue and time away from work or school.

Crohn’s is a lifelong condition. But treatment can help you manage symptoms, reduce inflammation and live an active life.

Types of Crohn’s disease

Crohn’s can affect any part of your digestive tract, from your mouth to your anus. Some people have Crohn’s in more than one area of their digestive tract. Healthcare providers often describe the disease based on where swelling and irritation occur.

Types include:

• Ileocolitis: Affects the end of your small intestine (ileum) and your large intestine (colon) — this is the most common type
• Crohn’s colitis: Limited to your large intestine
• Ileitis: Affects only the last part of your small intestine (ileum)
• Gastroduodenal Crohn’s disease: Affects your stomach and the start of your small intestine (duodenum)
• Jejunoileitis: Patchy areas of swelling in the upper part of your small intestine (jejunum)

These types describe where Crohn’s affects your body. But your symptoms and treatment may be similar.

Crohn’s disease symptoms

Symptoms of Crohn’s disease may develop slowly over time or come on suddenly. They may be mild to severe.

Some people have long-term (chronic) symptoms until treatment helps manage them. Other people have symptoms that come and go. You may have periods when the disease is active (flares) and times when you feel better (remission).

In more severe cases, symptoms can interfere with your daily life. They can make it difficult to work, go to school or keep up with normal routines.

Signs of Crohn’s disease include:

• Belly pain or cramps
• Ongoing diarrhea
• Feeling very tired
• Loss of appetite
• Unexpected weight loss
• Fever
• Blood in your poop
• Mouth sores

Crohn’s can also affect other parts of your body. You may notice signs and symptoms like:

• Joint pain
• Skin rashes
• Eye irritation
• Liver or bile duct swelling
• Kidney stones
• Bone loss

In children and teens, Crohn’s may delay growth or puberty.

What causes Crohn’s disease?

Researchers don’t know the exact cause of Crohn’s disease. But they believe it may be due to a combination of your immune system and your genes.

In Crohn’s disease, your immune system overreacts. Normally, your immune system protects you from harmful germs. But with Crohn’s, it attacks harmless bacteria in your gut. This causes swelling and irritation.

Genetics may also play a role. Crohn’s sometimes runs in biological families. Certain genes may increase your risk. But many people with Crohn’s have no family history of the condition.

Risk factors

Anyone can develop Crohn’s disease. But some factors raise your risk, including:

• Age: Healthcare providers most often diagnose Crohn’s in teens and young adults ages 15 to 35.
• Biological family history: If a parent, sibling or child has Crohn’s, your risk may be higher.
• Smoking: Smoking increases your risk and can make symptoms worse.
• Ethnicity: Crohn’s is more common in people of Northern European descent.
• Certain medications: NSAIDs like ibuprofen (Advil®) and naproxen (Aleve®) don’t cause Crohn’s, but they can worsen symptoms.

Complications of Crohn’s disease

Crohn’s can sometimes lead to serious complications that may need extra treatment or surgery. Without treatment, these complications can affect your quality of life.

One example is a fistula. Fistulas are abnormal tunnels that form between parts of your body that don’t usually connect. In Crohn’s, they often develop around your anus and may cause pain, swelling, or leakage of pus or poop.

Other complications may include:

Abscesses: Infected pus-filled pockets in your belly or near your anus

Anal fissures: Small tears in the lining of your anus

Strictures and blockages: Scarring that narrows your intestines, leading to blockages

Malnutrition: Vitamin or mineral deficiencies because your body can’t absorb nutrients

Anemia: Low red blood cell level from bleeding or poor nutrient absorption

Colorectal cancer: Cancer in your colon or rectum

Not everyone with Crohn’s disease develops these complications.

How doctors diagnose Crohn’s disease

There isn’t one test to diagnose Crohn’s disease. A healthcare provider will use a combination of tests to look for inflammation and rule out other conditions.

Your provider will start by asking about your symptoms, medical history and biological family history. They’ll also do a physical exam. They may refer you to a gastroenterologist (a doctor who specializes in digestive diseases).

Tests used to make a Crohn’s disease diagnosis may include:

• Blood tests: These tests check for signs of irritation, infection or anemia.
• Stool tests: A sample of your poop can help find inflammation or infection in your intestines.
• Colonoscopy: Your provider uses a thin tube with a camera to look inside your colon and the end of your small intestine. They may also take small samples (biopsies) of your intestines to confirm the diagnosis.
• Imaging tests: CT or MRI scans show detailed images of your digestive tract.

Your provider will review the results to confirm Crohn’s disease or rule out other conditions.

Crohn’s disease treatments

There’s no cure for Crohn’s. But treatment can reduce inflammation, relieve symptoms and help you stay in remission. Without treatment, the condition can worsen over time and lead to more serious symptoms or complications.

Your healthcare provider will make a plan based on:

• How severe your disease is
• Which parts of your digestive tract it affects
• How you respond to treatment

Your provider may recommend medications, nutrition therapy and/or surgery.

Crohn’s disease medication

Most people take medicine to reduce inflammation or calm their immune system. These medications reduce your risk of flares and complications.

Types of medications to treat Crohn’s disease include:

• Corticosteroids: Corticosteroids quickly reduce inflammation during a flare. They work more as a bandage to get you on the right long-term medication and treatment.
• Immunomodulators: This type of medicine calms your immune system.
• Biologics: Biologics target specific parts of your immune system that cause inflammation.
• JAK inhibitors: JAK inhibitors reduce immune system activity.
• Antibiotics and other medications: Other medications kill harmful bacteria, treat diarrhea or manage pain.

Your provider will monitor your response and change your medications as needed.

Nutrition therapy

Crohn’s can make it harder for your body to absorb nutrients. To help prevent malnutrition, your provider may recommend:

• Making changes to what you eat
• Taking supplements
• Starting a specialized meal plan
• Using a feeding tube in severe cases

Surgery

Medications work for many people. But you may need surgery if complications develop or symptoms don’t improve with treatment. Surgery for Crohn’s disease can treat problems like:

• Bowel blockages
• Fistulas
• Abscesses
• Severely damaged parts of your intestine

Surgery can improve symptoms and treat complications, but it doesn’t cure Crohn’s disease. You may still need medication after.

When should I call my healthcare provider?

Contact a healthcare provider if you notice symptoms of Crohn’s. They’ll run tests to find out what’s going on.

If you’ve been diagnosed with Crohn’s, reach out to your provider if you:

• Have new or worsening symptoms
• Think you’re having a flare
• Feel like treatment isn’t working
• Notice blood in your poop
• Have continued diarrhea or belly pain
• Have fevers or concern for infection
• Lose weight without trying

Seek immediate care if you have severe belly pain, signs of a blockage (like vomiting or not passing gas or poop) or heavy bleeding.

What’s the outlook for people with Crohn’s disease?

There’s currently no cure for Crohn’s disease, and outlooks vary. Some people have mild symptoms. But for others, the disease is severe. They may require ongoing treatment or surgery.

Crohn’s disease isn’t usually life-threatening. Life expectancy is generally normal. But ongoing inflammation can increase your risk of colon cancer and cause other complications.

Regular check-ups and screening tests, like colonoscopies, can monitor your health and catch problems early. Treatment can help manage irritation and reduce symptoms. Most people with Crohn’s disease can live full, active lives.

Can Crohn’s disease be prevented?

You can’t prevent Crohn’s disease. But you may be able to reduce flare-ups and manage symptoms. These self-care tips may help:

• Quit smoking: Quitting can reduce flare-ups and your chance of complications.
• Avoid medicines that bother your gut: Some medicines, especially NSAIDs, can trigger symptoms.
• Pay attention to foods that trigger symptoms: Some foods may worsen your symptoms, so you may want to keep a food diary.
• Eat smaller, balanced meals: Eating easy-to-digest foods more often may help reduce symptoms during flares.
• Manage stress: Getting regular physical activity, enough sleep and mental healthcare can help.

Work with your provider or a dietitian to create a plan that fits your needs.

A note from QBan Health Care Services

Crohn’s disease is a lifelong condition, but it doesn’t have to define your life. Symptoms can sometimes be challenging, but you can successfully manage them with the right treatment plan and support. Working closely with your healthcare provider, you can find a plan that keeps inflammation under control. That, along with regular check-ups and healthy habits, can help you reduce flares and spend long periods in remission.

Barrett’s esophagus is a change in the cellular structure of your esophagus lining. It’s a risk factor for cancer, but the risk is low. It usually occurs in people with chronic, untreated acid reflux (GERD). Treating the underlying condition can help prevent Barrett’s esophagus from progressing to cancer.

What is Barrett’s esophagus?

Barrett’s esophagus is a change in the cellular structure of your esophagus lining. Your esophagus is the swallowing tube that carries food from your mouth to your stomach. Like all of your gastrointestinal (GI) tract, your esophagus has a protective mucous lining on the inside. But if something irritates this lining for a long time, it can damage the tissues. Sometimes, this damage actually reprograms the cells.

These changes affect the structure and appearance of your esophagus lining. To scientists, it now looks more like the lining of your intestines. They call this intestinal metaplasia. Metaplasia is when tissues in your body replace themselves with a different type of tissue that isn’t normally found there. This is a risk factor for cancer. Although the risk is small, metaplasia makes cancerous changes more likely.

How serious is Barrett’s esophagus?

Because of the small chance it might progress to esophageal cancer, healthcare providers like to keep an eye on Barrett’s esophagus. But the risk is only about half a percent per year. Cellular changes happen slowly, and metaplasia passes through another precancerous stage (dysplasia) before progressing to cancer. If your provider notices any dysplasia, they’ll remove it to stop it from progressing further.

What are the symptoms of Barrett’s esophagus?

On its own, Barrett’s esophagus doesn’t produce any symptoms. But if something is irritating your esophagus lining for a long time, you’re likely to have symptoms from that. Chronic esophagitis — inflammation in your esophagus — may feel like heartburn or chest pain on the lower end, or like a sore throat if it’s higher. It may make your esophagus feel swollen or cause difficulties swallowing.

It takes years of chronic esophagitis to damage your esophagus tissues enough to trigger metaplasia. If you have any chronic symptoms, even if they’re mild or they come and go, check in with a healthcare provider. Chronic acid reflux is the most common cause of esophagitis leading to Barrett’s esophagus. If you ever feel or taste stomach juices backwashing into your esophagus after you eat, take notice.

What causes Barrett’s esophagus?

Scientists don’t completely understand why Barrett’s esophagus occurs, but it seems to relate to chronic irritation or injury inside your esophagus. It may be a result of constant cellular repair. Most people who develop Barrett’s esophagus have had gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) for at least 10 years. But not everyone fits this profile, and other irritants may also lead to Barrett’s esophagus.

The ways that Barrett’s esophagus changes your esophagus lining suggest that it’s trying to protect itself. Your esophagus lining normally has some protection from acids and other irritants, but not as much as your intestinal lining. Since acids and digestive enzymes do most of their work inside your small intestine, it needs extra protection. Intestinal metaplasia in your esophagus suggests that it does, too.

What are the risk factors for getting Barrett’s esophagus?

You may be more likely to develop Barrett’s esophagus if you:

• Are male. Males get it two to three times more often than females.
• Are older than 55. This condition takes time to develop.
• Have GERD. Between 10% and 15% of people with GERD get Barrett’s esophagus.
• Smoke. Smoking may be a contributing factor.

How is Barrett’s esophagus diagnosed?

A gastroenterologist, a specialist in gastrointestinal diseases, usually diagnoses Barrett’s esophagus. They’ll look inside your esophagus for evidence of the tissue changes and take small tissue samples to confirm them (biopsies). They’ll do this in a procedure called an endoscopy. This means putting a tiny camera on a long tube down your throat to examine your esophagus, while you’re under sedation.

What are the signs of Barrett’s esophagus on examination?

In general, normal esophageal lining is pale pink and smooth, while intestinal metaplasia is salmon-colored and coarse. But inflammation in your esophagus could obscure these features. Your provider might need to take multiple biopsy samples from different places to study under a microscope. This is how they’ll confirm the structural changes in the cells of your esophagus lining (epithelium).

Normal esophageal epithelium consists of stratified squamous cells. These are flat, square cells arranged in layers (“squamous” means flat, and “stratified” means in layers). The lower part of your GI tract (your intestine) is lined with columnar epithelium. Columnar cells are rectangular and lay side-by-side in a single layer. If these appear in your esophagus, your provider will diagnose Barrett’s esophagus.

Classifying Barrett’s esophagus

Your provider might describe your condition as:

• Short-segment Barrett’s esophagus. This means the affected area is less than 3 cm long.
• Long-segment Barrett’s esophagus. This means the affected tissue is longer than 3 cm.

They might define the stage as:

• Non-dysplastic metaplasia. This means there’s no dysplasia yet and a low cancer risk.
• Metaplasia with low-grade dysplasia. This means there’s some dysplasia and cancer risk.
• Metaplasia with high-grade dysplasia. This means there’s significant dysplasia and cancer risk.
• Carcinoma. This means dysplasia has progressed to cancer.

Other findings

People with Barrett’s esophagus may also have:

• Esophageal stricture. This means your esophagus has become narrower, often due to scarring.
• Peptic ulcers. These are open sores caused by stomach acid or enzymes.

What is the treatment for Barrett’s esophagus?

Treatment for Barrett’s esophagus includes:

• Treating the cause to stop it from progressing.
• Regular surveillance to check for precancerous changes.
• Removing precancerous tissue if necessary.

Treating the cause

Chronic acid reflux, the most common condition leading to Barrett’s esophagus, is treatable. Healthcare providers usually recommend a combination of diet and lifestyle changes and acid-blocking medications. Medications called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are very effective in protecting your esophagus from acid reflux and helping the tissues heal. A minor procedure can also fix the underlying defect that causes it.

Medications

Prescription medications to treat acid reflux include:

• Omeprazole.
• Lansoprazole.
• Pantoprazole.
• Rabeprazole.
• Esomeprazole.
• Dexlansoprazole.

Surveillance

You’ll need to have periodic endoscopy exams to check on your metaplasia and see if it’s progressing. Your provider will tell you how often you should have them, depending on whether you have any dysplasia yet (precancerous changes). Barrett’s esophagus without dysplasia only needs to be examined every few years. Barrett’s esophagus after dysplasia should be examined yearly.

Treatments for dysplasia

Dysplasia is the next stage of cellular changes in your tissues between metaplasia and cancer. If a pathologist confirms you have dysplasia, they’ll characterize it as either low-grade or high-grade (mild or severe). Your provider may recommend treatment or more frequent surveillance for low-grade dysplasia. For high-grade dysplasia, they’ll recommend treatment to remove the affected tissue.

Procedures

Procedures to treat dysplasia include:

• Ablation therapy. Ablation means using very high or low temperatures to eliminate the affected tissue. Your provider can freeze or burn off the layer of intestinal metaplasia with cold gas (cryotherapy), a thermal balloon, a laser or radiofrequency. These are endoscopic procedures, meaning your provider treats you through an endoscope during an endoscopy exam.
• Endoscopic mucosal resection. Endoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive surgery technique that allows an endoscopist to perform minor surgery through an endoscope. Mucosal resection simply means that surgeons cut out the affected tissue from your esophageal lining (the mucosa). This might be a second-line treatment if ablation therapy fails to prevent further dysplasia.
• Surgery (esophagectomy). Surgery might be necessary if you have extensive, high-grade dysplasia, carcinoma or other complications, like a severe esophageal stricture. A surgeon removes the affected portion of your esophagus, then rebuilds it using pieces from your GI tract.

Does Barrett’s esophagus ever go away?

Metaplasia won’t go away by itself, though medical procedures can remove the affected tissue. Healthcare providers don’t recommend these procedures unless you have dysplasia. Barrett’s esophagus without dysplasia won’t affect you much. It just means you have to have periodic endoscopy exams. But it’s important to address what’s injuring your esophagus. You can make GERD go away.

Can treatment fix Barrett’s esophagus?

If you remove the affected tissue and stop whatever was injuring your esophagus, Barrett’s esophagus may be cured. But it can return. Sometimes, a layer of metaplasia hides underneath a layer of new, normal tissue. Sometimes, the injury continues, and so the process of metaplasia continues. Because of this risk, your healthcare provider will probably recommend continued surveillance, just to be safe.

How long can you live with Barrett’s esophagus?

You can live a normal life with Barrett’s esophagus, as long as it doesn’t continue to progress. Precancerous or cancerous changes will affect your life expectancy. But most people with Barrett’s esophagus will never develop these changes. In general, your prognosis (outlook) is better the sooner you seek treatment. You can prevent and even remove cancerous changes if you catch them early enough.

Can Barrett’s esophagus be prevented?

The known causes of chronic esophagitis leading to Barrett’s esophagus are treatable. Most people have these conditions for a long time before they progress to Barrett’s esophagus. You can help prevent this from happening by paying attention to your symptoms and seeking treatment for these conditions. You can also reduce your risk by avoiding or quitting smoking. A healthcare provider can help you quit.

A note from QBan Health Care Services

Barrett’s esophagus by itself won’t harm you. But it’s an important sign of prior injury. It’s also a mild warning of possible future harm. What it means is that you need to address the underlying cause of injury to your esophagus. The common causes of esophagitis are usually treatable, and treating them can greatly improve your quality of life. Consider it a bonus if you can also reduce your risk of cancer.

Occasional indigestion (dyspepsia) is common and not serious. If you get a stomachache after a large meal, you can usually relieve it with an antacid. But if you have indigestion often, there might be more going on. Sometimes, it means you have a treatable condition, like acid reflux or peptic ulcer disease. Other times, it’s more complex.

What Is Indigestion (Dyspepsia)?

Indigestion is pain or discomfort that happens while your stomach digests food. It’s also called dyspepsia, which means impaired digestion. If you often get a stomachache after eating, something in your digestion may not be working as it should.

Indigestion isn’t usually serious — small changes in your eating habits can help. But how often it happens and how severe it feels matter.

Most people have occasional indigestion. For others, it happens often enough to affect daily life. If that’s the case, you may want to see a healthcare provider. Sometimes, indigestion is a sign of an underlying digestive condition. Other times, there’s no clear cause.

What are indigestion symptoms?

Healthcare providers define indigestion (dyspepsia) by the following three symptoms:

1. Pain in your upper belly: This area, called the epigastric region, holds important digestive organs like your stomach, liver, pancreas and the first part of your small intestine.
2. A burning feeling: This can come from stomach acid, digestive enzymes or inflammation. You might feel it in your upper belly or chest.
3. Uncomfortable fullness: You may feel full sooner than expected, or long after eating. This can make it hard to eat even small amounts.

Symptoms often show up within minutes to a few hours after a meal. It normally takes three to five hours for your stomach to digest food before passing it to your small intestine. During this time, your pancreas and gallbladder release enzymes and bile to help break food down — right in the same area where indigestion pain tends to show up.

Many people who experience indigestion also report additional symptoms, including:

• Belching
• Bloating
• Gas
• Nausea

These symptoms can overlap with dyspepsia, or they may occur on their own.

Sometimes, a heart attack can feel like indigestion — called a silent heart attack.

Seek emergency care if you have indigestion along with:

• A tight, clenching feeling in your diaphragm
• Pain in your jaw, arms or upper back
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Chest heaviness or soreness
• Sweating

What causes indigestion (dyspepsia)?

The most common cause of indigestion is stomach acid — especially when there’s too much of it or when it gets where it doesn’t belong. Acid can irritate the lining of your stomach, esophagus or small intestine, causing that familiar burning or painful sensation.

This extra acid often results from underlying conditions like GERD (acid reflux) or peptic ulcer disease, which are among the most common causes of chronic indigestion.

But indigestion can also stem from what and how you eat, how well your digestive system functions and how your nerves interpret discomfort in your gut.

Occasional indigestion

Sometimes, indigestion is simply due to overeating or eating rich, fatty foods. These meals require more digestive effort, which means more acid and stronger contractions from your stomach, gallbladder and pancreas. This extra activity can irritate your digestive tract and cause temporary discomfort.

Chronic indigestion

When indigestion happens regularly, it may be linked to a digestive condition — or it may have no identifiable cause.

• GERD allows acid to escape from your stomach into your esophagus, which isn’t built to handle it.
• Peptic ulcers can form in your stomach or the first part of your small intestine (duodenum) when acid damages the protective lining.
• Gastritis occurs when acid irritates or inflames the stomach lining.

These acid-related conditions are among the few clear “organic” causes of indigestion. When symptoms like heartburn, regurgitation or belching appear alongside dyspepsia, GERD is often the reason. If nausea, early fullness or bloating are present, peptic ulcer disease may be the cause.

When testing rules out acid-related disease, the diagnosis is often functional dyspepsia — a condition where overly sensitive gut nerves misinterpret normal digestion as pain or discomfort.

Risk factors

You’re more likely to experience indigestion if you have certain conditions or lifestyle factors that affect your digestive system or increase acid production:

Health conditions linked to dyspepsia include:

• Eating disorders
• Food intolerances
• Gallstones
• Gastroparesis
• Hiatal hernia
• H. pylori infection
• IBS
• SIBO
• Stomach cancer
• Visceral hypersensitivity

Lifestyle factors that may raise your risk include:

• Chronic stress
• Smoking
• Frequent alcohol use
• Regular use of NSAIDs (like ibuprofen)
• An eating pattern high in fried, spicy or acidic foods

Specific food triggers include:

• Carbonated drinks
• Coffee
• Chocolate
• Greasy or fried foods (like fried chicken)
• Shellfish (like shrimp and lobster)
• Spicy foods

How is dyspepsia diagnosed?

If your indigestion is mild or only happens once in a while, you probably don’t need a formal diagnosis. But if it’s frequent, severe or interfering with your daily life, your provider will start by asking about your symptoms.

They’ll likely begin with:

• A physical exam
• A review of your health history
• Questions about your eating habits and lifestyle

In some cases, your provider may prescribe acid-blocking medication first to see if it helps. If it does, your symptoms are likely related to stomach acid. If it doesn’t — or if you have other concerning symptoms — your provider may recommend further testing to check for an underlying condition.

Tests might include:

• Imaging tests
• Blood tests
• Breath tests (to check for H. pylori)
• Stool tests
• Upper endoscopy (to view your esophagus, stomach and small intestine)

If tests don’t show any clear cause and acid-reducing medications don’t help, your provider may diagnose functional dyspepsia.

How can I treat indigestion at home?

If your symptoms are mild or occasional, you can often manage them with simple changes:

• Adjust your eating habits: Eat smaller meals and avoid rich or fatty foods, which require more stomach acid to digest. Try to finish eating a few hours before bedtime.
• Review your medications: If you regularly take NSAIDs (like ibuprofen), they may irritate your stomach. Talk to your provider about other options for pain relief.
• Sip water: Small sips may help wash acid out of your esophagus or help your stomach empty more quickly. But too much water can sometimes make symptoms worse.
• Use antacids: Over-the-counter antacids can neutralize stomach acid and relieve occasional indigestion. But if you need them often — or they don’t work — see your provider.

How do healthcare providers treat chronic indigestion?

If you have traditional acid-related indigestion, your provider may prescribe medications to reduce or manage stomach acid. These can include:

• Antibiotics: Used to treat bacterial infections like H. pylori or SIBO, which can contribute to indigestion.
• H2 blockers: These reduce stomach acid by blocking histamine signals. They’re effective in the short term but may lose effectiveness with long-term use.
• Prokinetic agents: These help your digestive system move food along more quickly, reducing how long acid and enzymes sit in your stomach.
• Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs): These are strong acid blockers that also help heal tissue damage, such as ulcers or inflammation.

If you have functional dyspepsia, treatment may involve a combination of:

• Medications
• Eating habit changes
• Lifestyle changes
• Complementary therapies (like stress management or probiotics)

It may take some trial and error to find what works best for you.

When should I seek healthcare for indigestion?

See a healthcare provider if your symptoms are frequent, if antacids don’t help or if you’re relying on antacids too often and need a longer-term plan. You should also seek care if your current treatment stops working or if you develop new or concerning symptoms.

Red-flag symptoms include:

• Blood in your poop
• Difficulty swallowing
• Nausea and vomiting
• Unexplained weight loss

Is dyspepsia curable?

Not all causes of indigestion are curable, but most are treatable. Depending on the underlying issue, you may need occasional or daily treatment — sometimes long-term.

Medications that reduce stomach acid are often effective, but they can have side effects. You may need to work with your provider to find the right balance.

Functional dyspepsia can be harder to treat, and not everyone finds lasting relief.

A note from QBan Health Care Services

Indigestion is common and usually not serious. But when it happens often, it can interfere with your eating, sleeping and overall quality of life. It may be a sign of an underlying condition — and in rare cases, a serious one.

Your digestive system is complex. An experienced healthcare provider can help you figure out what’s going on and guide you toward relief.

Acid reflux is when acid from your stomach moves up into your esophagus and even your throat. It can cause unpleasant symptoms like heartburn and nausea. This is a normal but temporary inconvenience. When it’s chronic, it’s called GERD. GERD can damage your GI system over time. Treatment includes at-home adjustments, medication and surgery.

What Are Acid Reflux and GERD?

Acid reflux is when stomach acid flows upward into your esophagus and, sometimes, your throat. Normally, these acids flow one way: down. So, your esophagus and throat aren’t built to withstand them. Stomach acid can irritate the tissues there. This can lead to uncomfortable sensations, like heartburn. But most people have occasional reflux. It’s nothing to worry about.

GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) is when acid reflux becomes chronic. This means you have reflux episodes twice a week for several weeks straight.

While acid reflux can be annoying but temporary, GERD (also spelled GORD for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease) is a constant, mechanical problem. The systems in place to keep acid moving down aren’t working right.

Acid reflux and GERD are common. GERD affects 1 in 5 people in the United States.

Acid reflux in babies is also normal, especially in their first year of life. They can have GERD, too. But it looks a little different for them.

Symptoms of acid reflux and GERD

Symptoms of acid reflux and GERD can include:

• A burning feeling: Stomach acid burns the lining in your esophagus and throat. When the pain is in your chest, it’s heartburn. When it’s closer to your stomach, it’s indigestion.
• Chronic coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath: If particles of stomach acid enter your airways, it can make them contract. This causes symptoms like those of asthma.
• Noncardiac chest pain: This is when the pain in your chest feels like a heavy pressure or tightness. Pain in your esophagus triggers the same nerves as pain related to your heart.
• Nausea: Acid overflow and regurgitation can make you feel sick to your stomach or lose your appetite. You may also feel like there’s still food in your stomach even if you haven’t eaten in a while.
• Regurgitation: You might notice acid, food or liquids coming back up into your throat. There may also be a sour taste along with the backwash.
• Sore throat: Your throat may get sore after acid rises into it and inflames the tissues. It may feel like there’s a lump in your throat, or like swallowing is hard. Reflux in your throat often happens at night.

GERD symptoms can be worse at night or while lying down. They can also worsen after you:

• Have a large or fatty meal
• Bend over
• Drink alcohol or smoke

What causes acid reflux and GERD?

A weakened or relaxed lower esophageal sphincter (LES) causes acid reflux and GERD. For acid to get into your esophagus and throat, it needs to get past the LES, a special valve at the bottom of your esophagus. Its job is to prevent stomach contents from moving upward.

Some things can temporarily relax your LES, like lying down after a large meal. But if you have GERD, your LES is doing this more often than it should.

Sometimes, occasional acid reflux turns into GERD when its triggers persist or overlap.

Risk factors

Common risk factors for acid reflux and GERD include:

• Hiatal hernia: A hiatal hernia can squeeze your esophagus, trapping stomach acid. It can also move your LES and weaken the muscles that support it.
• Pregnancy: Increased abdominal pressure and volume during pregnancy can strain the muscles that prop up your LES. Hormones can also relax the LES.
• Obesity: Like in pregnancy, obesity increases the pressure and volume inside your abdomen and can weaken your LES. Fat tissue also makes hormones that relax the valve.
• Smoking: Tobacco smoke — even secondhand exposure — relaxes your LES. Smoking also triggers coughing, which opens your LES. Together, smoking and coughing can weaken muscles in your diaphragm and slow your digestion (this can produce more stomach acid).

Less common risk factors are:

• Certain conditions: Disorders you have from birth that affect your digestive system can affect your LES. Connective tissue diseases can impact your esophagus muscles.
• Medications: Some medications may relax your LES. These include NSAIDs, calcium channel blockers, antidepressants and theophylline.
• Surgery in your chest and abdomen: Procedures in these parts of your body can injure your esophagus.

How to lower your risk

Many risk factors of acid reflux and GERD are beyond your control. But certain changes to your daily habits can help lower your risk, like not smoking or removing yourself from smoky environments. So can maintaining a weight that’s healthy for you.

Can foods cause acid reflux?

Not on their own. But they can contribute to it. In higher doses, chocolate, coffee, alcohol, mint, garlic and onions can relax your LES.

Heavy meals and fatty foods need more stomach acid to break down, and they take longer. They might not have enough time to digest before you go to bed.

Complications of GERD

Having acid reflux here and there won’t affect your long-term health. But GERD can damage digestive organs above your stomach. This is because your stomach has built-in protection against acid. But your esophagus and throat don’t. Over time, stomach acid can burn and hurt them.

Possible complications include:

• Asthma and breathing problems: Stomach acid in your airways can irritate asthma that already exists. But it can also cause symptoms similar to asthma if you don’t have the condition.
• Barrett’s esophagus: This is when the cells in your esophagus’s lining change to look like those in your intestines. It happens after long-term exposure to acid and inflammation. Barrett’s esophagus is a risk factor for esophageal cancer.
• Esophageal stricture: To protect itself from damage, your esophagus may form scar tissue. This can narrow your esophagus and make it hard to swallow.
• Esophagitis: The lining of your esophagus becomes irritated and inflamed. Chronic esophagitis can cause pain and lead to ulcers, scarring and a precancerous condition called intestinal metaplasia.
• Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR): Reflux that travels all the way to your throat can cause swelling, hoarseness and growths on your vocal cords. Acid can also get into your breathing tubes. LPR may happen while you sleep.

How doctors diagnose GERD

A specialist called a gastroenterologist will take a closer look at your situation. They’ll ask about your symptoms and go over your medical history. If that isn’t enough to diagnose GERD, or they want to check for complications, your provider may use:

• Esophagram: This test takes moving X-rays (fluoroscopy) of your esophagus while you swallow a chalky liquid called barium.
• Upper endoscopy: A thin tube with a light and camera at the end lets your provider look inside your esophagus while you’re sedated.
• Esophageal pH test: A small, wireless receiver measures how much stomach acid is inside your esophagus.
• Esophageal manometry: Pressure sensors in a tube that goes through your nose and into your stomach measure muscle activity in your esophagus.

How is acid reflux treated?

If you have acid reflux, you may be able to ease your symptoms by adopting some new habits. These can include:

• Quitting smoking
• Drinking less alcohol or none at all
• Maintaining a weight that’s healthy for you
• Elevating your head at night by 6 to 8 inches using extra pillows or a foam wedge
• Avoiding foods and drinks that make acid reflux worse
• Eating smaller meals
• Eating two to three hours before you lie down
• Avoiding tight clothing (this puts pressure on your abdomen)

Medications

If you need a little extra help in the short term, over-the-counter (OTC) medications for acid reflux include:

• Antacids: These medicines (like Tums® and Rolaids®) weaken stomach acid.
• Alginates: These are sugars that seaweed naturally produces. They create a physical barrier between stomach acid and the esophagus.

Some medications have both antacids and alginates.

How is GERD treated?

Incorporating these habits can help if you have GERD. But your provider may also prescribe medications to reduce your stomach acid. They’re safer to take long term than OTC medications.

Medications

Medications for GERD include:

• H2 blockers: They’re also called histamine receptor antagonists. They reduce stomach acid by preventing your body from making histamine. But sometimes, your body gets used to them and they don’t work as well.
• Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs): If your GERD is severe or your esophagus is damaged, a provider will probably recommend PPIs first. They’re very effective at lowering reflux.
• Baclofen: This medication helps keep your LES from relaxing too much and letting acid flow upward. It’s not a first-line treatment, but it can be helpful in some cases.

Surgery

While daily habits and medication can ease the symptoms and effects of GERD, they can’t stop it from happening entirely. A severe case of GERD can still cause problems on medication, even if you can’t feel it.

When this happens, surgery may be the best option. Procedures to treat GERD are minor and have excellent outcomes. You can typically go home the same day. They include:

• Nissen fundoplication: This is the most common surgery for GERD. A surgeon wraps the top of your stomach around your lower esophagus and secures it with stitches to tighten your LES. It only needs small incisions, and recovery is relatively quick.
• LINX device: A ring of tiny magnets helps keep your LES closed. A surgeon implants a LINX device using small cuts in your abdomen.

When should I seek care?

Reach out to a provider if symptoms are still bothering you after treatment, or if they get worse. If you have acid reflux, this may mean that it’s become chronic. If you have GERD, it could mean that your treatment plan needs an update.

What can I expect if I have acid reflux or GERD?

So many things contribute to acid reflux that it can be hard to tell what’s triggering yours. Sometimes, simple tactics like new habits and over-the-counter medications can make symptoms disappear. Other times, acid reflux can get worse.

Talk with a healthcare provider if acid reflux is getting in the way of life. They can see whether it’s causing problems you aren’t aware of.

You may need surgery if you have severe GERD or complications that medications can’t help. Surgery is usually minimally invasive and effective. It might be worth doing to prevent complications or keep them from making things worse.

How can I stop an acid reflux attack?

If it’s happening right now, try:

• Standing up
• Taking small sips of water
• Loosening your waistband or belt
• Taking an antacid

A note from QBan Health Care Services

It’s normal to have acid reflux from time to time. It may be unpleasant, but over-the-counter medication and changes to your normal routine may just do the trick.

If you have reflux more often or your symptoms are disruptive, it may be GERD. Talking with a healthcare provider can shed some light on your situation. They can help find a treatment that works for you.

Lactose intolerance occurs in people who lack the enzyme they need to break down lactose, the sugar in milk. It causes digestive distress when you eat dairy products. A food intolerance is different from a food allergy.

What is lactose intolerance?

Lactose intolerance is a reaction in your digestive system to lactose, the sugar in milk. It causes uncomfortable symptoms after you eat dairy products. Many people have difficulty digesting lactose, but not everyone experiences noticeable symptoms from it. If you do, it’s called lactose intolerance.

What is lactose malabsorption?

Lactose malabsorption is the inability to break down and absorb lactose molecules in your digestive system. It’s common — in fact, about 65% of adults worldwide can’t break down and absorb lactose. Unabsorbed lactose passes undigested through your gastrointestinal tract, causing symptoms for some people.

What’s the difference between lactose malabsorption vs. lactose intolerance?

Everyone with lactose intolerance has lactose malabsorption, but not everyone with lactose malabsorption has lactose intolerance. One way of thinking about it is that malabsorption happens in your small intestine, while symptoms of food intolerance happen later in your large intestine.

Your small intestine is where most of the nutrients from your food are absorbed. Your small intestine breaks nutrients down into smaller molecules that can pass through the intestinal wall into your bloodstream. Everything that isn’t absorbed in your small intestine passes to your large intestine.

Undigested sugar molecules in your large intestine produce more water and more gas. They trigger your large intestine (colon) to secrete extra fluid to help pass them through. They produce gas when the bacteria in your colon ferment them. This can lead to digestive symptoms such as diarrhea and gas pain.

How noticeable your symptoms are will depend on other variables. Can you break down lactose a little bit, or not at all? How much lactose do you eat at a time? What other conditions might affect the water and gas content in your colon? These are some of the factors your healthcare provider will explore.

What are the signs and symptoms of lactose intolerance?

Signs and symptoms of lactose intolerance may include:

• Bloated stomach.
• Intestinal gas.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Stomach pain and cramping.
• Stomach gurgling or rumbling.
• Diarrhea.

These symptoms come from undigested lactose in your large intestine. It takes between six to 10 hours for food to reach your large intestine after you eat it, and another 24-36 hours after that to travel through your large intestine. So your symptoms might occur up to a day or two after you eat lactose.

What foods trigger lactose intolerance symptoms?

Lactose is in most dairy products unless it’s been removed. That includes cow’s milk and goat’s milk products. There’s more in some types than others. For example, fresh milk and cream are higher in lactose, while hard cheeses have less. You might be OK with a sprinkling of parmesan on your salad.

On the other hand, if you’re very sensitive to lactose, you might react to even small amounts. Check nutrition labels and ingredient lists on food. Lactose is often added to processed foods, including soups, salad dressings and snack foods. It may even be added to your prescription medications.

What causes lactose intolerance?

Two factors contribute to lactose intolerance: lactose malabsorption and gut sensitivity. Lactose malabsorption is the most important factor. It’s the inability to break down and absorb lactose in your small intestine that leads to lactose later entering your large intestine and triggering symptoms.

Lactase deficiency

Your small intestine needs a specific enzyme, called lactase, to break down lactose into smaller molecules that it can absorb. Most people naturally produce lactase in their small intestines during infancy to help digest breast milk. Most people begin to make less of it as they grow up.

If you don’t have enough lactase, you won’t be able to digest lactose. Some people produce more or less lactase than others. But technically, the majority of people worldwide have lactose malabsorption due to lactase deficiency. Only certain populations continue to produce lactase into adulthood.

You and your gut

This is where your gut sensitivity factors in. We all consume things from time to time that we can’t fully digest. Certain dietary fibers and sugars go straight through our digestive systems to feed the bacteria living in our guts. Most of us tolerate a little of this to some extent, without overwhelming symptoms.

But everyone is a little different. Our genes, intestinal health, sensitivities and diet all factor in. Your unique gut microbiome — the different types of bacteria living in your colon — may process lactose differently from someone else’s. Your symptoms will tell you how much lactose you can tolerate.

What are the four types of lactose intolerance?

The four types, and their causes, are:

• Primary (caused by diminishing lactase production in your small intestine).
• Secondary (caused by injury or disease that damages your small intestine).
• Congenital (caused by lactase deficiency present at birth).
• Developmental (caused by premature birth, when the small intestine is underdeveloped).

Is lactose intolerance genetic?

Genes determine how likely you are to continue to produce lactase, the enzyme that helps you digest lactose. Genes may also partly affect your gut sensitivity and the types of bacteria you have in your gut. Some bacteria convert lactose into gas, but others convert it into lactic acid, which may not cause symptoms.

You’re more likely to have lactose malabsorption and lactose intolerance if your genetic profile is:

• Asian.
• Native American.
• Hispanic.

You may be more likely to have lactase persistence and lactose tolerance if your genetic profile is:

• Northern European.
• African.
• Middle Eastern.

Rarely, some people are born with congenital lactase deficiency. This is a genetic disorder that causes lactose intolerance from birth.

Can you develop lactose intolerance over time?

Most people develop lactose intolerance as they grow from childhood into adulthood. The most common type of lactose intolerance, primary lactose intolerance, happens because you gradually stop producing lactase, the enzyme that digests lactose. Your gut sensitivity can also change over time.

Separately from lactose malabsorption, you may be more likely to experience symptoms if you have:

• Irritable bowel syndrome.
• Visceral hypersensitivity.
• Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.

These are conditions that tend to develop gradually over your lifetime.

Can you suddenly become lactose intolerant if you weren’t before?

You can develop secondary lactose intolerance suddenly as a result of damage to your small intestine. Injury, surgery, infections or chronic diseases may damage the cells that produce lactase. This can cause sudden lactose malabsorption and intolerance, even if you could previously digest lactose.

Secondary causes of lactose intolerance include:

• Radiation therapy.
• Small bowel resection.
• Cystic fibrosis.
• Inflammatory bowel disease.
• Celiac disease.
• Enterocolitis.

Secondary lactose intolerance may not be permanent. If your small intestine recovers its usual function, you may regain the ability to digest lactose.

How do you know if you’re lactose intolerant?

You might suspect you’re lactose intolerant if you notice a pattern of gastrointestinal symptoms after you eat dairy products. However, many people with lactase deficiency can tolerate some lactose, sometimes. If you’re not sure whether lactose is affecting you, visit a healthcare provider.

How do you test for lactose intolerance?

Healthcare providers have several ways of testing for lactose intolerance. Common tests include:

• Hydrogen breath test. A breath test measures the amount of hydrogen and methane gases in your breath when you exhale. Bacteria in your colon produce these gases. If you have higher levels of these gases after ingesting lactose, it’s because your gut bacteria are fermenting the lactose, producing gas in your colon that can later be measured in your breath.
• Blood sugar test. If a breath test is inconclusive, a healthcare provider might suggest a blood glucose (blood sugar) test. This test measures the sugar content in your blood before and after you ingest lactose. If your blood sugar doesn’t rise, it shows you’re not absorbing the lactose.
• Stool acidity test. Healthcare providers use this test for small children and infants. After feeding a child lactose, they’ll take a poop (stool) sample and analyze the content. Levels of lactic acid and other byproducts in the sample can show whether or not the body is absorbing the lactose.

How do you fix lactose intolerance?

If you want to be able to digest lactose, you need lactase in your gut. Most people with lactose intolerance can’t produce lactase naturally. Lactase supplements can give your body the lactase it needs to break down lactose. You can take these as tablets or drops before consuming lactose.

Researchers are also experimenting with lactic acid bacteria as a possible fix for lactose intolerance symptoms. These are bacteria that convert lactose into lactic acid instead of gas. Ingesting these bacteria as probiotics, together with prebiotics that feed them, may improve lactose tolerance.

How can I manage lactose intolerance with diet?

Experiment with your diet to find out what your personal lactose threshold is. Some people find they can tolerate certain dairy foods in certain amounts, or when combined with other foods. Begin with a lactose-free diet, then gradually reintroduce lactose-containing foods to see how your system responds.

Some people with lactose intolerance can tolerate up to 12 grams (g) of lactose at one time, which is a cup of milk or a scoop of ice cream. You can also find lactose-reduced and lactose-free versions of most dairy products at the supermarket. Experiment with these and other dairy alternatives in your diet.

Can lactose intolerance go away?

Secondary lactose intolerance caused by damage to your small intestine might be reversible after your small intestine recovers. This will depend on how permanent the damage is. It may also take some time. Babies born prematurely who have developmental lactose intolerance usually grow out of it.

If you have primary or congenital lactose intolerance, you won’t ever start naturally producing more lactase. But it’s possible your symptoms could change if your intestinal health or microbiome changes. In theory, your tolerance might improve a little, or you might notice your symptoms a little less.

What happens if you ignore lactose intolerance?

Lactose intolerance won’t seriously harm you. If you can cope with the symptoms while the lactose passes through your digestive system, they’ll eventually end. However, you can easily avoid lactose intolerance symptoms with lactase supplements and lactose-free dairy products.

Are there any long-term consequences of lactose intolerance?

Lactose intolerance will affect your diet, which means you’ll have to pay attention to the nutrients you’re getting. If you avoid all dairy products, you could end up low in calcium and vitamin D. You can get these nutrients from other food sources, but dairy products are some of the most common ones.

Calcium deficiency or vitamin D deficiency can affect your bones, muscles and nervous system. Deficiencies can particularly affect growing children. Your healthcare provider might recommend taking calcium or vitamin D supplements — or giving them to your child — if you can’t get enough from your diet.

Is lactose intolerance an allergy?

No. A food allergy is a reaction from your immune system, usually to a protein in your food. Your immune system registers the protein as a threat and reacts to remove it. Even a small amount of the protein can cause a big reaction if you’re allergic, and it usually occurs very soon after ingesting it.

An allergic reaction can cause symptoms throughout your body, not just in your digestive system. It may include swelling, hives and shortness of breath. You may also have stomach pain, nausea and vomiting, but this would usually occur early in the digestive process when the protein is still in your stomach.

What is the difference between lactose intolerance vs. milk allergy?

The main difference is that a milk allergy is a reaction from your immune system to a milk protein. Lactose intolerance is a reaction in your digestive system to a milk sugar. An allergic reaction has an emergency quality. It can be immediate, severe and, in some cases, life-threatening (anaphylaxis).

When your digestive system reacts to a sugar that it can’t digest, it can mean uncomfortable symptoms during digestion, but it isn’t dangerous. Undigested lactose will produce extra water and gas in your colon. It might give you diarrhea and gas while it’s processing through, but it won’t harm you.

What is the difference between lactose intolerance vs. milk protein intolerance?

Like lactose intolerance, milk protein intolerance begins with malabsorption in your small intestine. When your small intestine can’t break down and absorb one of the proteins in milk (usually casein or whey), the undigested protein passes on through your intestines, just like undigested sugars do.

The difference is that undigested proteins in your digestive system can raise a red flag in your immune system. Your immune system may register the protein as an allergen sometime later in the digestive process, producing a delayed immune response. You may later develop an allergy to the protein.

A note from QBan Health Care Services

Lactose intolerance isn’t a disorder. It’s just a natural variation in how our digestive systems work. Actually, the ability to digest lactose past infancy is a relatively recent genetic adaptation in humans. Not all of us have that adaptation, and that’s OK. You can live a healthy life with lactose intolerance.

If you have digestive symptoms and think they might be related to dairy products, a healthcare provider can help. They can test you for lactose intolerance and other possible causes of your symptoms. If you do have lactose intolerance, a provider can help you adjust your lifestyle to avoid those symptoms.