The Main Symptoms and Causes of Digestive Health Concerns:

There are many causes of digestive upset. Indigestion (i.e. an upset stomach) is a discomfort in the upper abdomen area that often offers after eating a meal. Symptoms include heartburn, bloating, belching, and nausea. Simple indigestion affects nearly everyone from time to time, and though it is not considered a serious health condition, it can be very uncomfortable. It may also point to other more serious health concerns like food allergies or intolerances, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD - colitis or crohn's) GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), or peptic ulcer disease. Click on each of the above highlighted options to read more about each individual concern.

What are my treatment options? Most important first step is to find out the cause of your indigestion. Are you eating foods that your body is reacting negatively towards? This can occur with both healthy and unhealthy foods and can be identified through food allergy testing. Have you been taking medications that are causing wearing away of the protective mucus lining of your digestive tract? Perhaps you went on a tropical vacation and picked up a chronic stomach bug?  Some people are sensitive to various  food combinations or suffer from mental concerns like anxiety which can lead to IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) symptoms. Once this cause has been identified, you will be one step closer to finding the treatments options that will work best.

Conventional approaches:
Medications are commonly prescribed for most common digestive health concerns. These vary depending on the cause but commonly include antacids for quick relief. Unfortunately these only act as bandaid solutions and if the cause is not removed, the condition often worsens.

If symptoms are severe, your doctor will often refer you to a specialist to rule out more serious concerns like IBD, ulcers or celiac disease.

Natural alternative or complimentary options:
There are many natural solutions to digestive upset. First and foremost the cause must be investigated and identified. Various assessment methods that are used by the Naturopathic Doctors at KIH clinic include food sensitivity testing. This includes IgG blood tests, IgA salivary testing, ALCAT blood work and screening for antibodies present in patients with celiac disease. The holistic nutritionist and naturopathic doctors also offer treatment plans that incorporate nutritional councelling, natural remedy prescriptions (enzymes, herbal medicine, vitamins) and acupuncture (offered by Naturopaths Dr. Slipacoff and Dr. Koch).

If you wish to identify and treat your digestive concerns with natural medicine come visit us at KIH clinic. We are located in right in the heart of the Kleinburg village. Fill out the form to the right of this page and we will get right back to you promptly with up-to-date, accurate and useful information on the next best steps in the treatment of your condition/concern.