In some patients, we may suspect gastroesophageal reflux disease, but the patient’s symptoms may be atypical. Or we may simply need to confirm our diagnosis. To do so, at Ogden Clinic GI at McKay, we use several tests. What is GERD? Gastroesophageal reflux is the return of the stomach’s contents back up into the esophagus. When a person has normal digestion, their lower esophageal sphincter opens to allow food to pass into the stomach and closes to prevent food and acidic stomach juices from coming back up into the esophagus. GERD occurs when that lower sphincter is weak or relaxes inappropria ..read more

“Gluten-free” seems to be the “it” phrase of modern food culture. Everywhere you turn restaurants are touting being gluten-free. Entire aisles in the grocery now seem to have that distinction. Question is — does everyone need to avoid gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and many processed foods? That means you’ll have to wave away that yummy banana bread and those sugar cookies this holiday season. A study published in the journal Digestion says maybe not so much. It found that 86 percent of individuals who believed they were gluten sensitive could handle it just fine. Whoa. So, who ..read more

Hep C. These days, you see lots of TV commercials about getting tested and screened for it. It’s easy to assume hepatitis is a condition only concern to those who may have shared needles during drug use. But that’s not the case. Hepatitis C is a virus that can have many origins and can lead bad health outcomes should you ignore its possible presence in your body. At Ogden Clinic GI at McKay, we can help with long-term treatment of hepatitis C. What is hepatitis C? Hepatitis C is a viral infection that causes liver inflammation that can lead to serious liver damage. This is a virus whose presen ..read more

People have heard enough horror stories about colonoscopies to fill a Halloween haunted house. Even if you’re not old to have had one, you’ve probably heard about them. So, if they’re such a hassle, why do you need one? Can you say “colorectal cancer?” That’s what we’re screening for when we perform colonoscopies at Ogden Clinic GI at McKay. Colorectal cancer You don’t want colorectal cancer. This is cancer that starts in the colon or the rectum; both are part of the large intestine. Your colon takes the water and nutrients out of the food you eat and separates it from the waste, which it then ..read more

People put off doing certain things — cleaning out the garage, repainting the living room, washing the windows…and getting a colonoscopy. But a colonoscopy is probably the best single option for catching colorectal cancer before it becomes deadly. We perform colonoscopies at Ogden Clinic GI at McKay. Why colonoscopies are important Your regular doctor could recommend a colonoscopy for these reasons: Investigate intestinal signs and symptoms— A colonoscopy can help diagnose possible causes of abdominal pain, chronic constipation or diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and other intestinal problems. Scre ..read more

In these days with all the stupid talk of nuclear war, when you see the word “hydrogen” you may instantly think of that poor little island in the Pacific, Bikini Atoll, where they tested all of those nuclear bombs, including the hydrogen bomb. At Ogden Clinic GI at McKay, we run hydrogen breath tests for far less sinister purposes. We use this test to look for intolerance to sugars or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. What is a hydrogen breath test? The test measures how the amount of hydrogen present in your breath changes after you drink a sugar solution. Normally, your breath should ha ..read more

Whenever a big Great White Shark is caught and he is thought to have been behind an attack the fish’s stomach is cut open. All kinds of stuff usually comes out of the stomach, including a bunch of whole little fish that are still alive. Don’t you wonder what those fish would see, if they could somehow broadcast their way through the shark’s digestive system? That’s kind of the idea behind capsule endoscopy. In capsule endoscopy, the patient ingests a vitamin-size capsule. Inside the capsule, believe it or not, is a tiny camera. As it progresses through the patient’s digestive tract, it takes t ..read more

If you’ve had long-term problems with heartburn, this may have caused scarring in your esophagus. The frequent reflux of stomach acid is to blame. Now, the scar tissue has created a narrowed portion of your esophagus that can make it difficult for you to swallow. Food may feel as if it is “stuck” in the chest region, causing pain. There are other causes for a narrowing of the esophagus, as well. At Ogden Clinic GI at McKay, we use a procedure called esophageal dilation to stretch the narrowed area of your esophagus and return normal function. What is esophageal dilation? The goal of esophageal ..read more

The pancreas is a long, flat gland that is behind the stomach in the upper abdomen. Its main job is to produce enzymes that aid in a person’s digestion and hormones that help regular blood sugar levels. Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. It can be acute or chronic. At Ogden Clinic GI at McKay, we help patients treat or manage their pancreatitis. What are the symptoms of pancreatitis? Acute pancreatitis usually occurs suddenly and lasts for a few days. These are common symptoms: Upper abdominal pain Abdominal pain that radiates to your back Fever Rapid pulse Abdominal pain that wors ..read more

A peptic ulcer is a sore or lesion that develops in the lining of the esophagus, stomach, or duodenum. Not long ago, it was assumed that ulcers were caused by a person being stressed out or simply eating too many spicy foods. People would gulp down Pepto Bismol and Maalox to try and cure their ulcers. While these solutions could temporarily calm down the acids in the stomach, they didn’t do a thing for the actual ulcer. That’s because everyone didn’t have the right cause. Fortunately, at Ogden Clinic GI at McKay, we know what is causing your ulcers and have the treatment options that will cure ..read more