Author name: Digestive Disease Consultants of Orange County

Seeing black stools in the toilet can be alarming. Fortunately, in most cases, black stools are not a reason to worry as they can often be caused by food or medications.  Below, the experts at Digestive Disease Consultants of Orange County in Orange County, California explain what conditions could lead to color changes in your stool. Read […]

You may be surprised to learn that everyone has hemorrhoids. Medically speaking, hemorrhoids are veins located inside and outside the anal canal. In healthy individuals, they help prevent accidental leaks of stool and fluid.  Generally, when people refer to hemorrhoids, they are describing a condition where these veins have become enlarged or inflamed. The team at Digestive

If you’re experiencing pain in your chest after eating, when lying down, or when going to sleep, you may be dealing with heartburn. Other symptoms of heartburn include a bitter or acidic taste in your mouth, bad breath, and a raspy voice. Heartburn occurs when the acid in your stomach climbs up into your esophagus

In the past, hepatitis C treatment involved medications that caused serious side effects, which prevented some sufferers from getting better. Fortunately, a hepatitis C diagnosis isn’t as scary as it used to be thanks to the treatment options available today.  Have you or a loved one been recently diagnosed with hepatitis C? Our experts at Digestive

What is GERD? GERD is the abnormal reflux of various stomach contents into the esophagus. In most individuals, the lower esophageal sphincter does not close properly – allowing back flow of acid. This results in irritation as well as varying degree of erosion to the esophageal mucosal lining. Symptoms Include: The GERD Diet  Foods that

Struggling to lose weight? You’re not alone: around 32.5% of Americans are overweight and 36.5% are obese. Our modern diets are filled with manufactured foods that are highly addictive, drenched in refined sugar and fat, and low in nutrients.  Our experts at Digestive Disease Consultants of Orange County understand the struggles of losing weight, especially if you’re trying to do

What is SIBO? Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth, AKA SIBO, occurs when there is an abnormal increase in the overall bacterial population in the small intestine. Bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is not an infection. The bacteria are technically not “bad” – it’s simply too much of the normal kind in the wrong place. Most of the bacteria live in the colon or

A colonoscopy is a procedure in which our doctors use a scope with a tiny camera attached to it to examine the inside of the large intestine, which includes the colon and rectum. During a colonoscopy, our doctors can also remove unwanted growths that can cause symptoms and increase your risk for other conditions such as cancer.

Crohn’s disease and colitis both fall under the umbrella of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). They both cause inflammation and ulcers, and they have similar triggers. However, despite their similarities, Crohn’s disease and colitis differ from one another in significant ways, and these differences impact the management of symptoms and expectations after treatment.  Colitis is limited

Chronic acid reflux, or GERD, is a condition in which the acid from the stomach leaks back up into the esophagus, causing unpleasant symptoms such as a sour and bitter taste in the mouth, a burning feeling in the chest, and the feeling of having a lump in the chest. You have acid in your