Find helpful articles on digestive health, with tips on improving gut health, preventing issues, and managing common digestive problems for better well-being.

Adding more high-fiber foods — such as whole grains, beans, and cruciferous vegetables — to your meals may help prevent or ease hemorrhoids. The soreness, tenderness, bleeding, and relentless itching that come with hemorrhoids can be extremely distressing. Also called piles, these swollen veins around the anus and lower rectum can form clots or protrude […]

What is a perianal hematoma? A perianal hematoma is an accumulation of blood within the tissues surrounding the anus, typically resulting from a burst or bleeding vein. Not every perianal hematoma needs medical intervention, but some require evacuation during a straightforward in-office procedure. If a clot has developed, a clinician will need to extract it. […]

Suppositories and hemorrhoids Hemorrhoids are enlarged blood vessels located in and around the anus and rectum. They can swell and become inflamed, resulting in pain and discomfort. Suppositories are solid medicinal forms intended to be placed into the rectum, where they dissolve and are absorbed through the rectal lining. They typically consist of a fatty […]

Overview Hemorrhoids are enlarged veins located around the rectum and anus. Those that form inside the rectum are called internal hemorrhoids, while ones that are visible or palpable outside the rectum are external hemorrhoids. Almost three out of four adults will develop hemorrhoids at some time. Certain factors, such as pregnancy and excess body weight, […]

Multiple medical issues — such as abscesses and fistulas — can make cleaning after a bowel movement more challenging or leave you feeling not fully clean. If it seems like you’re going through half a roll of toilet paper after each bowel movement, there’s a good chance an underlying problem is contributing. Ideally, wiping following […]

Proponents of the saltwater flush claim the practice helps clear toxins, residual waste, and parasites from the colon. Before deciding to try it, there are several important points to consider. (img by The Independent) A saltwater flush is performed to rinse the colon, relieve persistent constipation, and purportedly aid the body’s detoxification. It gained traction […]

Crohn’s disease is an autoimmune disorder that leads to symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can produce similar complaints and may also cause constipation. A number of gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, including IBS and Crohn’s disease, share overlapping symptoms, which can complicate making an accurate diagnosis. Crohn’s disease and another illness […]

Popcorn is a widely enjoyed, flavorful snack that’s also rich in fiber. It’s produced by heating kernels of a specific type of corn called Zea mays everta, which causes pressure to build inside the kernel until the starch expands and it bursts open. Still, individuals with digestive conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may be […]

If you frequently experience cramps, abdominal discomfort, bloating, or excess gas after meals, you might be dealing with a digestive disorder called irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). IBS impacts about 3.8–9.2% of people globally and can produce other troublesome digestive symptoms such as constipation or diarrhea — although symptom frequency and severity can change from week […]

Essential oils are potent plant extracts obtained through steam distillation or cold-pressing of botanical materials. They concentrate the aromatic and therapeutic components of the source plants. (img by Edens Garden) Used in complementary medicine for millennia, essential oils are gaining increasing recognition in Western health circles. They may assist in treating a variety of issues, […]