Are you looking for a Fulshear TX gi specialist? Give Dr. James Maher’s office a call today. Dr. Maher is board-certified in gastroenterology and internal medicine, and offers services for multiple conditions, from acid reflux to colon cancer.
What is a GI doctor?
A gastroenterologist (GI) specializes in treating digestive tract issues. Broadly, that covers the stomach, intestines, and colon. After completing medical school, they took advanced courses on the GI tract and trained for years. So, they can better diagnose GI problems than a general practitioner.
Why would I need to see a Fulshear TX GI specialist?
There are multiple reasons patients seek gastroenterologist services. Often, they have already sought help from their primary care doctor but were unable to get symptom relief. Here are some common reasons patients are generally referred to a GI doctor.
Acid reflux and heartburn
The technical term for acid reflux is gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD. Some patients don’t even realize they have acid reflux because the symptoms are extremely similar to heartburn.
So what’s heartburn? Heartburn describes the sensation of burning in your chest after eating. It’s a sign that your stomach doesn’t like the food you just ate. Heartburn is pretty uncomfortable, but taking over-the-counter medicines and dietary changes gives most patients relief.
Acid reflux, on the other hand, is a bit more serious than heartburn. With acid reflux, food that entered your stomach flows back up into your esophagus (basically, your throat). That’s definitely not a good feeling.
Patients with GERD usually experience burning from their chest to their throat after meals. Some may even regurgitate a bit of food. What they’re feeling is stomach acid burning their chest and throat.
For most patients, acid reflux occurs an hour or two after meals and can be managed with prescription medicines like Nexium or Prilosec. GI specialists also ask patients with GERD to avoid certain foods, including:
- Tomatoes and tomato-based sauces
- Chocolate
- Citrus
- Spicy foods
- “Heavier” dairy products like heavy whipping cream, thick yogurt, etc.
Diet changes and medicines often relieve and even cure the symptoms of GERD. Some patients can even stop taking medicines after a few months when their stomach has healed.
Gall bladder issues
When women reach their 40s, there is a popular phrase they might start hearing a popular phrase: forty, fat, female, and fertile. So, while that’s not the nicest way to remember that you’re prone to gallbladder issues, it is effective. It basically means women who are overweight, in their 40s, and still able to bear children are prone to gallbladder issues..
What is the gallbladder? Your gallbladder is your stomach’s buddy. After a fatty meal, your gallbladder starts pumping out acid to help your stomach digest the fatty food. However, as the years press on, your gallbladder may get moody.
Sometimes the gallbladder gets too excited and works overtime when it’s supposed to be sleeping. Other times, patients develop gallstones.
Gallstones create a sharp, debilitating pain on the right side of your chest. Most patients double-over in main. In fact, patients usually are in so much pain that they head to the ER because they think it’s a heart attack.
And that’s where the Fulshear TX GI specialist comes in. They’ll remove your gallbladder and end your suffering.
Bowel diseases
No one likes to think about issues with the toilet, but there they are. If you’re running to the bathroom after every meal, you may want to consider going to a gastroenterologist, especially if your primary physician has already tried treatment.
Patients often ask about IBS, Celiac disease, and colon cancer. Here’s an overview of each.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS):
This disease is often the butt of jokes in movies. However, for those suffering from it, it’s the complete opposite of funny. Patients with IBS can experience bouts of diarrhea, followed by bouts of constipation.
They’re either struggling to go or always going. There’s no in-between. So, you can imagine that planning activities away from home is pretty difficult and can cause anxiety.
Celiac disease
Unfortunately, a lot of people mock the rise of gluten-free products. They feel there is no need for such silliness. The reality could not be further from the truth.
Patients suffering from celiac disease cannot properly digest gluten. If they eat gluten, it can cause all sorts of digestive tract problems like diarrhea, bloating, stomach pain, nausea, and more. Further, it can also cause fatigue, depression, skin rashes, and even hair loss.
Diagnosing Celiac disease is not easy. While there is a test, it’s known to be unreliable. So, most doctors are forced to do a rule-out diagnosis. Gastroenterologists can confirm the disease by placing the patient on an elimination diet.
Colon cancer
No one likes to hear the C-word. It always seems so gloom and doom. And unfortunately, for colon cancer, it’s often a gloom and doom diagnosis.
Taking a step back, the colon is the final part of your digestive tract that food travels through on its journey to the outside world. It’s not very long at all, but it plays an important role in digestive health.
Colon cancer can go unnoticed until it’s too late. Early signs are simple issues most people don’t find worrisome, like constipation or occasional diarrhea. Most patients do not seek help until they see blood in their stool. By then, the cancer is advanced.
That’s why doctors recommend that starting around age 50, patients start getting colonoscopies on a regular basis. Further, if your family has a history of colon cancer, you may need to be screened earlier and more frequently.
Call Dr. James Maher for help today
Dr. Maher offers comprehensive GI healthcare services to multiple locations across the Greater Houston Area. He has experience treating multiple digestive issues such as acid reflux, Chron’s disease, gallstones, colon cancer, IBS, and more. He is affiliated with multiple hospitals, including Memorial Hermann Hospital, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Katy, and Methodist West Houston Hospital.
The next time you’re looking for the best Fulshear TX GI specialist, we hope you’ll give Dr. Maher’s office a call.
Fun facts about Houston, Texas
If you love bats, be sure to head to the Waugh Drive Bridge at dusk. You may see the 250,000 Mexican free-tailed bats leaving for their nightly adventures.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo was initially named the Fat Stock Show and Livestock Exposition.
Houston produces and sells more bibles than any other US city.
For more fun facts, visit the Houston website.