Tag Archives: Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Re-air: Why Teens Take Risks—And How We Can Help Keep Them Safe

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Dr. Jess Shatkin
Born to be Wild Why Teens Take Risks, and How We Can Help Keep Them Safe

This weekend on YOUR HEALTH®, we’ll revisit the conversation Adam and guest co-host Dr. Jonathan Fricke had with Dr. Jess Shatkin—professor of child and adolescent psychology and pediatrics at New York University—about his book Born to be Wild: Why Teens Take Risks, and How We Can Help Keep Them Safe.

 
 

You can catch the episode on:

WCHL 97.9 FM

  • Saturday, June 30 at 9 a.m.
  • Sunday, July 1 at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
  • Monday, July 2 at 6 p.m.

KKAG Retro Radio 88.3 FM

  • Sunday, July 1 at 7 a.m.

 
 

Listen to the show!
Download the episode from the Carolina Digital Repository
 

Conquering Lyme Disease

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This weekend on YOUR HEALTH® Adam and guest co-host Dr. Michael Baca-Atlas talk with Dr. Brian Fallon—professor of clinical psychiatry and director of the Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center—about Conquering Lyme Disease: Science Bridges the Great Divide, a new book he co-authored about the disease.Dr. Brian Fallon

You can catch the episode on: 

WCHL 97.9 FM

  • Saturday, May 19 at 9 a.m.
  • Sunday, May 20 at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
  • Monday, May 21 at 6 p.m.

KKAG Retro Radio 88.3 FM

  • Sunday, May 20 at 7 a.m.

Listen to the show!
Download the episode from the Carolina Digital Repository

Why Teens Take Risks—And How We Can Help Keep Them Safe

Posted on by
Dr. Jess Shatkin
Born to be Wild Why Teens Take Risks, and How We Can Help Keep Them Safe

This weekend on YOUR HEALTH® Adam and guest co-host Dr. Jonathan Fricke talk with Dr. Jess Shatkin—professor of child and adolescent psychology and pediatrics at New York University—about his new book Born to be Wild: Why Teens Take Risks, and How We Can Help Keep Them Safe.

 
 

You can catch the episode on:

WCHL 97.9 FM

  • Saturday, April 14 at 9 a.m.
  • Sunday, April 15 at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
  • Monday, April 16 at 6 p.m.

KKAG Retro Radio 88.3 FM

  • Sunday, April 15 at 7 a.m.

 
 

Listen to the show!
Download the episode from the Carolina Digital Repository

Is Acupuncture the Answer for IBS Patients?

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The American Journal of Gastroenterology published an article that examined 10 different studies looking at Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and acupuncture. The goal of this study was to see what published research showed about the effectiveness of acupuncture on Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

After reviewing the different studies, researchers found that acupuncture seemed to work better than some medications for IBS. But when researchers looked at studies where there wasn’t actual acupuncture, but more a sham version where they put the needles in the wrong place, they didn’t see as much of a benefit to the IBS patients.
The studies that showed the most positive relationships between acupuncture and IBS, were the studies done in China. These studies were likely of a higher quality since acupuncture has deep roots there and has been practiced for over 2,000 years.

So the question we wondered was: were the lower quality studies showing this effect because people really believe it’s going to work and maybe the better quality studies didn’t have enough patients to prove that it would?
Either way, the bottom line here is that there just isn’t enough research yet. But if we were the patients and we were having trouble finding effective medicines, we would try it because there’s very little harm other than the cost of doing it.

So our suggestion to you is if it works for you and you can afford it, it’s not a bad thing.

Diverticulitis with Dr. Anne Peery

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Dr. Anne PeeryThis weekend on YOUR HEALTH® we’ll be joined by GI Fellow in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at UNC, Dr. Anne Peery to talk about Diverticulitis.

Please tune in! This show will air:
• Saturday, June 2nd at 9am
• Sunday, June 3rd at 9am and 5pm
• Monday, June 4th at 6pm and 10pm
 
 
 
The audio is unavailable for this show. We apologize for any inconvenience.
 

House Calls – Bone Spurs & Colace for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

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House Calls from the Carrboro Citizen 12.15.11

Dear HOUSE Calls, I have a bone spur on my big right toe. I was told if I had surgery for it, it may grow back. Is that true?
That is a great question, and we think you already have the answer. Bone spurs are usually a reaction to chronic tendonitis or foot deformity, and solving the problem won’t eliminate the cause. It also may not eliminate the symptoms. With bone spurs of the heels and toes, we think it is important to understand the cause and try all possible non-surgical approaches before considering surgery. Anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen can help with pain and inflammation, as can ice. Sometimes the most important thing is wearing shoes that fit well; shoe modifications or custom orthotics can change the way your shoes fit. With toe spurs, the most important thing is often ample room in the toe box, which means no pointy shoes. You may want to see someone who specializes in orthotics, like a physical therapist who can help you with the best shoe fit for your problem. Surgery is a last resort, but if you do need surgery, it is still critical to correct the underlying condition that led to the spur. Hopefully if you do that, it will not recur.
Dear HOUSE Calls, I have irritable bowel syndrome and find that taking a daily colace helps me regulate my bowel movements. Is there any problem with that?
We usually don’t think of colace (generic docusate) for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Most patients with IBS have diarrhea-predominant IBS or fluctuate between diarrhea and constipation. However, there is a subset with constipation-predominant IBS. We have many patients with chronic constipation that get some relief with daily docusate. It acts by softening the stools and drawing water into the colon. This is actually quite safe; just be sure to take it with plenty of fluids. We do discourage people from taking stimulant laxatives daily, but this type of stool softener (like docusate) has little downside, is cheap and is available without a prescription. So our take on this is if it helps you manage your symptoms, this is a perfectly reasonable approach.

 

YOGA for IBS- Too Good to Be True OR Good and True

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We have so many patients, and even friends and family, who suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome.  Multiple drugs are available to treat it, but often times they don’t always help.  So if drugs aren’t working for you, could Yoga?

A study done here at the University of North Carolina, one of the top 3 best centers for IBS in the country, looked at whether mindfulness and yoga can help with the symptoms of IBS.

We’ve talked about yoga and alternative therapy before for treatment of fibromyalgia.  It’s even related to the cognitive behavioral therapy, which we’ve discussed, where you address thoughts that you are having, and how that makes your body feel.  We know that there is a mind-body connection in Irritable Bowel Syndrome and this study done at UNC looks to see how yoga influences that connection.

The researchers took 75 women, and they received either mindfulness and yoga training, or got assigned to a support group alone.  What’s interesting here that we don’t see very often in studies, is that both groups were expected to get better, and both groups did indeed get better. The only difference was the mindfulness, meditation and gentle yoga group’s scores improved 100 points on a scale about their symptoms, as compared to only 30 points for the support group participants.  This seems clinically relevant to us.

We think yoga is something that could be recommended for many patients because there are no downsides or negative side effects.  The yoga classes, or similar mind-body training classes, may cost money, but it appears the investment may be worth it for many people.

Radiation & Safety with Dr. Matt Mauro

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Matt MauroThis weekend on YOUR HEALTH® we’re talking with Chair of UNC Department of Radiology, Dr. Matt Mauro, about radiation and safety.

 

Please tune in! We’re on the air:
– Saturday at 9am
– Sunday at 9am & 5pm
– Monday at 6pm & 10pm

 

 

Listen to the Show!

Download the episode from the Carolina Digital Repository

  • Research that Matters (min 0-11): internet & weight loss, Irritable Bowel Syndrome & meditation, near sighted & glaucoma, late talkers
  • Conversations with Dr. Matt Mauro about Radiation & Safety (min 11-32)
  • House Calls (min 32-43)
    • B12 & adult acne
    • Avoiding going to the doctor
    • Treating high blood pressure with supplements
    • Protective clothing vs. sunscreen

The Power of the Mind Does Matter – IBS & and the Brain

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common problem for millions of Americans. A recent study gives our patients a reason to be more optimistic about the long-term control and treatment of IBS.

The American Journal of Gastroenterology did a study about IBS and what is called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT. Cognitive behavioral therapy is where a therapist tries to help people control the way they think about behaviors, and in this case, how they think about their bodies.

This study looked at 200 adults who suffer from IBS over a 10-week period.  The adults were given cognitive behavioral therapy or some type of a stress-management program over the internet.  By the end of the study, the majority of the patients in both groups were having adequate relief of their symptoms and pain.  But six months after the study ended, those people who had received CBT did a lot better than those who didn’t.

This study really proves to us that CBT can really help people to deal with things that they are fearful of as it relates to IBS. Many people with IBS actually fear and avoid certain foods or certain situations because they worry they may exacerbate symptoms. But in fact, CBT helps them identify these thoughts and behaviors that may not be helping their symptoms and help them to regain a more normal lifestyle again.  CBT is safe, effective, cheap and has no side-effects, particularly compared to many medicines!

Translating Science into Better Human Health with Dr. Marschall Runge

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Marschall RungeDirector of the North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences Institute (NC TraCS), Dr. Marschall Runge joins YOUR HEALTH® this weekend to discuss translating science into better human health.

Please tune in! We’re on the air:
– Saturday at 9am
– Sunday at 9am & 5pm
– Monday at 6pm & 10pm

Listen to the Show!

Download the episode from the Carolina Digital Repository