On the heels of our blog post about fecal incontinence, the National Center for Health Statistics has issued a report documenting the severity of incontinence in the United States. If you’re tempted to dismiss the topic as one that isn’t far reaching, take note that it is much more prevalent than you may realize. More than half of Americans aged … Read More

Fecal incontinence significantly affects quality of life, but sufferers tend to stay silent because of embarrassment or the belief that nothing will change the situation. There are treatments that can help you regain control of your life, including a promising new option. The condition ranges from occasional bowel leakage while passing gas to a complete loss of bowel control. Some … Read More

The evidence continues to mount: Colorectal cancer screening saves lives. According to a recently released study by the Yale Cancer Center, widespread screening has resulted in an estimated 550,000 fewer cases of colorectal cancer over the past three decades. That’s more than a half-million people who have avoided hearing the devastating diagnosis: “You have cancer.” The research team, led by … Read More

With much information – and, unfortunately, misinformation – about gluten currently available, people are self-diagnosing themselves as gluten-sensitive and trying to eliminate the protein from their diet. Is that a good idea? Absolutely not.

When faced with the need for surgery, many people will seek advice from friends, family and other doctors before settling on a surgeon, but few patients are as diligent when it comes to choosing the physician who performs their colonoscopy. Does it matter? Very much so.

If you’ve read GIA’s blogs, or website material in general, you’re familiar with the emphasis that we place on the lifesaving value of screening colonoscopies to detect and remove precancerous polyps.

Early morning activity is commonplace on weekdays at Gastrointestinal Associates’ Weisgarber Road office because people who have fasted for screening tests want to get them finished as soon as possible. However, GIA was a beehive of activity Saturday before dawn as a group of about 50 people who also had been fasting arrived for a health screening – one that … Read More

General guidelines recommend that most adults have a screening colonoscopy every 10 years beginning at age 50; for African Americans, however, the recommended age drops to 45. Why the difference? Research shows that African Americans are being diagnosed with colorectal cancer more frequently and at a younger age than any other group.

There is progress in the war against cancer, and Gastrointestinal Associates is on the forefront of this effort. The overall risk of cancer death has decreased by 20 percent over the past two decades, with colon, breast and prostate cancers showing the most improvement. The American Cancer Society credits the shift to improved prevention, screening and treatment.