We’re Here for You! Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Pay My Bill
  • Patient Portal
  • Careers
  • Philanthropy Office
  • Health Professionals
  • Medical Education
Central Maine Healthcare

Central Maine Healthcare

Changing the Face of Healthcare in Maine

  • Providers & Locations
        • Providers

          • Find A Provider
        • Locations

          • Central Maine Medical Center
          • Bridgton Hospital
          • Rumford Hospital
          • Topsham Care Center
          • Maine Urgent Care
          • Find a Practice
  • Services
        • Services

          • Audiology
          • Bariatric Surgery
          • Behavioral Health
          • Breast Health
          • Cancer Care
          • Diabetes & Endocrinology Care
          • Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)
          • Emergency Care
          • Gastroenterology
          • Heart & Vascular Care
          • Imaging Services
          • Integrative Medicine
          • Lab Services
          • Long-Term Care
          • Lung Screening
          • Maternity Services
          • Neurosciences
          • Nutrition Services
          • Occupational Health
          • Orthopaedic Care
          • Palliative Care
          • Pediatrics
          • Pharmacy
          • Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
          • Primary Care
          • Pulmonary Care
          • Rehabilitation & Therapy
          • Rheumatology
          • Sleep Medicine
          • Surgical Services
          • Telehealth Services
          • Topsham Care Center
          • Trauma Center
          • Urgent Care
          • Urology
          • Women’s Health
          • Wound Care
  • Patients and Visitors
        • Patients & Visitors

          • Advanced Care Planning
          • Billing & Financial Information
          • Price Transparency
          • Be Safe Speak Up
          • Health Library
          • myHealthlink Patient Portal
          • Notary Public
          • Patient Relations
          • Spiritual Support
          • Student Nurses
          • Tobacco and Smoke Free Campuses
          • Your Rights and Responsibilities
          • Visitor Guidelines
          • Request Medical Records
        • Living Well

          • Classes and Events
  • About Us
        • About Us

          • About Central Maine Healthcare
          • Accreditations and Certifications
          • Board of Directors
          • CMH Alert – COVID-19
          • CMH News
          • CMH Privacy Policy
          • Community Benefits
          • Contact CMH
          • Interpreter Services & Assistive Devices
          • Leadership Team
          • Mission, Vision & Values
          • Non-Discrimination Notice
          • Social Media Policy for Site Visitors
          • Topsham Ambulatory Surgery Center
          • Vendor Relations
          • Quality & Safety
          • Sponsorship Request
        • Ways to Give

          • Support Central Maine Healthcare
          • Annual Giving
          • Planned Giving
          • Volunteer Services
          • Contact the Philanthropy Office
Bowel Disorders
Home Services Gastroenterology Gastrointestinal Disorders We Treat Bowel Disorders

Bowel Disorders

Bowel disorders are any conditions that affect your intestines, specifically how your body digests and absorbs food. This can cause uncomfortable and often unpredictable symptoms, and, left treated, may lead to serious health complications.

If you’re experiencing any persistent stomach problems — bloating, nausea, diarrhea, constipation — don’t suffer any longer. The digestive health experts at Central Maine Healthcare can identify the problem and provide the care and support you need to take control of your digestive health.

Expert Care for Lasting Relief

The GI doctors at Central Maine specialize in treating all types of bowel disorders, including:

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Found in both the large and small intestine, IBS can difficult to spot because everyone experiences the symptoms once in a while: stomach pain, gas, bloating in the abdomen, nausea, diarrhea, constipation and vomiting. In more serious cases you might see blood in your stool, fever or weight loss.

But with new national, standard criteria, we can now diagnose IBS faster and more effectively than ever:

  • Abdominal pain three days a month, for the past three months;
  • Change in the frequency of your bowel movements;
  • Change in the consistency of your stool; and
  • Symptoms improve after you have a bowel movement.

If those symptoms sound familiar, contact us for an official evaluation. In the meantime, it’s a good idea to track your bathroom habits before you see the doctor, who might also ask you to take a lactose intolerance test. Treatment for IBS usually is a program of medications with a healthy eating plan.

Crohn’s Disease

Crohn’s is actually an autoimmune disease, meaning your body attacks its own healthy factors. The exact cause isn’t known, but risk factors include smoking, an unhealthy diet and being of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage.

Our doctors diagnose Crohn’s disease with a blood test, CT or MRI scans, endoscopy or a combination. Symptoms usually can be tamed with medications and healthy food. If your immune system has damaged any healthy tissue, the doctor may recommend surgery to remove the injured area.

Celiac Disease

Another autoimmune disease, Celiac is triggered by gluten, a protein found in some grains. If you’re diagnosed with Celiac disease, you’ll need to avoid eating wheat, rye and barley, plus oats unless they’re certified to be gluten-free. (Oats don’t contain gluten but they often are processed on the same equipment as other grains and can be contaminated that way.) Think of it as an allergy: if you eat grains containing gluten, you will likely get a physical reaction like you would with any other substance to which your body is sensitive. In this case, you risk injuring the inner lining of your small intestines.

Celiac disease is diagnosed with a blood test and sometimes a biopsy of your small intestine, collected with an endoscope – a thin, flexible tube with a tiny camera to allow your doctor to see inside your body and remove tissue, if needed. Treatment is straightforward: you’ll be instructed to follow a strict gluten-free diet.

Intestinal obstruction

This disorder is just what the name implies: there is an obstruction of some kind in your intestines. It might be a hernia, or a blockage brought on by an injury. Whatever the cause, your intestines can’t process food or pass stool correctly. Treatment might involve a minimally invasive procedure to remove or bypass the obstruction.

Primary Sidebar

Services

  • Audiology
  • Bariatric Surgery
    • About the Program
    • Bariatric Surgery Process
    • Contact Us
    • New Patient Questionnaire Packet
    • Programs and Services
      • Bariatric Surgery Support Group
      • Behavioral Health Resources
      • Nutrition Resources
      • Weight Loss Video
    • Surgical Options
      • Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass
      • Vertical Sleeve Gastroectomy
      • Gastric Band Management
      • Revisional Surgery
    • Weight Loss Surgery FAQ
    • Who is a Candidate
    • Your Bariatric Team
  • Behavioral Health
  • Diabetes & Endocrinology Care
    • Conditions We Treat
      • Adrenal Disorders
      • Gestational Diabetes Care
      • Pituitary Disorders
      • Prediabetes
      • Thyroid Disorders
      • Type 1 & Type 2 Diabetes Care
    • Diabetes Education & Support
      • Diabetes Prevention Program
      • Lifestyle Coaches
      • Nutritional Counseling for Diabetes
  • Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)
    • Conditions We Treat
      • Chronic Ear Infections
      • Sinusitis
      • Vertigo & Dizziness
  • Emergency Care
    • Emergency Care FAQ
    • Emergency Medical Transport
    • ER or Urgent Care: Know Where to Go
    • Trauma Center
      • Child Safety Seat Program
      • Injury Prevention & Safety
      • Patient Education & Resources
  • Gastroenterology
    • Gastroenterology Treatments & Specialties
    • Gastrointestinal Disorders We Treat
      • Bowel Disorders
      • Crohn’s Disease
      • Esophageal Disorders
      • Hepatitis
      • Ulcerative Colitis Care
  • Imaging Services
    • CT Scan
    • Find a Location Near You
    • Interventional Radiology
    • Mammography
    • Nuclear Medicine
    • Open-Bore MRI
    • Ultrasound
    • X-Ray
  • Integrative Medicine
    • Types of Integrative Medicine Therapies
  • Lab Services
  • Long-Term Care
    • Activities & Fine Dining
    • Career Opportunities
    • Forms & Applications
    • Geriatric Care & Senior Care
    • Helpful Resources
    • Living Options
    • Our Care Locations
    • Tours
  • Nutrition Services
    • Recipes
  • Palliative Care
    • Bereavement & Grief
    • Our Services
  • Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
    • Our Services
      • Aesthetic Enhancements
      • Cosmetic Procedures
      • Laser Services
      • Reconstructive Surgery
    • Our Team
    • Patient Information
  • Primary Care
    • Family Medicine
    • How to Choose a Primary Care Provider
    • Internal Medicine
    • Pediatrics
  • Pulmonary Care
    • Conditions We Treat
    • Educational Videos
    • Our Team
  • Rehabilitation & Therapy
    • Inpatient Acute Rehab
      • Quality Outcomes
      • Rehabilitation and Therapy Objectives
      • Swing Bed Program
    • Outpatient Therapy
      • Occupational Therapy
      • Outpatient Therapy Locations
      • Physical Therapy
      • Specialty Programs
      • Speech Therapy
      • Therapy Services FAQs
  • Rheumatology
    • Conditions We Treat
      • Arthritis
      • Bursitis
      • Gout
      • Lupus
      • Osteoporosis
      • Tendonitis
  • Robotic Assisted Joint Replacements at Central Maine Medical Center
  • Sleep Medicine
    • Sleep Disorders
    • Sleep Disorders We Treat
      • Insomnia
      • Narcolepsy
      • Restless Leg Syndrome
      • Sleep Apnea
  • Surgical Services
    • Advanced Technology
      • da Vinci Robotic Surgery
    • Our Team
    • Types of Surgery We Offer
    • What to Expect with Surgery
      • Before Surgery
      • Day of Surgery
      • After Surgery
  • Telehealth Services
  • Urgent Care
    • Maine Urgent Care Locations
  • Urology
    • Bulkamid for Stress Urinary Incontinence
    • Fecal Incontinence
    • Overactive Bladder Treatment
  • Wound Care
    • Wounds We Treat
    • Treatments and Specialties
Central Maine Healthcare Logo

About Our Health System

  • Central Maine Medical Center
  • Bridgton Hospital
  • Rumford Hospital
  • Topsham Care Center
  • Physician Practices

I Want To…

  • Find A Provider
  • Find a Location
  • Find a Job
  • Pay My Bill
  • Make a Gift
  • Find a Class or Event
  • Contact CMH
  • CMH News

For Our Community

  • CMH Privacy Policy
  • Social Media Policy for Site Visitors
  • Interpreter Services & Assistive Devices
  • Non-Discrimination Notice
  • Your Rights & Responsibilities

For Healthcare Professionals

  • Join Our Team
  • Graduate Medical Education

For Employees

  • Employee Portal
  • Employee Remote Access