Functional digestive disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome, gastrointestinal reflux disease, and gastritis, are the leading gastrointestinal disorders affecting the Mexican population, including those in the southeastern part of the country, with root causes ranging from stress to poor dietary habits. factors.
These conditions are chronic and therefore cannot be cured, only managed, requiring not only medication but also measures to reduce the stress, anxiety and depression that are factors in their emergence.
This was pointed out by Dr. Jesús Kazuo Yamamoto Furusho, endoscopic gastroenterologist and president of the Mexican Association of Gastroenterology, who sounded the alarm about these diseases at the National Gastroenterology Congress in Cancun from 15 to 21 Part of the Topics discussed during Medicine Week…
It mentioned that the most common and common gastrointestinal disorders are functional digestive disorders, among which there are several pathologies, but the one that affects the population the most is irritable bowel syndrome – present in 30% of the Mexican population – —This is a disease caused by gastrointestinal reflux – which 25% of people suffer from -; and gastritis or indigestion (affecting 15%).
These conditions are related to eating habits; in addition, stress is one of the triggers for these conditions, especially irritable bowel syndrome and gastritis, which are widely associated with anxiety and depression.
Experts assure that symptoms can be well controlled with medication as it reduces pain, bloating, constipation, heartburn and reflux in patients.
However, in these chronic conditions, in addition to continued adherence to medication, other measures to reduce stress, such as exercise, yoga, or meditation, and in some cases visits to a psychiatrist to treat anxiety and anxiety, are required. Great Depression.
It’s also important to get support from a nutritionist because the Mexican diet is high in legumes, fats, and spices, which can affect gastrointestinal symptoms.
These conditions generally affect the country’s population.
There are other frequently occurring conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease and chronic idiopathic ulcerative colitis (UCIC), which can damage the intestines and cause bleeding.
Yamamoto Furusho emphasized that a 15-year study showed a significant increase in the incidence of gastrointestinal diseases.
This increase in pathology is due to environmental factors, in particular the Covid-19 pandemic, which is a trigger as social distancing, use of masks, excessive hand washing and general hygiene measures lead to population exposure to fewer antigens, parasites and bacteria, so the immune system is not yet mature in this regard. He notes that it particularly affects early life, and that in adults, the immune system kicks in in an exaggerated way when exposed to these bacteria or parasites.
Other factors that contribute to the emergence of these diseases are diet or nutrition, as Westernization has occurred in the diet and the increased consumption of fats and saturated sugars changes the bacteria in the gut and causes damage.
In addition to this, a reduced diet of fruits and vegetables also contributes to these problems.
He noted that Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis occur in children, adults and older adults, but are more common between the ages of 20 and 40, the childbearing years, and can lead to serious complications if left undiagnosed. , necessary measures need to be taken. for surgery.
Both conditions are less common in the southeast of the country, which may be partly due to diet, given that the diet contains more traditional dishes, although another factor that may influence the available data is that the condition is less common in gastroenterology homes and therefore have a poorer ability to diagnose these diseases.
He noted that more inflammatory bowel disease specialists are needed, but in the Yucatan Peninsula, for example, there is apparently only one specialist, and the only one on the peninsula.
fatty liver
Dr. Jesús Kazuo Yamamoto points out that there is another disease that has a significant impact on the population: fatty liver disease, a pathology associated with overweight and obesity, which is a high-prevalence problem in the southeast of the country.
Fatty liver disease inflames the liver itself, causing chronic inflammation and producing cirrhosis, one of the leading causes of death in the country.
To avoid this or reduce the risk of the disease, it is necessary to lose weight, pay attention to your eating habits and see a doctor to rule out this disease.
The leading causes of cirrhosis in the country are related to metabolic problems such as diabetes and hypertension.
Regarding advice on gastrointestinal problems, doctors emphasize that if you have chronic symptoms, that is, lasting more than a month, you should see a specialist independent of the symptoms. Warning signs include: diarrhea, bleeding in bowel movements, weight loss, and persistent abdominal pain.
When you have inflammatory bowel disease, this can lead to complications, and the person can lose their life because it’s not diagnosed promptly.
In light of this, he stresses the importance of not wasting time visiting the first contact doctor and is better to see a gastroenterologist immediately. — IRIS CEBALLOS Alvarado