Category: Digestive System

Diabetes can develop after pancreatitis or pancreatic surgery because pancreatic disease can affect the cells that make insulin. This is often called pancreatic, pancreatogenic, or type 3c diabetes. Understanding the cause matters because some people […]

After bariatric surgery, iron monitoring should connect the procedure, symptoms, supplement plan, and possible blood loss. Iron deficiency can develop after weight-loss surgery even when the operation achieved its intended benefits. Changes in intake and […]

People with type 1 diabetes have an increased likelihood of celiac disease, but screening plans differ for children and adults. Celiac disease may be found before digestive symptoms are recognized. It can also become relevant […]

Unexplained elevations in ALT and AST can be a reason to consider celiac disease, even without prominent digestive symptoms. These enzymes can rise in untreated celiac disease, but they also rise for many other reasons. […]

Persistent fatigue, digestive symptoms, or recurring nutrient deficiencies in someone with Hashimoto's thyroiditis may deserve evaluation beyond the thyroid. Hashimoto's and celiac disease are distinct autoimmune conditions that can occur together. Having one does not […]

Selected 25-hydroxyvitamin D, calcium, albumin, phosphorus, and parathyroid hormone (PTH) tests can help clarify the pattern. Ulta Lab Tests provides the linked laboratory options for a plan developed with your healthcare professional. This information is […]

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, or EPI, occurs when too little pancreatic digestive-enzyme activity reaches the intestine to digest food adequately. It can cause greasy stools, unintended weight loss, and nutritional problems. The stool pancreatic elastase-1 test […]

Celiac Disease in the Family: Who Should Be Tested? If a parent, sibling, or child has confirmed celiac disease, discuss your own testing even if you feel well. Celiac disease runs in families, but relatives […]

Celiac disease testing is most informative before you stop eating gluten. Celiac disease is an immune-mediated condition in which gluten damages the small intestine in susceptible people. That injury can cause digestive symptoms, but it […]

How glucose, A1C, islet autoantibodies, C-peptide, and ketones help clarify diabetes type, remaining insulin production, and urgent risk. Adult-onset type 1 diabetes can initially resemble type 2 diabetes. In a slower-progressing presentation often called latent […]

Direct answer: Temporary nausea, bloating, loose stool, or food-related discomfort can occur while the body adjusts after gallbladder removal. Most people can gradually return to a normal, balanced diet and usual activity, guided by food […]

Direct answer: Acute pancreatitis is a potentially serious inflammation of the pancreas that usually requires urgent clinical assessment. Diagnosis generally requires at least two of three findings: characteristic upper-abdominal pain, amylase or lipase at least […]

Direct answer: The lactose hydrogen breath test is the main objective test used to look for lactose malabsorption. After a measured lactose drink, breath samples are collected over several hours. A meaningful rise in breath […]

Direct answer: Celiac disease, wheat allergy, and non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) are different conditions. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder evaluated with celiac-specific antibodies—usually while the person is still eating gluten—and often confirmed with upper […]

Direct answer: Nutrient deficiency symptoms can include fatigue, weakness, poor concentration, numbness or tingling, reduced exercise tolerance, mouth or tongue changes, and muscle symptoms, but none is specific to a deficiency. Focused blood tests for […]

Direct answer: No routine blood test can reliably screen the general population for pancreatic cancer, diagnose it by itself, or rule it out. Blood tests can reveal jaundice-related bile-flow abnormalities, anemia, metabolic changes, or pancreatic […]

Iron deficiency anemia is not simply a low hemoglobin result, a low serum iron result, or a reason to take an iron supplement indefinitely. The diagnosis contains two connected findings: iron deficiency and anemia. The […]

Vitamin and nutrient deficiency tests are blood and, less often, urine tests used to investigate a defined question about low intake, malabsorption, blood loss, medication effects, pregnancy-related risk, a prior abnormal result, or possible supplement […]

Digestive health lab tests use blood, stool, and sometimes breath samples to look for objective clues related to anemia, dehydration, inflammation, infection, celiac disease, nutrient malabsorption, pancreatic enzyme problems, hidden blood in stool, and selected […]

Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, is a group of chronic inflammatory conditions that includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Although diarrhea, abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, and bowel urgency are well-known warning signs, intestinal inflammation can […]

Rapid weight loss with medications such as semaglutide and tirzepatide can lead to meaningful changes in body weight, appetite, blood sugar, and cardiometabolic health. Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, commonly called a GLP-1 […]

Digestive symptoms do not always remain limited to the stomach or intestines. When a digestive disorder interferes with the breakdown or absorption of food, the effects may appear throughout the body as fatigue, anemia, brain […]

Nutrient deficiency means the body may not have enough of one or more vitamins, minerals, or related nutrients needed to support normal function. Because nutrients help support blood health, energy production, nerve function, immune balance, […]

How bloating, diarrhea, constipation, fatigue, anemia, and nutrient changes may reveal connected gut, thyroid, immune, metabolic, hormone, and recovery patterns. Digestive symptoms can be more than an occasional inconvenience. Bloating, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal discomfort, nausea, […]

Yes, alcohol can contribute to inflammation, particularly when it is consumed heavily, frequently, or in binge-drinking patterns. Alcohol may irritate the gastrointestinal tract, disrupt the intestinal barrier, alter immune signaling, increase oxidative stress, and place […]