Patient guides written by our editorial team, based on reliable public health sources.
Articles: 12
Written by our editorial teamSources citedRegularly updatedLatestDigestive health
Bloating, pain and diarrhoea after eating can have several causes. Learn how coeliac disease differs from lactose and other food intolerances, and how each one is diagnosed.
7 min read
Read the articleDigestive health
Hepatitis B and C are blood-borne viruses that often cause no symptoms for years. This guide explains how they are tested, how the liver is monitored and how treatment is approached.
8 min read
Digestive health
Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are long-term inflammatory bowel conditions. Learn how they differ, how they are diagnosed and how treatment and self-care keep them under control.
7 min read
Digestive health
Bloating, cramps, diarrhoea and constipation that keep coming back are often due to irritable bowel syndrome. Learn how IBS is recognised, which signs need checking and what helps.
7 min read
Digestive health
Many gallstones never cause trouble, but a blocked bile duct can bring sudden pain. Learn the symptoms, the warning signs, how gallstones are found and the treatment choices.
7 min read
Digestive health
An abnormal liver blood test is a common finding and does not always mean liver disease. Here is what the tests measure, how fatty liver is assessed and what helps.
7 min read
Digestive health
Occasional heartburn is common, but frequent reflux deserves a closer look. Learn the usual triggers, what helps at home and the signs that call for specialist assessment.
8 min read
Digestive health
Most colon polyps are harmless, but some can turn into bowel cancer over many years. Learn why polyps are removed, what the lab looks for and how follow-up is decided.
7 min read
Digestive health
A practical guide to getting ready for a gastroscopy, colonoscopy or capsule endoscopy: bowel preparation, fasting, sedation choices, recovery and warning signs.
7 min read
Digestive health
Achalasia makes swallowing difficult because the muscle ring at the bottom of the oesophagus does not relax. POEM treats it through an endoscope, without skin incisions.
7 min read
Digestive health
Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) can remove precancerous growths and some early cancers of the oesophagus, stomach and bowel without major surgery.
7 min read
Digestive health
ERCP combines endoscopy and X-ray imaging to find and treat blockages in the bile and pancreatic ducts. Here is why it is used, how to prepare and what recovery involves.
7 min read