WORLD DIGESTIVE HEALTH DAY ALIGNS WITH MEMORIAL DAY

Memorial Day Means Firing Up the Grill and Firing Up Your Tummy
Greasy, Rich Foods Could Mean Digestive Distress

World Digestive Health Day and Memorial Day – May 29

As Memorial Day Weekend approaches, people around the country are preparing to fire up their grills and host backyard barbecues to spend time and share lots of great food and beverages with their family and friends. The cheeseburgers and hotdogs, side dishes and rich desserts could be enough to trigger indigestion for many – even for those without a chronic digestive condition.

But for those with persistent digestive issues, Memorial Day Weekend may be another opportunity to check in on your health. Digestive discomfort could be the result of more than just overeating, and may be caused by an under-recognized condition called exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), which is the inability to properly digest carbohydrates, proteins, and fats due to a lack of enzymes produced by the pancreas.

Symptoms associated with EPI can include diarrhea, gas, bloating, stomach pain, frequent bowel movements, and unexplained weight loss. Because EPI is under-recognized and its symptoms are similar to other gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, diagnosis can be difficult to achieve. In fact, a 2016 American Gastroenterological Association survey revealed that 66% of individuals with chronic digestive symptoms have never heard of EPI, and 78% were not aware of its symptoms.

Just in time for Memorial Day Weekend, which aligns with World Digestive Health Day this year, Dr. Roshini Raj, board-certified gastroenterologist and television personality, discusses how to tell if digestive discomfort is being triggered by more than just the summer barbecue foods and when it may be time to discuss with a doctor.
Where can people go for more information? identifyEPI.com

About Dr. Roshini Raj
Dr. Raj is a board certified gastroenterologist with a medical degree from New York University (NYU) School of Medicine and an undergraduate degree from Harvard University. Currently, Dr. Raj is an attending physician at NYU Medical Center/Tisch Hospital in New York City, where she was the first female gastroenterologist to join the faculty. She also serves as an Associate Professor of Medicine at the NYU School of Medicine.

Courtesy: AbbVie Inc.

Related links:  Identify EPI