What We Treat

Digestive Health Clinic in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain

When you encounter a health problem related to your stomach or gut, or if you feel discomfort after eating any meal or specific foods, our gastroenterologist will be able to help you. He can review digestive concerns, investigate further if required, and offer treatment.

If he finds that you have a medical condition such as gastric reflux (GERD) or celiac disease, for example, our dietitian can help you devise a meal plan to cope, alongside the gastroenterologist’s recommendations. We also have plans for general digestive conditions such as diarrhea or bloating.

The role of the dietician in digestive disorders

An unhealthy digestive system can negatively affect your nutritional status. Our dietitian will work with you to identify and implement the required dietary changes.

Dietary elements to be evaluated in a digestive disorder

Eating a healthy, balanced diet is a preventive measure and treatment for most diseases, but especially those caused by food. We will look at the following parameters to help you:

  • Portion control
  • Reducing fat, salt and sugar
  • Focusing on anti-inflammatory foods, including Omega 3-rich foods
  • Increasing intake of soluble and insoluble fibers
  • Daily intake of antioxidant-rich foods
  • Daily intake of probiotic-rich foods

 

These steps will play a beneficial role improving the health conditions below (click on each icon for a full explanation):

Gastric Reflux Or Gerd

There are many environmental factors that can induce a reflux problem, for example, stress and smoking, but dietary choices also play a major role.

Some tips and notes

  • Avoid eating fatty foods.
  • Eat a small meal every three hours, and stop eating at least two hours before going to bed.
  • If you’re overweight, which exacerbates the problem, our dietitian will help you to lose weight.
  • Avoid drinking fluids, including water, immediately after your meals, especially if your stomach is full.
  • Avoid eating high-fat and high-sugar foods, such as sweets, chocolates and cakes.
  • Avoid drinking coffee (caffeinated or not), peppermint and alcoholic drinks.

 

While you should avoid those foods that worsen your symptoms, remember that if you end up avoiding major food groups, you will need to discuss the plan with our dietitian to make sure you are still eating a complete diet

Bloating

Several gut conditions, lactose intolerance, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), undesired bacterial growth and other factors can cause bloating. Several approaches can apply, but it is essential to be checked by a gastroenterologist to identify the root cause, and then adjust your dietary approach accordingly with the help of our dietitian.

Possible adjustments include:

  • Avoiding lactose in milk and other dairy products as well as processed foods. Our dietitian can help identify all foods that might contain lactose.
  • Correcting constipation while increasing insoluble fiber and water intake as well as activity levels.
  • Consuming one to two portions of probiotic-rich foods daily.
  • Eliminating gas-forming foods, from common types such as cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, etc) to high-FODMAP foods (ie, a group of foods containing large amounts of short-chain carbohydrates that are difficult to digest).

FAQs

Diarrhea

Diarrhea can lead to dehydration, which can be critical, especially in children or elderlies. It is essential, therefore, to rehydrate with water or, preferably, electrolyte water in the case of children. In addition, lost minerals, essential fatty acids and vitamins should be replaced. While we work on keeping your system well nourished, our aim is to correct and stop the diarrhea via medical and dietary treatment.
Diarrhea diet plan: When diarrhea is severe, our dietitian may ask you to start with a low-residue diet, eliminating insoluble fibers, lactose, spices, fatty foods, sugar-rich foods and caffeine. After this, probiotics combined with good sources of prebiotics should be introduced progressively. Next, we will reintroduce fiber to resettle the bowel movements. Where necessary, our dietitian may recommend supplemental elements to restore the gut’s integrity.

Celiac Disease

While celiac disease is not very common, gluten sensitivity is becoming a major concern. In addition, even gluten is not the direct culprit of a digestive problem, foods containing gluten tend to be processed and refined and people eat too many of them in this form. We therefore encourage patients to replace these refined carbohydrates by adding different grains, pseudo grains and roots to their diet. Our focus in dietary management of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity is providing education about foods that may contain gluten or might have cross-contamination with gluten, and most importantly, to assess children’s growth and development hand-in-hand with our pediatrician. We can provide dietary advice that ensures adults’ and children’s diet are balanced and complete.

Dream Team...

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Novomed’s highly-qualified surgeons, consultants, and specialists are leaders in their fields and are well-known for offering honest advice and personalized care for their patients. 

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