Latest news with #TrishaPasricha
IOL News
a day ago
- General
- IOL News
Nervous about using the bathroom at work? A gastroenterologist shares advice
Trisha Pasricha is an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School and author of the forthcoming 'You've Been Pooping All Wrong.' Image: Supplied Trisha Pasricha, MD I'm a second-generation gastroenterologist. In my world, no bathroom topic is off-limits. Growing up, my father, a gastroenterologist at the Mayo Clinic, spoke so excitedly to me about the awe-inspiring ways our guts work. I always knew there was no more thrilling a career out there for me (yes, the two of us are a delightful pair at dinner parties). I realize it can be hard to talk about subjects that many people consider uncomfortable, whether it's bowel leakage, hemorrhoids or the correct way to wipe. But the first step to normalizing our bodies and gut is talking openly about the things we all do every day (well, actually, it's okay if you don't poop every day.) So let's find out some of the burning bathroom questions that readers have messaged me. 1. I get shy pooping at work. How do I mitigate that? Our colons are most active in the first two hours after waking - and are further emboldened by coffee, food and exercise. So if you have coffee with breakfast in the morning, and exercise before work or perhaps sprint around to catch the train, you're physiologically priming yourself to poop on company time. You could deliberately plan a cushion in your schedule to use the bathroom before you head out the door. But if that isn't possible, here's my advice: Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ If you have to go, just go. We talk so much about the importance of self-care, but let me tell you, this is the real test. Do it for your future self. One of the colon's major jobs is to absorb water. So every second that waste sits around with nowhere to go, the colon sucks water out of it back into the bloodstream. This means that later on, that same poop will be harder, drier and more pebbly. It will not be as easy to pass. Worse, if a harder poop causes you to strain on the toilet, you put yourself at risk of hemorrhoids. Relaxation is a critical component of pooping - the anal sphincters need to feel safe. Try doing a few vagal maneuvers, such as box breathing or a Valsalva maneuver. Still, it's not easy when you can overhear Jess from accounting washing her hands for the full excruciating CDC-recommended 20-second count just a few feet away from you while you're trying to wrap up business. Find the 'safe' bathroom at work. Do your due diligence - the quietest bathroom may not be the most convenient. It may be the dark, weird one in the basement or the single-stall havens in the lobby. And once you figure out which one offers the most privacy, tell no one your secret. Create some white noise. Shuffle some toilet paper out of the holder. Cough. 'Accidentally' switch on the sound of a TikTok video on your phone. Time it at the critical moment, and who could really swear later in court what it was they heard in the stall next door? 2. Why does coffee make me go to the bathroom? Your gastrointestinal tract reacts differently depending on what you eat. For instance, a fiber-rich meal slows down the stomach, whereas a high-fat meal revs up how quickly the gut pushes its contents forward. Some studies have found that for about a third of people, coffee is a powerful stimulant of colon contractions. Both regular and decaffeinated coffee can amplify the colon's activity within four minutes of drinking it - and that boost is sustained for about 30 minutes afterward. Liquids can take around 20 minutes to pass through the stomach, but coffee can have an effect within minutes. So what gives? Scientists have hypothesized that caffeine is a strong stimulant of something called the gastro-colic reflex. When we eat, that stretching of the stomach signals to the body that we need to make more room for the incoming meal. Through that reflex, waves of contractions in the colon begin to push anything still hanging around forward - and outward. 3. How do bidets work? I'm honestly afraid to Google the real mechanics of it. I often recommend bidets because they're gentle and hygienic. But many of you have sent me questions about them. I'll start with one of the biggest concerns: How do we avoid poopy water spraying us? Let me just say, if this were remotely a regular possibility, no one would use bidets. Like, ever. Bidets would not have the cult following they so rightly have earned. Whether you're using an attachable bidet nozzle or an entire bidet seat on your toilet (these are both different from the stand-alone bidet bowls you often see in Europe), the water is absolutely not coming from the bottom of the bowl. When you connect a bidet to your indoor plumbing, the piping routes some water into the toilet bowl, per usual, and routes an entirely separate stream through the bidet nozzle. The two streams do not mix. Here's what happens next: You poop into the toilet bowl as you would, and the bidet nozzle sprays you clean. Most bidets have adjustable spray angles and pressures, so you direct the water and can easily avoid any splashing. Many models have nozzles that tuck themselves away when not in use, meaning, even if you splattered while pooping, they're shielded. Several also have a 'self-cleaning' feature, just for the nozzle. Lastly, depending on the bidet, you may still want or need to pat dry afterward. Many fancy bidet seats, in addition to being heated, have a built-in air dryer of their own - ah, the joy. 4. How do you know if it's hemorrhoids or something more serious? If you have external hemorrhoids, or prolapsed internal hemorrhoids (meaning hemorrhoids originating from inside the anal canal that pop out from time to time), you can often feel those easily. It might be like a small lump that could be tender. Internal hemorrhoids are harder to appreciate. Talk to your doctor and have them confirm. If you've experienced rectal bleeding, hemorrhoids are a very common cause - but it's important we don't miss anything more serious.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Gastroenterologist shares if you can really 'cure leaky gut with probiotics, digestive enzymes or other supplements'
Dr Trisha Pasricha, a gastroenterologist, took to Instagram on May 27 to discuss 'leaky gut, one of the most common gut health concerns she hears from her patients' and how she 'explains it as a neuro-gastroenterologist'. She said that what patients call 'leaky gut' is actually what gastroenterologists call 'increased intestinal permeability'. Also read | Guts don't lie: Study explains how a weekend of cheat meals can lead to leaky gut She added, 'We have known about it for decades. If your doctor tells you 'leaky gut' is not real, they are either unfamiliar with the data or wary of how that term has been used incorrectly to mean something it is not.' Dr Pasricha also shared what causes 'leaky gut': ⦿ Ultra-processed foods ⦿ High-fat foods ⦿ Alcohol ⦿ Stress ⦿ NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) Dr Pasricha said: ''Leaky gut' is a colloquial term for increased intestinal permeability — or how easily molecules pass from inside our intestines into our bloodstreams. Some people use the term loosely as a diagnosis, claiming that a leaky gut can cause food sensitivities, bloating, brain fog, acne and fatigue. They even link it to increased frequency of infections or autoimmune conditions.' She added, 'But leaky gut is a physiological process, not a formal medical diagnosis. We all experience increased permeability from time to time. It's something that fluctuates constantly because of factors such as stress, infections and the food we eat.' Dr Pasricha said, 'Many people on social media claim you can 'cure' a leaky gut with probiotics, digestive enzymes or other supplements. These claims are not supported by scientific evidence.' In a March 2022 interview with HT Lifestyle, dietitian Lavleen Kaur had said that 'if you wish to heal a leaky gut, you must first address the root causes of the problem'. She said, 'While it's impossible to say whether leaky gut can be healed, it can surely be improved. To some extent, everyone's guts are 'leaky': our small intestine is designed to let specific particles into the rest of the body. It only becomes a concern when it begins to emit the wrong types.' She added, 'The only and best way to heal a leaky gut is to eliminate certain foods such as wheat-based products, refined oils, processed and packaged foods while adding healthy foods such as probiotics (yoghurt, dairy, and cheese), fermented vegetables, nuts and sprouted seeds to create a balance of good and bad bacteria in our gut. You can also take probiotic supplements, reduce your stress, limit your use of NSAIDs, avoid drinking and smoking and get more sleep.' Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
Washington Post
02-05-2025
- Health
- Washington Post
Severe period pain is not normal. Here's what it could be.
Well+Being Severe period pain is not normal. Here's what it could be. May 2, 2025 | 1:11 PM GMT We need to stop normalizing severe period pain. It may be caused by endometriosis, a common condition that affects about 1 in 10 women. And it may be treatable. Internal medicine physician, Harvard Medical School instructor and Ask a Doctor columnist Trisha Pasricha explains some of the symptoms of endometriosis and why it's important to talk openly about period pain.
Washington Post
25-04-2025
- Health
- Washington Post
Your bloating may have nothing to do with what you ate
Well+Being Your bloating may have nothing to do with what you ate April 25, 2025 | 2:44 PM GMT Your diaphragm might actually be causing your bloating. People usually think bloating is caused by an increase in gas or stool in your gut. While this could be true, it might also be your diaphragm acting abnormally after you eat. Internal medicine physician, Harvard Medical School instructor and Ask a Doctor columnist Trisha Pasricha explains the some of the possible causes of bloating and why you should share your concerns with your healthcare provider.
IOL News
22-04-2025
- Health
- IOL News
What the science says about intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting may only be successful because you're actually taking in fewer calories. Trisha Pasricha, MD Many of my friends have been trying intermittent fasting for weight loss. Does it work, and is it better than other diets? Intermittent fasting has been shown to lead to some weight loss in several studies. But it might not work better than other dieting practices. When scientists compared intermittent fasting to simply eating fewer calories throughout the day, they found that intermittent fasting wasn't more effective in helping people shed pounds. Conventional dieting focuses on what you eat, but intermittent fasting focuses on the time you eat it - within an eight-hour window per day, for example. Because intermittent fasting doesn't typically require monitoring calories or changing what you eat, it can feel easier to stick with. Interest in the practice took off in the last decade or so, after experiments in animals showed that eating restricted to certain times had a profound impact on metabolic health and the microbiome. But in people, the weight-loss benefits linked to intermittent fasting may be because they took in less food in general - up to 550 fewer calories per day. Both intermittent fasting and overall calorie restriction approaches can result in weight loss for a few months, but they are very hard to sustain; studies have shown that some of that weight comes back after a year, regardless of the approach. Given all these factors, intermittent fasting is not my go-to recommendation for healthy eating. Instead, I suggest the Mediterranean diet, which has been better studied for improving your heart health and lowering the risk of Type 2 diabetes. Because of the diet's higher fiber and healthier fat intake, you may lose a bit of weight - even if you aren't thinking about cutting calories. How does intermittent fasting work? Intermittent fasting can take on many forms, each with potentially different impacts on our health. There are two common variations: The 5:2 approach In this method, people each week severely restrict calories by at least 75 percent for two usually nonconsecutive days, and then eat without restrictions for five days. A striking 2024 study published in JAMA Network Open looked at 5:2 intermittent fasting for overweight or obese adults with newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes. Researchers found that intermittent fasting led to more weight loss (on average 21 pounds after 16 weeks) compared to eating as usual and taking prescription drugs for diabetes. It also led to greater improvements in HbA1c, a long-term measure of blood sugar levels. But it's important to know that in this study, the intermittent fasting group consumed one prepackaged low-energy meal replacement per day that the control group on diabetes medication did not. That means the control group was likely consuming more calories.
