8 Signs of an unhealthy gut

The gut is said to be the human body’s other brain. An unhealthy gut can be harmful to your body. To understand why it happens it is important to know what a gut microbiome is and how it properly functions?

The purpose of this article is to educate you about the importance of the gut microbiome and what unevenness does an unhealthy gut cause.

What is gut microbiome?

Our body entirely consists of bacteria, fungi, and viruses. They are altogether known as the microbiome.

Out of all the bacteria some are good and essential for the body especially for the immune system, heart, and weight while some are associated with causing health problems and diseases. 

The microbiomes living inside your intestine are called the gut microbiome. From birth, you get your gut microbiome. It is affected by your surroundings as you grow older. It is influenced by what you eat and therefore it is different depending on where you live and what you eat.

What is a result of an unhealthy gut?

With a healthy functioning digestive system, you are less vulnerable to skin disorders, autoimmune conditions, and other health issues. Here are a few tips for you to have a healthy digestive system.

Studies have shown that having an unhealthy gut can lead to a variety of health issues including diabetes, weight, arthritis, autoimmune conditions, depression fatigue, and mental health as well. This makes gut health very critical to overall health.

It’s not necessary that if you have a perfectly healthy digestive system with no bloating or gas there are other signs of the unhealthy gut which you should know.

8 Signs of an unhealthy gut

There are possibly many ways that can lead to an unhealthy gut such as lack of sleep, increasing stress, high sugar, and processed foods resulting in the gut microbiome imbalance causing all types of health issues including heart, immune, skin, weight, and also the heavy chance of cancer.

There are many ways in which an unhealthy gut is tied to issues related to different parts of the body. The most common eight signs of having an unhealthy gut are listed below.

Imbalanced stomach

Stomach problems like bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea all can be signs of an unhealthy gut. And having these problems often affects the large intestine which is quite common as it is due to disturbance in the gut.

While having a healthy gut will have you digest the food easily with no problem in eliminating the waste as well.

High sugar food cravings 

A diet high in sugar and processed foods can decrease the good bacteria causing a gut imbalance. This imbalance will further lead to more sugar cravings damaging the gut even more. Therefore, the type of bacteria growing inside makes you eat the food they thrive on. The high amount of refined sugar leads to inflammation which can be the reason for the variety of diseases and cancers.

Food sensitivity

It is a result of poor digestion, causing difficulty in digestion of certain food. This will further cause displeasing symptoms like bloating, gas, diarrhea, and sometimes feeling nauseous. Unhealthy bacteria present in the gut are the main cause of food sensitivity. 

Weight Changes 

Fluctuation in weight without making any changes in your diet can be a sign of an unhealthy gut. This discomfort caused in the gut will not only destroy the body’s ability to absorb nutrients but also makes it unable to store fat. It won’t be able to regulate blood sugar levels as well as increasing the risk of diabetes. The weight loss is due to the increase of bacteria in the small intestine while the weight gain is due to the urge to overeat or because of insulin resistance.

Fatigue or sleeping disturbance

An unhealthy gut will lead to poor sleep and insomnia and which will lead to chronic fatigue. The gut produces a hormone named serotonin that affects mood and sleep. The imbalanced gut will damage the ability to sleep and it will result in the invisible disease called fibromyalgia. It will also affect your moods by disturbing the nervous system causing anxiety and depression.

Skin irritation

Irritation in the skin because of imbalanced gut results in psoriasis, eczema, and acne. A balanced gut prevents inflammatory skin issues. Poor diet or certain allergies causes gut inflammation which can increase certain proteins in the body. This increased protein causes skin irritation and conditions like eczema and psoriasis.

Autoimmune diseases 

An imbalanced gut can disrupt the proper functioning of the immune system by increasing systematic inflammation. This alteration can trigger autoimmune diseases, a condition where the body attacks itself rather than fighting the attacker. 

Allergies

Few studies have found that an unhealthy gut can cause different allergies in the body.  The allergies can be any including skin allergies, respiratory allergies, or food allergies. An unhealthy gut can affect the body in different ways through lungs or skin.

What to do to balance your unhealthy gut?

If you experience any of these symptoms it is best to visit a specialized doctor and get it tested at our gastrology department,  as they will find out whether it’s because of an unhealthy gut or some other reasons.

At Regency Medical Center Ltd., we provide advanced endoscopy services for issues related to the gut. This includes the following procedures:
– ERCP for cases of obstructive jaundice, stones extraction, stent insertion (plastic and metallic stents), stricture dilatation.
– OGD for diagnostic and therapeutic – OV band ligation – OV sclerotherapy- Gastric varices Sclerotherapy – Gastric polypectomy – Hemostasis of bleeding ulcers by injection and Haemoclipping – Oesophageal or Duodenal Stenting – Biopsying – Balloon insertion for weight loss.
– Colonoscopy diagnostic and therapeutic used to detect changes or abnormalities in the large intestine (colon) and rectum.
– Managing and consulting cases of advanced liver disease, HCC, IBD (Ulcerative colitis-Crohns), and cases of hepatobiliary disorders (Acute and chronic pancreatitis- Obstructive jaundice, and more).

Our gastrology department is equipped with licensed experts to identify the type of health issue you’re dealing with and will provide you an effective solution for it.