Dr. Walter J. Bristow, III, MD, FACG, FACP

“No matter what happens, I’m going to get through it. Just to focus on the good things that’s going to happen," said Jakob Zernick, an eleven-year-old 6th grader at Central Cambria Middle School in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania. This is a pretty profound statement for anyone to make but it’s an...

The gallbladder is a small pear-shaped organ located between the liver and small intestine. Even though it plays a big role in digestion, a person can live a normal life without it. This means that the gallbladder can be discarded without necessarily affecting the functionality of other organs. If...

If you’re suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), you already understand how disturbing and problematic flare-ups can be. The IBS signs and symptoms can range from abdominal inflation to frequent diarrhea. There are multiple effective strategies for stress management that could truly...

Health care personnel can identify many cases of appendicitis by checking the patient's medical history and then doing a physical examination of the individual.The health care personnel will ask questions like:...

nflammatory bowel diseases affect nearly 1.6 million Americans. In individuals who are suffering from IBD, for some reason, the immune system becomes comprised. It mistakes beneficial cells, food, and bacteria for harmful foreign elements. In other instances, the inflammatory response merely will...

Indigestion, also known as heartburn, is a common term used to describe the discomfort or pain felt in the upper abdomen just below the ribs. It is not a disease. It is merely a symptom and it can be just another symptom of many digestive problems. The main complaint of those who experience...