What is Gastroenterology? 

Gastroenterology is the branch of medicine that focuses on the digestive system and its disorders. It is a complex field that involves the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, including disorders of the esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. 

In this article, we will explore the science behind digestion and gut health, the role of a gastroenterologist, common GI conditions, and how to maintain a healthy gut. 

Understanding Digestion: The Basics 

Digestion is the process by which food is broken down into smaller particles that can be absorbed by the body. It begins in the mouth, where enzymes in saliva start to break down food. From there, food travels down the esophagus and into the stomach, where it is further broken down by stomach acid and enzymes. 

Next, food enters the small intestine, where it is further digested and nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. The remaining waste products then move into the large intestine, where water is absorbed and the waste is eliminated from the body. 

The Role of Gastroenterology in Digestive Health 

Gastroenterology plays a crucial role in maintaining digestive health. Gastroenterologists are specialists who are trained to diagnose and treat a wide range of GI disorders, including conditions that affect the esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. 

They use a variety of tools and techniques to diagnose GI disorders, including endoscopy, colonoscopy, and imaging tests such as CT scans and MRIs. Once a diagnosis is made, they work with patients to develop a treatment plan that may involve medications, lifestyle changes, or surgery. 

When to Visit a Gastroenterologist 

There are many reasons why you might need to visit a gastroenterologist. Some common symptoms that may indicate a GI disorder include abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, nausea, and vomiting. If you experience any of these symptoms, it's important to see a gastroenterologist to get an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. 

Common Gastrointestinal Conditions 

There are many different GI conditions that a gastroenterologist may diagnose and treat. Here are some of the most common: 

Acid Reflux and GERD 

Acid reflux occurs when stomach acid backs up into the esophagus, causing a burning sensation in the chest known as heartburn. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic form of acid reflux that can lead to complications if left untreated. 

Inflammatory Bowel Disease 

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic condition that causes inflammation in the digestive tract. It includes two main types: Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, diarrhea, rectal bleeding. 
 

Top Gastroenterologist In Stockton, CA 

1. Dr. David A. Johnson, MD, FACG, Gastroenterologist, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905

2. Dr. William J. Sandborn, MD, Gastroenterologist, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093

3. Dr. Alok K. Gupta, MD, Gastroenterologist, NYU Langone Health, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016

4. Dr. Anthony J. Lembo, MD, Gastroenterologist, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215

5. Dr. Lawrence S. Friedman, MD, Gastroenterologist, Mount Sinai Hospital, 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029

6. Dr. Santhi S. Swaroop, MD, Gastroenterologist, Johns Hopkins Hospital, 1800 Orleans Street, Baltimore, MD 21287

7. Dr. David A. Greenwald, MD, Gastroenterologist, New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, 622 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032

8. Dr. Mark Pimentel, MD, Gastroenterologist, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048

9. Dr. Gail Hecht, MD, Gastroenterologist, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, 251 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611

10. Dr. Thomas R. Deas, Jr., MD, Gastroenterologist, Duke University Medical Center, 2301 Erwin Road, Durham, NC 27710

11. Dr. Kenneth K. Wang, MD, Gastroenterologist, Stanford Health Care, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA 94305

12. Dr. Steven T. DeMeester, MD, Gastroenterologist, University of Southern California, 1520 San Pablo Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033

13. Dr. Robert A. Ganz, MD, Gastroenterologist, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213

14. Dr. W. Scott Melvin, MD, Gastroenterologist, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195

15. Dr. Anthony Kalloo, MD, Gastroenterologist, Johns Hopkins Hospital, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287

16. Dr. Andrew R. Mason, MD, Gastroenterologist, University of Michigan Health System, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

17. Dr. Lawrence S. Brandt, MD, Gastroenterologist, Montefiore Medical Center, 111 East 210th Street, Bronx, NY 10467

18. Dr. Mark B. Pochapin, MD, Gastroenterologist, NYU Langone Health, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016

19. Dr. Joseph C. Anderson, MD, Gastroenterologist, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905

20. Dr. Stephen B. Hanauer, MD, Gastroenterologist, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, 251 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611

21. Dr. Jeffrey B. Schwimmer, MD, Gastroenterologist, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093

22. Dr. Stephen B. Hanauer, MD, Gastroenterologist, University of Chicago Medical Center, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637

23. Dr. Suhail K. Mithani, MD, Gastroenterologist, University of California, Los Angeles, 200 Medical Plaza, Suite B-300, Los Angeles, CA 90095

24. Dr. Michael Curry, MD, Gastroenterologist, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, 410 W 10th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210

25. Dr. Lawrence S. Brandt, MD, Gastroenterologist, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1301 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461

26. Dr. Stephen B. Hanauer, MD, Gastroenterologist, Rush University Medical Center, 1653 West Congress Parkway, Chicago, IL 60612

27. Dr. Gregory G. Ginsberg, MD, Gastroenterologist, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104

28. Dr. Timothy B. Gardner, MD, Gastroenterologist, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905

29. Dr. Roshini Rajapaksa, MD, Gastroenterologist, NYU Langone Health, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016

30. Dr. S. Kyle Staller, MD, Gastroenterologist, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114

31. Dr. David A. Johnson, MD, FACG, Gastroenterologist, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195

32. Dr. Stephen J. Hanauer, MD, Gastroenterologist, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, 251 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611

33. Dr. Eric S. Weiss, MD, Gastroenterologist, University of California, San Francisco, 505 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143

34. Dr. Robert B. Sollenberger, MD, Gastroenterologist, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1211 Medical Center Drive, Nashville, TN 37232

35. Dr. David L. Suskind, MD, Gastroenterologist, Seattle Children’s Hospital, 4800 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105

36. Dr. David C. Metz, MD, Gastroenterologist, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104

37. Dr. Andrew S. Beck, MD, Gastroenterologist, Duke University Medical Center, 2301 Erwin Road, Durham, NC 27710

38. Dr. David B. Sachar, MD, Gastroenterologist, Mount Sinai Hospital, 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029

39. Dr. Douglas K. Rex, MD, Gastroenterologist, Indiana University School of Medicine, 550 University Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46202

40. Dr. Ananya Das, MD, Gastroenterologist, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114

41. Dr. Thomas E. Abell, MD, Gastroenterologist, University of Louisville, 530 South Jackson Street, Louisville, KY 40202

42. Dr. David A. Johnson, MD, FACG, Gastroenterologist, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905

43. Dr. Douglas O. Faigel, MD, Gastroenterologist, University of Minnesota, 420 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455

44. Dr. David A. Johnson, MD, FACG, Gastroenterologist, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905

45. Dr. Michael F. Vaezi, MD, Gastroenterologist, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1211 Medical Center Drive, Nashville, TN 37232

46. Dr. Neil H. Stollman, MD, Gastroenterologist, UCSF Medical Center, 505 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143

47. Dr. Christopher E. Forsmark, MD, Gastroenterologist, University of Florida, 1600 SW Archer Road, Gainesville, FL 32610

48. Dr. James T. Heimbach, MD, Gastroenterologist, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905

49. Dr. John M. Inadomi, MD, Gastroenterologist, University of Washington Medical Center, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, WA 98195

50. Dr. Neil H. Stollman, MD, Gastroenterologist, Stanford Health Care, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA 94305

51. Dr. Joseph J. Yoo, MD, Gastroenterologist, University of California, Los Angeles, 200 Medical Plaza, Suite B-300, Los Angeles, CA 90095

52. Dr. Michael A. Dunn, MD, Gastroenterologist, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104

53. Dr. Charles L. Loprinzi, MD, Gastroenterologist, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905

54. Dr. Richard A. Kozarek, MD, Gastroenterologist, Virginia Mason Medical Center, 1100 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101

55. Dr. Michael F. Vaezi, MD, Gastroenterologist, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1211 Medical Center Drive, Nashville, TN 37232

56. Dr. David A. Johnson, MD, FACG, Gastroenterologist, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905

57. Dr. Srinath Chinnakotla, MD, Gastroenterologist, University of California, San Francisco, 505 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143

58. Dr. Kenneth R. DeVault, MD, Gastroenterologist, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905

59. Dr. Thomas J. Sferra, MD, Gastroenterologist, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195

60. Dr. Robert H. Riddell, MD, Gastroenterologist, Stanford Health Care, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA 94305

61. Dr. Lawrence S. Brandt, MD, Gastroenterologist, Montefiore Medical Center, 111 East 210th Street, Bronx, NY 10467

62. Dr. Michael F. Vaezi, MD, Gastroenterologist, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1211 Medical Center Drive, Nashville, TN 37232

63. Dr. Stephen B. Hanauer, MD, Gastroenterologist, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, 251 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611

64. Dr. Timothy M. Farrell, MD, Gastroenterologist, Johns Hopkins Hospital, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287

65. Dr. David A. Johnson, MD, FACG, Gastroenterologist, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905

66. Dr. Anthony J. Lembo, MD, Gastroenterologist, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215

67. Dr. Mark B. Pochapin, MD, Gastroenterologist, NYU Langone Health, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016

68. Dr. Stephen B. Hanauer, MD, Gastroenterologist, University of Chicago Medical Center, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637

69. Dr. Wilson Y. Szeto, MD, Gastroenterologist, University of California, San Francisco, 505 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143

70. Dr. David B. Sachar, MD, Gastroenterologist, Mount Sinai Hospital, 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029

71. Dr. Roshini Rajapaksa, MD, Gastroenterologist, NYU Langone Health, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016