Health Care Providers in Digestive Health

To help you manage your digestive health, you may need more than one health care provider. A care team with members who specialize in different areas can help you manage long-term (chronic) digestive problems. These problems can include:

• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
• Crohn's disease.
• Liver disease or cirrhosis.
• Celiac disease.
• Colitis.
• Certain types of cancers.

The right care team can help you stay as emotionally and physically healthy as possible. This team may include the following:

• Primary care provider. Family doctors, internists, and pediatricians are all examples of primary care providers. They can help you manage your overall health and manage specific diseases for your overall health.
• Gastroenterologist. These doctors specialize in digestive problems. These are problems that affect your digestive system. That includes your esophagus, stomach, intestines, pancreas, gallbladder, and liver. The digestive system helps break down the food you eat. It also helps absorb or deliver nutrients to cells all over your body.
• Hepatologist. These doctors specialize in liver diseases. They may work closely with gastroenterologists to manage digestive issues that affect your liver, pancreas, and gallbladder.
• Oncologist. Medical oncologists are doctors who specialize in diagnosing cancer and treating it with medicines such as chemotherapy. Surgical oncologists treat cancer with procedures or surgery.
• Nurse practitioner. These health care providers work closely with people to help diagnose, treat, and manage their health conditions. They can also help people adapt to digestive problems, answer questions, and prescribe medicines. They often work with gastroenterologists. They may specialize in digestive problems with a focus on preventing disease and maintaining health.
• Physician assistant (PA). These health care providers do many of the same things as doctors, but under doctor supervision. Some PAs oversee the treatment and management of digestive problems. They also prescribe medicines and answer questions. They can help you deal with any problems you might have.
• Registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). These are experts in food and nutrition. They can recommend and manage an eating plan for your digestive problem. This can help you control your symptoms and make sure that you get enough key nutrients. The eating plan can also help you improve your overall health and maintain a healthy weight.
• Radiologist. Radiologists are doctors who specialize in reviewing imaging tests, such as X-rays or CT, MRI, PET, or ultrasound scans. These tests can help to diagnose diseases and show damage to any part of your digestive tract. Doctors may order these tests to diagnose problems and determine if your treatment has been effective.
• Therapist or mental health professional. If you have a digestive disease, you may need help managing your emotions. You may become stressed, anxious, or even depressed. These experts can help you make a treatment plan to manage the stress that comes from your illness.

Remember, you are in charge of your own health. You can use a variety of health care providers to help you manage your condition and keep your digestive system as healthy as possible.