Are you experiencing digestive problems, such as abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence, and/or diarrhea, that your doctor can’t seem to help alleviate? There may be another culprit in these issues—your hormones.
Hormones are essentially your body’s chemical messengers. They are produced by your endocrine system, the network of glands responsible for controlling many important functions. When your hormones are out of whack, health issues, such as gastrointestinal problems, can set in.
Let’s delve deeper into the gut health-hormone connection and find out how Dr. Jeffrey Kotulski—one of the most trusted hormone specialists in Minneapolis, Minnesota—can help you restore your hormonal balance and boost your gut health.
Demystifying the Connection Between Gut Health and Hormone Connection
Research shows that the “happy hormone” serotonin—which is commonly known as a brain chemical messenger but is mostly produced in your digestive tract—plays a vital role in the healthy communication between your brain and your stomach. Serotonin is responsible for many crucial gut functions, such as:
- Controlling the rhythmic movement of your gut muscle to facilitate smooth movement of food and nutrients throughout the gastrointestinal tract (peristalsis);
- Stimulating the production of gastric and colonic mucus; and
- Regulating your intestines’ sensitivity to pain and fullness.
Studies show that low levels of serotonin in the digestive tract have been linked to digestive disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which causes abdominal pain and cramping, diarrhea, bloating, and constipation, among many other symptoms.
How Dr. Kotulski Can Help You Restore Your Gut Health
At Between the Bridges Healing Center in Mankato, MN, Dr. Jeffrey Kotulski is a board-certified integrative medicine physician. He takes a holistic approach to treating hormone and digestive health issues, fulling considering all aspects of your health—physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social. Dr. Kotulski believes that problems in just one of these aspects can affect all of the others.
Chronic stress and anxiety, for instance, are linked to fluctuations of serotonin levels which, as have been established, can cause digestive problems. Dr. Kotulski will go beyond merely masking your symptoms and work to identify and tackle the problem at its root.
During your appointment with Dr. Kotulski, you will undergo a comprehensive evaluation, which includes a review of your medical history, the medications and supplements you’re currently taking, and your symptoms as well as a series of specialized tests. Dr. Kotulski may also ask you questions about your job and family life to determine potential stressors. These all allow Dr. Kotulski to explore all factors that could be contributing to your gut health problems.
Hormone Specialist in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Based on his findings, Dr. Kotulski will create a customized treatment plan to fix your imbalance. This likely includes a healthy diet plan in conjunction with natural supplementation to help you achieve and maintain a healthy nutritional balance. If stress or anxiety is what’s causing your gut issues, Dr. Kotulski will likely give you additional recommendations to help you effectively manage it. These can include meditation, exercise, and neurofeedback.
Give us a call at (507) 388-7488, or use our easy appointment request form to schedule a consultation with Dr. Kotulski.
