Dr. Karl Peter Houglum M.D.

Jaundice is a condition that causes the yellowing of human skin as well as the whites of the eyes. Its main cause is the build-up of bilirubin, which is a key component of the human blood and tissues. Since this is a medical condition, understanding the signs, symptoms, and the type of jaundice is...

A cholecystectomy is a type of surgery done to remove the gallbladder. Although the gallbladder’s function is to store bile, which helps in your digestion, you can still live a healthy life without it. Gallbladder removal through surgery is the most effective treatment in dealing with gallbladder...

The hiatus is the opening in the diaphragm through which the esophagus goes and attaches to the stomach. Hiatal hernia is a condition that results in a part of the stomach pushing upwards through the opening into the chest. Small hiatal hernia may not affect you, and you may not realize unless the...

The burning sensation that heartburn causes can be more than just an inconvenience once in a while. It can keep you awake during the night, and affect your day-to-day activities. Heartburn relief relies on an individual's understanding to avoid the basic triggers for heartburn in his or her diet....

A recent review, published in the Digestive and Liver Disease journal, proposes that new types of IBD treatment can come from combining antifungals with probiotics. Probiotics are live microorganisms that are believed to offer health-related benefits when consumed and bacteria can contain probiotic...

A recent study done on mice at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine illuminated that a microscopic fungus by the name of Candida tropicalis is able to start gut inflammation and intensify symptoms of Crohn's disease. These findings were presented at Digestive Disease Week from May 5-9,...