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We’ve all done it—taken an over-the-counter pain reliever for a headache, popped an antacid after a heavy meal or ignored bloating because it “comes and goes.” But some of these everyday habits can quietly damage the digestive system over time.

The gut is more connected to overall health than most people realize. “The digestive system reflects what’s happening in the rest of the body,” said Wellstar Gastroenterologist  Dr. Manjusha Das. “When something feels off, it’s often your body’s first warning sign.” Scientists now know that the gut and brain communicate through a complex network of nerves and hormones—meaning stress, mood and even sleep can influence how well your digestive system works.

Here, we share key ways to protect your gut and overall digestive health, as well as insights from Dr. Das’ experience in treating and preventing gastrointestinal disease.

1. Can common medications harm your stomach and gut?

Over-the-counter doesn’t always mean risk-free. Pain relievers such as ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin or Goody Powder can irritate the stomach lining and lead to ulcers or internal bleeding when taken too often or on an empty stomach.

“Most people have no idea that ibuprofen causes peptic ulcer disease,” said Dr. Das. “All of these things we call non-steroidal, they help my headache, they help my back pain, but they are extremely caustic to the intestinal lining,” she said. “Even small doses taken regularly can cause problems over time. If you rely on these medications often, talk with your provider about safer long-term options.”

2. What really builds a healthy gut?

A healthy gut depends more on daily habits than on any single capsule.

What really matters:

• Eat more fiber from vegetables, fruits and whole grains.
• Drink plenty of water each day.
• Get enough good sleep and find ways to manage stress.
• Limit processed foods, sugary drinks and alcohol.

Probiotics can play a role, but they’re not a cure-all. Persistent bloating, diarrhea or abdominal pain could signal  irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)—conditions that require professional medical care. “If your symptoms last more than two weeks or keep returning, schedule a GI evaluation,” Dr. Das advised.

3. Can colon cancer screening wait?

Don’t wait to schedule your colorectal cancer screening, such as a colonoscopy. Colon cancer often grows quietly, which is why screening can save lives. Colon cancer is also showing up in younger patients, which is why national guidelines now recommend you start screening at age 45—and earlier for anyone with a family history or concerning symptoms. “A colonoscopy doesn’t just detect cancer—it prevents it,” Dr. Das said. “We remove pre-cancerous polyps before they become dangerous.”

4. How do you protect your liver before problems start?

Liver disease often develops silently, with no obvious symptoms until significant damage occurs. Dr. Das has seen a sharp increase in fatty liver disease —both alcohol-related and non-alcoholic—since the pandemic, often tied to higher stress, poor diet and inactivity.

The encouraging news: The liver can heal when damage is caught early.

To protect your liver:

• Drink alcohol in moderation—or skip it altogether.
• Stay active and maintain a healthy weight.
• Choose fresh, whole foods instead of processed ones.
• Ask your provider for a simple blood test to check your liver health, especially if you have diabetes, high cholesterol or obesity.

“Most liver conditions are preventable,” Dr. Das said. “Small lifestyle changes make a lasting difference.”

5. When should you listen to your gut—literally?

Your digestive system is a built-in feedback loop. Bloating, reflux or bowel changes are signals worth listening to—not ignoring or masking with over-the-counter remedies. Frequent self-treatment can hide underlying issues such as ulcers, celiac disease or inflammatory conditions that need targeted care. “When symptoms repeat, they’re trying to tell you something,” Dr. Das explained. “The earlier we investigate, the easier it is to treat.”

Prevention starts with awareness

Digestive health doesn’t require complicated cleanses or trendy supplements. What truly matters is awareness, balance and consistent preventive care—habits that support the gut, liver and entire body. “The best medicine is preventive medicine,” Dr. Das said. “When you know your risks and act early, you can avoid most GI complications.”

What can you do next?

• Schedule your screening colonoscopy if you’re 45 or older.
• Ask your primary care provider about your liver health.
• Find a Wellstar gastroenterologist near you for guidance that fits your needs.

If you had to guess which cancer took the most lives in America, what would your guess be?

“Lung cancer is the No. 1 cancer killer in the U.S. for both women and men since 1986,” said Dr. Daniel Miller. Dr. Miller is the chief of thoracic surgery and the director of the Wellstar Georgia Cancer Center lung cancer screening program.

About 80% of lung cancer cases are associated with cigarette smoking, including secondhand smoke. Unfortunately, when symptoms begin showing, the cancer has already spread, making treatment very time-sensitive. When a patient is diagnosed, their care team typically includes not just one, but four doctors: a thoracic surgeon, an interventional pulmonologist, a medical oncologist and a radiation oncologist. There are many benefits to having a large care team, but a huge drawback can be the wait time between appointments with each doctor.

“When you have cancer, you want to be seen now and be treated now,” Dr. Miller said.

The speed of treatment time for patients is what inspired the creation of the Thoracic-Oncology NOW (New Oncology Workgroup) Clinic at Wellstar Georgia Cancer Center. The multidisciplinary clinic is staffed by specialized physicians in the treatment of thoracic malignancies. 

The clinic treats not just lung cancer, but also esophageal cancer, metastatic disease to the lungs and malignant pleural effusions.

“You’re cutting back on treatment time, waiting time, travel time and, more importantly, you have a group of doctors, rather than a doctor, who are talking about your care,” said Hematologist and Oncologist Dr. Girinda Raval.

The clinic operates on Wednesdays and acts as a one-stop shop for patients, saving their time and the time of their loved ones who join them for treatments. Patients also have access to Wellstar Georgia Cancer Center’s registered dietitians and social workers, along with a scheduler, financial personnel and medical assistants, creating one large care team ready to help them on their treatment journey.

“There is a degree of reassurance for the patient that there is a team who are all engrossed in caring for that patient,” Dr. Raval said.

To learn more about the Thoracic-Oncology NOW Clinic or make an appointment, call (706) 721-6744 for more information.

Kathy DeJoseph delights in making and giving away thousands of soft and cheerful hats to Wellstar cancer patients through a nonprofit she founded called Happy Caps. It’s all in the name of bringing a little light and comfort to people during a hard time.

Where did the idea come from? It started with Kathy’s own lung cancer diagnosis.

A commitment to yearly lung cancer screening

A cancer survivor for more than a decade, Kathy said regular lung cancer screenings were the key to her survival. With a long history of smoking and growing up around relatives who smoked, she decided to join an early detection lung cancer study at Wellstar.

Even though she felt fine and had no symptoms, committing to the study meant having an annual low-dose CT scan every year. After several years of clean scans with no signs of lung cancer, Kathy told a nurse that she was going to quit. But the nurse persuaded her to come in for another screening.

“Thank goodness she did,” Kathy said. “I was diagnosed the very next day.”

Quick and efficient treatment at the STAT Clinic

Being a part of the study and getting screened early allowed Kathy to move immediately to Wellstar Lung Cancer STAT Clinic at Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center.

STAT stands for Specialty Teams and Treatment, highlighting the collaboration of multiple cancer experts. Together, they come to a consensus on a treatment plan and meet with the patient on the same day. This puts the patients at the center of their care plan, allowing them and their families to get immediate answers to questions, make decisions and start treatment faster.

“The biggest benefit for me with the way the STAT Clinic works is that I didn’t have to worry about whether the doctors had actually talked to each other,” Kathy said. “They’d come in one after another and tell me what they thought from their expertise.”

Immediate communication and mutual agreement among medical experts mean treatment plans are established and started faster, which is proven to improve long-term survival. On average, it takes 60 to 90 days from the time of diagnosis to treatment in the U.S. With the STAT Clinic at Wellstar, patients go from diagnosis to treatment in 14 to 20 days.

Kathy’s treatment started quickly—she had a lung biopsy the day after her STAT Clinic appointment and started chemotherapy a week later.

“I wasn’t as terrified for as long as most people are because I had answers within a short period of time,” Kathy remembered.

She had surgery once she completed chemotherapy. Throughout the process, she had the support of an entire cancer team, including a medical oncologist, a lung cancer surgeon, a pulmonologist and a nurse navigator.