Can sunflower seeds cause intestinal issues?

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I heard that too many salted sunflower seeds can cause intestinal issues..just so happens that i love sunflower seeds, eat them regularly because I thought that they were good for me and I am now experiencing some intestinal uncomfort...seriously.

Thanks for any serious answers.
The correct answer is Yes and NO.

Ill explain.

1. Yes:

If someone consumes foods that are more likely to cause digestive issues and pain are popcorn kernels and other foods that may get stuck in diverticula, such as sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and nuts. The seeds in tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, strawberries, and raspberries, as well as poppy seeds, can also cause issues.

The technical name for the most common problem people face when consuming large amounts of the described foods is Diverticulitis. Diverticulitis is a problem that can happen if you have diverticula in your intestine. Diverticula are tiny pouches or weak areas that bulge out from the lining of the wall of the intestine. They look like small thumbs poking out of the side of the bowel. When you have diverticula in your intestines, it is called diverticulosis. When these pouches become inflamed, it is called diverticulitis.

How does it occur?

It appears that the main cause of diverticular disease is too little fiber in the diet. Fiber is the part of fruits, vegetables, and grains that the body cannot digest. Fiber helps make stools soft and easy to pass. It helps prevent constipation. When you have constipation, the muscles strain to move stool that is too hard. The high pressure causes the weak spots in the colon to bulge out and become diverticula. Diverticulitis occurs when diverticula become infected or inflamed. Doctors are not certain what causes the illness. It may begin when stool or bacteria are caught in the diverticula.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of diverticulitis may include:

* alternating diarrhea and constipation
* severe cramps in your lower left side that come and go
* pain on the lower left side of the abdomen
* chills or fever
* nausea and vomiting
* rectal bleeding.

How is it diagnosed?

Your healthcare provider will review your symptoms and examine you. You may have the following tests:
* sigmoidoscopy (exam of the rectum and lower end of the large intestine with a thin, flexible, lighted tube)
* colonoscopy (exam of most of the intestine with a thin, flexible, lighted tube)
* barium enema or lower GI X-ray
* blood tests.

How is it treated?

For an attack of acute diverticulitis, you may need to be hospitalized. Depending on how bad the attack is, your treatment may include antibiotics, intravenous (IV) fluids, and nasogastric suction (a procedure that relieves pressure in the intestine).

If attacks are severe or frequent, you may need surgery. There are 2 types of surgery to correct the problem. In colon resection, the problem area of the colon is removed and the remaining ends of the colon are sewn back together. The other type of surgery is a colostomy. A colostomy attaches part of the colon to an opening in the wall of the abdomen. Bowel movements then pass through this opening instead of the rectum. They are collected in a bag outside the body.

After the colon heals, the colostomy can be reversed. This means that you will have a second surgery to rejoin the ends of the colon to each other and will no longer have a colostomy.
How long will the effects last?

Diverticulitis is usually mild and should respond well to antibiotics and changes in diet.

How can I help prevent recurrence of diverticulitis?

* Follow your healthcare provider's prescribed treatment.
* Once you are well, eat regular, nutritious meals containing high-fiber foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain foods. Many people find fiber supplements, such as Metamucil, Citrucel, or other psyllium products, to be helpful, but in a few cases they make constipation worse.
* Drink plenty of water.
* Watch for changes in bowel movements (from constipation to diarrhea).
* Get enough rest and sleep.
* Exercise as recommended by your provider.
* Watch to see if some foods seem to cause abdominal pain. Foods that are more likely to cause pain are popcorn kernels and other foods that may get stuck in diverticula, such as sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and nuts. The seeds in tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, strawberries, and raspberries, as well as poppy seeds, are usually harmless. Keeping a food diary may help you remember what you ate a few hours before getting abdominal pain.
* Contact your healthcare provider if your symptoms come back.

So, as for the NO:

This is somewhat rare, and you would experience an extrema change in bowl movements. SO some slight discomfort is most likely a small ulcer, or internal hemorrhoid. These are very common, and are not dangerous. The good news is, everything i listed above is not fatal, and is easily overcome with a change in diet.

If you have any further questions, please e-mail me.

Good luck!  (+ info)

What is a good herbal or other holistic remedy to get rid of intestinal parasites such as pinworm?

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My daughter has pinworm and I'm worried about plying her with toxic chemicals to get rid of them. Looking for a more natural solution.
I just wrote this for someone who asked the same question, so hopefully it will help you as well!

If you drink hydrogen peroxide, you've got about an 80% chance of clearing out any intestinal parasites/worms in about 2 weeks. There are some more effective versions of treatment (95%) but they're a bit more of a pain to do, and what I'm suggesting should do the trick.

If you decide to take the H2O2 approach, do the following (I've had multiple successes on this with friends).
Buy 35% food grade hydrogen peroxide online at some store.
On day 1, drink a glass of water with 1 drop of H2O2 in it. Make sure you drink it as far away from meals as possible.
On day 2, do the same thing.
On day 3, raise it to 2 drops, and do the same thing.
Keep on doing this. There isn't an exact science to how long you should wait before raising the dosage, different people's bodies respond differently so you might go up by 1 each day, or up by one every 3 days, it depends on what feels comfortable to the body.
Most people end up feeling comfortable with 6-8 drops per day (10 is the upper limit, 4 is the lower limit for where you end up). Anything above 10 could potentially be dangerous, anything below 4 won't do enough.
H2O2 is a really effective substance for curing health problems, and is harmless, provided it's used in the proper concentrations (so for example, never drink peroxide which is not heavily dilluted, and try not to touch 35% with your hands because it will burn your skin).
The nice thing about H2O2 is that it's really cheap but can be used for a lot of medical applications (one bottle which will last you for life should not cost more than 20 bucks).

Also, if you do this, you may end up curing other health problems in your body, or flushing out buried toxins, so don't get too worried if radical changes happen for a few days during the treatment (I can provide literature if you wish to know more about that).  (+ info)

Does Gastro intestinal reflux that goes up to the throat and into the back of the mouth damage teeth?

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If so what kind of damage does it cause to teeth?
What can be done to minimize or prevent the damage ?
GERD can really mess up your teeth. It is acidic and eats away at the enamel.

The best way to fix it is to get your reflux under control. See you GP so you can get referred to a GI and get some meds and solutions.

Usually GERD acts up at night, I think, and so you could try to sleep more propped up so that the acid has to do more work against gravity to get up to your mouth. You would still be damaging your esophogus, but it would hopefully save your teeth. Try some OTC antacids like prilosec that are designed to keep acid under control if you can't get to a Dr.

Keeping up with good oral hygiene would probably help your mouth neutralize the acids that do get up into your mouth, so make sure to do that.

good luck!  (+ info)

How do I know if I have intestinal worms?

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~What are some symptoms?
~Who is at risk for intestinal worms?
~Are there different kinds of intestinal worms?
~Is there a cure?
~Does it take long for them to go away?


Any & All information is appreciated.
I don't really have any information on this topic & need some.

Thanks
well your anus would be really itchy, especially at night. and you will notice white thread like things in your stools.
Anybody at any age can get them, but they are most common in young children.
There are different types of worms. you can get them from infected pork and beef.
Yes there is a cure. You can buy over the counter medicine which will kill the worms.
Everybody in your household will need to take the medicine aswell as poor hygiene can lead to infection.  (+ info)

How long does it take to get rid of intestinal candida if you live the appropriate diet and take anti-fungals?

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And then can you eat fruit etc after that period of time?
Sorry to tell you, but intestinal candidiasis is a big myth. Yeast forms are a part of the normal flora of the large intestine. Quacks make huge profits telling people that their symptoms (whatever they are) are due to intestinal yeast, and that they need to tweak these yeast with snake oil and diet modifications. Fruit intake could not have an effect on intestinal candida because sugar is absorbed well before it reaches the colon.

I'd suggest going to get a second opinion from a real doctor.  (+ info)

How can you tell if your cramps are menstrual or intestinal?

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I tend to get really painful cramps that last for a few seconds and make me feel like I'm gonna throw up but when it's over I feel my intestines contracting and I feel like I have to poop. So how can you tell?
Mestrual cramps will not make you need to have a bowel movement, and are usually confined to the lower abdominal area. Intestinal cramps occurr over a larger region of your abdomen, and you can sometimes feel 'movement' inside your abdomen as your body pushes waste to it's appropriate places. Menstrual cramps are very stationary, and tend to last a bit longer.  (+ info)

what are the symptoms of intestinal lymphoma cancer?

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i know you'll feel sick and throw up and your stomach will hurt but what are the rest of the symptoms?can you give me some websites?thanks!
Actually there really aren't any symptoms early on. As the lymph nodes swell they can push on the intestines causing a blockage which leads to a partial or complete bowel blockage. The treatment for lymphoma can be pretty tough but you can easily go into remission. Are you having symptoms that you aren't sure about or have you been diagnosed? The best web sites that I would recommend are webmd.com americancancersociety.com or mdanderson.com Hope this gives you what your looking for. Good luck to you!  (+ info)

How do you get rid of intestinal parasites, namely, tapeworms?

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I know this sounds kinda gross but I really am curious as to how to cure someone of these pesky parasites. Thank you for your help...
There are numerous types of tapeworms, each coming from different sources (poorly cooked pork, fish, fleas from dogs/cats). Depending upon the type of tapeworm you have, the treatment is different. If you are passing a tapeworm when you have a bowel movement, you should attempt to save a portion of the worm and have your physician send it to a lab to be tested and identified. After this is done, you can receive the appropriate treatment.

No matter what type of tapeworm, the treatment is an anti-parasitic drug. The type of drug depends upon the tapeworm. Hope this helps.  (+ info)

What are the chances of surviving intestinal cancer?

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My aunt was diagnosed with this cancer. Thank you.
There is no way of answering your question without knowing the location of the tumor, they type of cancer it is and the stage.  (+ info)

One danger is surgically removing an intestinal blockage is that the intestine may burst when cut?

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risking abdominal infection. To avoid this danger such surgery is sometimes performed in a pressurized chamber. Explain how this help?
Well, the bacteria in the large intestine produce gas, which will accumulate if the natural way out is blocked. Then, piercing the gut with a scalpel is much like piercing a balloon. If you 'inflate' the operation theater, the pressure difference across the intestinal wall will be relieved, so that bursting is prevented.  (+ info)

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