As an Advanced Practice Primary Care Nurse, Betty Marlin recognizes and appreciates the importance of maintaining a healthy gut. She emphasizes a number of factors that she follows when performing an abdominal assessment and determining if referral to a primary care physician, gastroenterologist, or naturopathic full-body energy tester is necessary.

What is your first step in this process?
A complete family history is the foundation. I look for allergies, autoimmune disorders, traumatic injuries or abuse affecting the gut, high levels of stress impacting bowel or bladder health and poor sleep patterns (less than seven hours per night). Abnormal bowel habits are significant—either the absence of daily movements or excessive movements of more than four to five times per day. Concerning stool characteristics include unusual colors (green, black, grey, tan, or yellow) and textures that are hard, sticky, mucous-like, or watery. I also consider maternal prenatal history—Lyme disease, cancer, infections, parasites or toxic chemical exposures may cross the placenta and create issues that surface later in life.

Do you research anything else before the assessment?
Equally important is an environmental history. I ask about furry pets in the household, especially in bedrooms or kitchens, and outdoor exposure in grassy or wooded areas where ticks and mosquitos thrive. I review vaccine history, food preparation and storage practices, water quality for drinking and cooking, and access to clean air to ensure adequate oxygenation for cellular health.

What about the physical assessment?
When listening for bowel sounds, I expect two to four per 15 seconds in each quadrant. Abnormalities include absent sounds, dripping or gurgling above the diaphragm or hot/cold discolored abdominal areas. Additional red flags include trapped air, bloating, hard or shifting masses, tenderness, sharp pain, lethargy or irritability.

Any other important steps?
As the saying goes, “death begins in the bowel”. It is vital to act promptly—pray about your course, make gradual changes by introducing one new item per week (tips from Natural Awakenings September “Gut Health” issue) and keep all living and food storage areas disinfected. Contact a qualified provider within one to two days if symptoms worsen. For long-term healing, consult experienced guides such as Charlotte area, “Team Rayzorgainz” for holistic wellness counseling, and lean on the encouragement of scripture, including Romans 12:1-3 and Psalm 103:1-5.

Nurse Betty Marlin is an Advanced Practice Nurse, certified Adult/Child Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner and owner of Primary Health-Care of Charlotte, located at 508 Beatties Ford Rd., in Charlotte. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 704-347-1172 or visit GetWellnessCare.com. For more information on Team Rayzorgainz, visit Rayzorgainz.com.