Dr. Hina Ghafoor is a Board Certified primary care doctor who cares for patients of the Reisterstown, Owings Mills, Westminster and Eldersburg communities at Mercy Personal Physicians at Reisterstown.
Mercy's team of cancer doctors diagnose and treat melanoma, a very serious form of skin cancer.
The Gynecologic Oncology Center is a long-standing leader in women's cancer treatment. Mercy Medical Center has been named a Best Regional Hospital.
Mercy offers emergency care on the Downtown Baltimore campus 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (410-332-9477) with access to a trained emergency medicine team, diagnostic services and consultations with specialists.
In case of an Emergency, Dial 911 and follow the instructions of the EMS (Emergency Medical Services) team.
Mercy Medical Center's downtown campus includes our Main Hospital - The Mary Catherine Bunting Center, McAuley Plaza and The Weinberg Center.
General visiting hours at Mercy are 11:00 am to 8:30 pm. Hours vary by floor, please check with the nursing staff or call 410-332-9555.
Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a chronic condition affecting your large intestine. With IBS, the muscular contractions of your colon are abnormal. This video describes the symptoms and common treatments for IBS as well as possible factors that exacerbate it.
At The Center for Inflammatory Bowel and Colorectal Diseases at Mercy, Dr. Mary Harris and Dr. Matilda Hagan are recognized experts in treating bowel diseases. People who experience symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, turn to Drs. Harris and Hagan for treatment options.
Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a disorder in which the bowel does not function properly. Normally the intestine muscles contract and relax in a coordinated rhythm to move food through the digestive system. With IBS, the contractions may be stronger or last longer either forcing food through the system more quickly, which causes gas, bloating, and diarrhea, or slowing the food passage causing constipation.
Irritable bowel syndrome:
Irritable bowel syndrome occurs more in women than men. Common symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome include:
People experiencing abdominal pain lasting at least 12 weeks, but not necessarily consecutively, should see a doctor specializing in digestive disease to determine if they have IBS.
A hydrogen breath test can be used to help diagnose IBS. To rule out other conditions, the following tests can be conducted:
Irritable bowel syndrome treatment focuses on lifestyle changes that include:
Dr. Hwan Yoo, Board Certified in Gastroenterology and Internal Medicine, is an experienced liver specialist at The Institute for Digestive Health and Liver Disease at Mercy.
Smokers who quit have a 65 percent lower risk of a Crohn's disease flare-up and are less likely to need steroids or other medications.