Patient Education

Valerie Heron would like to be your partner in health care. Feel free to ask your questions and share your concerns with us. We will work with you to develop a wellness program for the care and treatment you need.

We welcome you to our practice and look forward to caring for you.

Valerie Heron provides a full range of medical services including the following:

Abdominal Pain

Abdominal pain is a common problem affecting adults and children. Abdominal pain may be acute or chronic, and can have many possible causes, including:

• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Strep throat
• Gas
• Appendicitis
• Bladder infection
• Liver problem
• Pancreas problem
• Heartburn
• Intestinal obstruction
• Food allergy or poisoning

Some of these conditions are more serious than others, but patients should seek medical attention for abdominal pain that is severe or persistent. ...

Food Intolerance

Food intolerance occurs when an individual has an adverse reaction to certain food or foods. Food intolerance is differentiated from food allergy because the former denotes a sensitivity, the latter a reaction of the immune system. Where a food allergy can be extremely dangerous, at times resulting in a life-threatening anaphylactic response, a food intolerance causes localized problems. Also, while food allergies often come on suddenly, may be increasingly severe, and, once established, can be set off by a very small quantity of the offending food stuff, food sensitivities usually come about gradually and cause milder symptoms. In addition, individuals with food sensitivities are often able to eat small quantities of the food in question without difficulty. ...

Gastroenterology

Gastroenterologists are trained to provide diagnostics procedures and related care for a wide range of disorders affecting the gastrointestinal tract. Some of the most prevalent conditions of the digestive system are:

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
• Crohn's Disease
• Indigestion
• Appendicitis
• Diverticulitis
• Diverticulosis
  Gastrointestinal and Colorectal Cancers
• Gastroenteritis
• Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GRD)
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
• Stomach Flu
• Ulcers
• Ulcerative Colitis
• Intestinal Polyps

Colonoscopy 

A colonoscopy is a diagnostic procedure performed to examine the inner lining of the colon, or large intestine, and the rectum. The colonoscopy procedure is performed routinely in patients over the age of 50 as a means detecting colorectal cancer in its early stages. It is also employed diagnostically to help determine the cause of abnormal bowel activity, abdominal pain or rectal bleeding. During a colonoscopy, tissue samples may be collected for a biopsy, and polyps or other abnormal growths may be removed.
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Gastrointestinal Conditions

Abdominal Pain

There are many different kinds of digestive diseases that can affect any part of the digestive system. One of the primary symptoms that often results is abdominal pain. Patients with severe or prolonged abdominal pain should seek immediate medical attention. In addition to a physical examination, diagnostic tests such as blood tests, colonoscopy, endoscopy or a barium study may be conducted to determine a diagnosis and treatment plan. ...

Gastrointestinal Procedures

Abdominal Sonogram

An abdominal sonogram is a diagnostic imaging test that helps physicians diagnose and treat potential maladies within the abdominal area. Unlike other ionizing-type wave imaging systems, sonograms capture images in real-time, allowing the technician and the patient to view the results immediately while the machine is imaging. ...