On this page
Find your symptom, then find your answer
Most people arrive here having already spent a while guessing. Heartburn that antacids stopped touching. A bowel habit that changed and never changed back. Bleeding that is probably nothing, but probably is doing a lot of work in that sentence. This page is the map. Every condition below is one we diagnose and treat at Digestive & Liver Center of Arkansas in Fort Smith, and each links to a fuller explanation of what it is, how it is diagnosed, and what treatment actually involves. Your care is led by Ihab Herraka, MD, board-certified in gastroenterology, internal medicine and obesity medicine, in practice since 2012. The same physician sees you at the consult, performs your procedure, and reviews the results with you afterward. For most plans you do not need a referral.
Upper digestive conditions
Problems in the esophagus, stomach and upper small intestine. Swallowing, reflux, burning, nausea and upper abdominal pain. Each of these has its own page:
- GERD and acid reflux, heartburn that keeps coming back, and what to do when antacids stop working
- Celiac disease, testing and diagnosis, and why you should not go gluten-free before you are tested
- Gastroparesis, a stomach that empties too slowly, with nausea and early fullness
- Barrett's esophagus, what the diagnosis means, and what surveillance is for
- Peptic ulcers and H. pylori, testing, treatment, and confirming the infection is gone
- Difficulty swallowing, food that sticks, and why new trouble swallowing is not something to wait out
- Achalasia, when the valve at the base of the esophagus stops opening
- Gallstones, what a gastroenterologist does about them, and what a surgeon does
- Lactose intolerance, telling it apart from milk allergy, IBS and celiac disease Our upper GI conditions guide introduces the whole group.
Lower digestive conditions
Problems in the colon, rectum and anus. Bowel habits, bleeding, cramping, urgency and pain. Each of these has its own page:
- Rectal bleeding, the symptom most often blamed on hemorrhoids, and the one thing you cannot assume
- IBS, cramping, bloating and a bowel habit that will not settle
- Diverticulitis, including the difference between diverticulosis and diverticulitis
- Colon polyps and colorectal cancer, what polyps are, and why removing them prevents cancer
- Chronic constipation, when it stops being a diet problem and needs a specialist
- Chronic diarrhea, the gateway symptom for IBS, celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease
- Crohn's disease, inflammation anywhere from mouth to anus, and the long-term treatment it needs
- Ulcerative colitis, continuous colon inflammation, urgency and bleeding, and lifelong surveillance
- Anal fissure, the tearing pain routinely mistaken for hemorrhoids
- Bowel incontinence, common, treatable, and worth raising even though almost nobody does Our IBD specialist Fort Smith guide introduces the whole group, and hemorrhoids have a cluster of their own.
Liver conditions
Liver disease is usually silent until it is advanced, which is why it is diagnosed by testing rather than by symptoms. Our liver program covers fatty liver disease (MASLD), MASH and fibrosis, elevated liver enzymes, hepatitis B and C, and FibroScan testing.
Hemorrhoids and anorectal conditions
Hemorrhoids are common, treatable, and frequently blamed for bleeding that turns out to be something else. Our hemorrhoid treatment program covers symptoms, CRH O'Regan banding, other treatment options, and related conditions that can look identical from the outside.
Weight and metabolic conditions
Excess weight, insulin resistance and fatty liver are one problem rather than three, and treating them separately is why so many people stall. See medical weight loss.
When symptoms mean "come in now"
Some things should not wait for an appointment slot. Seek care promptly for heavy or persistent rectal bleeding, vomiting blood or material that looks like coffee grounds, black tarry stools, severe or worsening abdominal pain, difficulty swallowing that is getting worse, or unintentional weight loss you cannot explain.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a referral to be seen?
For most insurance plans, no. You can call us directly. Some plans do require a referral from your primary care provider, and our staff will tell you whether yours is one of them when we check your benefits before your visit.
Which conditions do you treat that a primary care doctor does not?
Primary care manages a great deal of digestive trouble well. A gastroenterologist is the right call when symptoms persist despite treatment, when the diagnosis is unclear, when bleeding is involved, when a procedure such as a colonoscopy or upper endoscopy is needed to see what is happening, or when a condition needs long-term specialist management such as Crohn's, ulcerative colitis or liver disease.
I have symptoms in more than one area. Where do I start?
Start with a visit rather than a page. Digestive symptoms overlap heavily. Reflux, gallbladder disease and gastroparesis can all present as upper abdominal discomfort, and sorting them out is the point of the consultation.
How quickly can I be seen?
Most new patients are seen within one to two weeks, and sooner when symptoms suggest something urgent. Call (479) 242-2888 and tell the staff what is happening; they triage on symptoms rather than in strict order.
Talk to a specialist in Fort Smith
If something in your digestive health has changed and has not changed back, that is reason enough to be evaluated. Call (479) 242-2888 or request an appointment. We see patients from Fort Smith, Van Buren, Greenwood, Alma, Barling and Charleston, and from Poteau and Sallisaw in eastern Oklahoma, where Oklahoma Medicaid is accepted.