Common Digestive Systems Disorders

The digestive system's job is to take the food or liquid which has been swallowed and turn them into the energy and nutrients which are necessary for a properly functioning body. The parts which are not needed are then converted into waste and expelled out of the system though the colon. Whenever this process runs into a difficulty of some sort, the individual will experience one of the numerous digestive system disorders.

All digestive diseases are a bit different, so it is important to figure out what exactly is causing the symptoms and why.

Often people ignore their bodies and this can cause long term effects which can be easily avoided by receiving the correct diagnostic tests and maybe diets to support the digestive system and lining of the stomach with fiber or medication. A healthy individual needs to have a bowel movement every day.

Common Digestive System Diseases

Duodenal and Stomach Ulcers

Ulcers are also commonly known as lesions or sores and in this instance they appear on the lining within the stomach area. The name tends to confuse people as the gastric ulcer, stomach ulcer and duodenal ulcer are phrases which although thrown randomly throughout a conversation by a doctor, all boil down to the same exact thing.

Some of the causes of the ulcer formation are a person's diet, stress levels and overall lifestyle. Although these have a great influence on the probability of a person getting an ulcer, they are not a direct cause. The scientific community has discovered that it is the pepsin and the hydrochloric acid within the stomach contribute directly to the formation of a peptic ulcer inside the body. They may lead to bleeding in the digestive tract.

Gas in the Digestive Tract

The gas which occurs in the digestive tract is caused by the process of breaking down certain foods and the bacteria present in them as well as the intake of large amounts of air into the stomach. All people have gas at one time or another, but when the symptoms are reoccurring or combined with pain or constipation, they are definitely worth looking into. On average a person will pass gas about 14 times every day through the rectum, and produce between one and three pints of gas a day.

Rectal and Colon Cancer

Colon and rectal cancer are both commonly known as colorectal cancer. Most often this kind of cancer (malignant cell) is found in the rectum or colon region within the body. The colon along with the rectum make up the large intestine. Since the rectal and colon cancer share many traits, the name given to both (colorectal cancer) of them is a combination of both.

This is also the number two leading cause of the death of individuals in the United States. Although the number of new cases has decreased, this is more in part due to the polyp removal procedures and sigmoidoscopic screening, rather than lifestyle change.

Diarrhea

Increased frequency of stool along with watery stool are both counted as diarrhea. These have to be looked at in relation to the normal sample in each individual. A short term bout can be brought on by a viral, bacterial infection or the wrong food but a long term one will usually point to an intestinal disease or a functional disorder of the digestive tract.

Acid Reflux / Heartburn

Acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is brought on by food and acid flowing back up into the esophagus and throat of the person. The acid burns the lining and triggers nerves, and this painful inflammation of the esophagus is known as heartburn. The reflux can be due to eating the wrong food, high acidity, low acidity as well as certain medication, or strain during exercise.

Stomach Cancer

The most common term for stomach cancer is gastric cancer, and it effects about 20,000 of people living in the states (based on statistics collected in 2001.) Most of the people which are suffering from it are in their golden years.

Most of the causes and factors that contribute to the development of gastric cancer are both the Helicobacter pylori infection as well as a diet which is made up of large portions of smoked foods, salty produce and fish, meals low in fiber and high in starch, anything pickled, and other sources that contain large quantities of nitrites and nitrates.

Hepatitis

A liver inflammation which can eventually lead to cell damage within the liver. The main two types of the hepatitis condition are labeled as chronic and acute but there are six different types of the hepatitis virus.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

This intestinal disorder is a cuase of a lot of pain in the individuals afflicted with it. Some of the most common symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (ibs) are gassiness, cramping, bloating, changes in bowel habits as well as pain in the abdomen.

The causes of this syndrome are currently unknown, but some research suggests that it could be correlated to food allergies, immune system failure or some other kind of intolerance.

Diverticular Disease

An inflammation of the puches (diverticula) that lies in the intestine, either the colon or large intestine. Most often the illness happens in the sigmoid colon, which is the curved part, closest to the rectum. The majority of cases happen outside of the United States, in countries, whose diet is lower in fiber.

Diverticular disease occurs when pouches (diverticula) in the intestine, usually the large intestine or colon, become inflamed. Most diverticula occur in the sigmoid colon, the curved part of the large intestine closest to the rectum, and they tend to become more numerous as we age. As many as 80% of the sufferers of an inflammation of the intestine have no symptoms and so it is a hard disease to diagnose without proper medical screening.

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

A number of diseases fall in this category and all require a medical professional to diagnose and treat.

• Diversion colitis 
• Collagenous colitis 
• Lymphocytic colitis 
• Indeterminate colitis 
• Ischaemic colitis 
• Behcet's disease 

Lactose Intolerance

Many people suffer from lactose intolerance, which is caused by an enzyme within the body known as lactase. This enzyme is necessary for the proper of digestion of lactose by the body. The lactose is a sugar that can be located in milk, and other processed milk products. Both children and adults can suffer from this intolerance.

Some of the most common symptoms are: nausea, gas, bloating, diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping. If large amounts of milk are consumed the pain may increase dramatically for those with the intolerance.