Indigestion, also called dyspepsia, is the term used to describe one or more symptoms including burning or pain in the area of the upper abdomen, feeling of fullness during a meal, and uncomfortable fullness after a meal. In some people, the condition can occur once in a while. While in others, indigestion may occur as often as every day.

There are many indigestion causes including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), peptic ulcers, cancer, or abnormality of the pancreas or bile ducts. If the condition improves or resolves, indigestion symptoms usually improve.

Sometimes, the cause of indigestion cannot be found. This indigestion type is called functional dyspepsia, which is thought to occur in the area where the stomach meets with the small intestine. The indigestion may be related to abnormal motility—the squeezing or relaxing action—of the stomach muscle as it receives, digests, and moves food into the small intestine.

Indigestion Symptoms

People with dyspepsia or indigestion usually have more than one of the following symptoms:

 Fullness during a meal. The person feels overly full soon after the meal starts and cannot finish the meal.

 Bothersome fullness after a meal. The person feels overly full after a meal—it may feel like the food is staying in the stomach too long.

 Epigastric pain. The epigastric area is between the lower end of the chest bone and the navel. The person may experience epigastric pain ranging from mild to severe.

 Epigastric burning. The person feels an unpleasant sensation of heat in the epigastric area.

Some rare symptoms of the condition include nausea and bloating—the sensation of unpleasant tightness in the stomach. However, nausea and bloating may be caused by digestive problems other than indigestion.

Indigestion Treatment

In some people, making some lifestyle changes and decreasing stress may help relieve the symptoms of indigestion. Lifestyle changes may include eating several small; low fat meals throughout the day at a slow pace; quitting smoking; avoiding coffee, carbonated drinks, and alcohol; and stopping medications that may irritate the lining of the stomach, such as aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs.

Your doctor may recommend over-the-counter antacids or medications, which help reduce acid production in the stomach. Medicines that help the stomach move food more quickly into the small intestine may also help.

Some medications that your doctor might prescribe may include antacids, H2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs), proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), prokinetics, or antibiotics to treat the symptoms of indigestion.

Suggested Readings:

• Common Stomach Diseases
• Peptic Ulcers
• Common Digestive System Diseases

View List of Digestive Diseases Topics.

Source:
Indigestion (November 2008). NIH Publication No. 09–4549. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. Accessed: November 25, 2009

Page Last Revised: December 4, 2010

[Top of Page]

Peptic ulcers are sores that form in the inner lining of the stomach and sometimes in the duodenum. The duodenum is the first part of the small intestine. Peptic ulcer names may be different depending on the digestive tract involved. When it occurs in the stomach, it is called gastric ulcer. A peptic ulcer occurring in the duodenum is called duodenal ulcer.

Many people have peptic ulcer. It can occur both in the stomach and duodenum. Sometimes, you can have more than one ulcer in your lifetime.

Peptic Ulcer Causes

Peptic ulcer is commonly caused by the bacteria called H. pylori. Experts believe that H. pylori may be spread through eating and drinking contaminated food and water. Also, the bacteria may be spread through kissing.

The second leading cause of peptic ulcer is long-term use of pain-reliever drugs, called NSAIDs. According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC), ulcers caused by NSAIDs are more often found in people who are age 60 or older; are female; have taken NSAIDs for a long time; and have had ulcer before.

Contrary to the notion, stress and eating spicy foods do not cause peptic ulcers. However, they can make ulcers worse and can affect healing.

Peptic Ulcer Symptoms

Peptic ulcer symptoms may include weight loss, poor appetite, bloating, burping, vomiting, and feeling sick to your stomach. However, the most common symptom of peptic ulcer is dull or burning pain in the stomach. The pain often starts between meals or during the night, briefly stops if you eat or take antacids, lasts for minutes to hours, comes and goes for several days or weeks.

Peptic Ulcers Treatment

Peptic ulcer treatment may include medicines to reduce stomach acid and protect the lining of your stomach and duodenum; antibiotics to kill the bacteria H. pylori; and medicines to coat the ulcer and protect them from stomach acid.

If NSAIDs use is the primary cause of peptic ulcer, your doctor may tell you to stop taking them or reduce how much of the NSAID you take. Your doctor may also prescribe an alternative pain medication that does not cause peptic ulcer.

Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol. Smoking and alcohol can make slow healing of ulcers and can make them worse.

Suggested Readings:

• Common Digestive System Diseases
• Common Stomach Diseases or Disorders
• Dyspepsia

View all Digestive Diseases Topics

Source:
What I need to know about Peptic Ulcers (September 2009). NIH Publication No. 09–5042. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse . Accessed: November 25, 2009

Page Last Revised: December 4, 2010

[Top of Page]

Diarrhea occurs when a person has a change in bowel movements, passing unusually loose and watery stools. For most cases, the condition usually goes away without special medical treatment. However, diarrhea can be potentially life-threatening if it leads to dehydration.

Causes

Diarrhea can be caused by microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Other causes of diarrhea include certain medications, certain food like milk, or health problems affecting the stomach or the intestines.

Normally, stool has a semi-solid consistency. The stool is the one that’s left when most of food molecules including vitamins and minerals and water, needed by the body, are absorbed. As stool passes through the large intestine, some of its water content is absorbed making stool a little bit solid. However, when water is not absorbed, the stool can become loose and watery.

Symptoms of Diarrhea

People with diarrhea often have unusual frequent bowel movements, which results in passing more than a quart of watery stool per day. It is a common condition, which usually lasts a day or two. Sometimes, the condition can last for months or years depending on the cause.

Other symptoms of diarrhea may include cramping in the abdomen, frequent urge or need to have a bowel movement, uncomfortable feeling in the anus, and sometimes fever or chills.

Sometimes severe diarrhea can lead to dehydration where water and important body salts are lost. In dehydration, the body cannot work properly, which can make a person become or feeling tired. Dehydration is a serious complication of diarrhea, especially in babies, children, and older people.

Symptoms of Dehydration

Symptoms of dehydration include being thirsty, urinating less often than usual, having dark-colored urine, having dry skin, feeling tired or dizzy, and fainting. In more severe cases, diarrhea may cause kidney failure where the kidneys stop to function.

It may be difficult to know when babies are experiencing dehydration. Symptoms of dehydration in babies may include having dry mouth and tongue, crying without tears, having no wet diapers for 3 hours or more, having a high fever, and being unusually sleepy or drowsy. These warning signs of diarrhea that needs special medical attention.

Diarrhea symptoms may be signs of other problems in the digestive tract as well.

Treatments

Treatment of diarrhea usually involves replacing the lost fluids. However, severe diarrhea cases may need hospitalization. In some cases, treating the cause can make diarrhea go away. For example, diarrhea caused by bacteria can be effectively treated with antibiotics.

Suggested Readings:

• Common Digestive System Diseases
• Common Stomach Diseases or Disorders

View all Digestive Diseases Topics

[Top of Page]

The digestive system is composed of the digestive tract and organs that aid in digestion of food. The digestive tract includes the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and the anus.

Other organs or structures that help in digesting food are the teeth, salivary glands, the liver, and the pancreas.

The following are brief descriptions of the common digestive diseases.

Appendicitis

Appendicitis is the inflammation of the appendix—a small organ attached to the first part of the large intestine. It can be caused by blockage to the lumen of the appendix.

The bacteria in the appendix can multiply and cause inflammation of the appendix. Symptoms of disease include pain in the lower right part of the abdomen, low-grade fever, nausea and vomiting.

• More information about Appendicitis

Colon and Rectal Cancer

Cancer of the colon and rectum is sometimes called colorectal cancer. A type of cancer, colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide, according to recent data provided by the World Health Organization. The condition occurs when cells in the colon or rectum abnormally divide forming a mass called tumor. The cancer cells can travel through the blood or lymph causing cancer in other organs of the body.

Possible signs of colon or rectal cancer include change in bowel habits and blood in the stool.

Colorectal cancer treatment is more effective if found early where cancer has not spread to other parts of the body. Treatment options for colorectal cancer include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy or a combination of these treatments.

[Top of Page]

Diarrhea

Diarrhea is a common problem, which is described as having loose, watery stools. People with diarrhea, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC), often have frequent bowel movements and may pass more than a quart of watery stool a day. Having diarrhea can cause a person to be dehydrated, which can be life-threatening.

Common causes of diarrhea include infection with bacteria, viruses, or parasites; some foods; or health problems affecting the digestive system.

The main treatment of diarrhea involves replacing lost fluids.

• Diarrhea

Foodborne Illness or Food Poisoning

Foodborne illness can be caused by foods and beverages that have been contaminated by bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Symptoms of foodborne illness include upset stomach, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and vomiting.

Gas (Flatulence)

Everyone can have gas, may it be in the form of burping or passing gas. More often, gas is odorless. The odor in passed gas, however, can be caused by sulfur that is normally produced by bacteria in the colon. Limiting foods known to cause gas may help.

[Top of Page]

Gastritis

Gastritis is the inflammation of the lining of the stomach. It is not a single disease but actually several conditions that have some inflammation of the stomach lining. Too much alcohol drinking, long-term use of certain pain relievers and certain bacterial infection can cause gastritis. Other health problems or conditions can cause gastritis as well.

Gastritis symptoms include pain or abdominal upset, bloating, and burning in the upper abdomen.

• Gastritis (Inflamed Stomach)

Gastroesophageal reflux (GER)

Gastroesophageal reflux occurs when the muscle called lower esophageal sphincter (LES) fails to close allowing stomach acid to flow back into the esophagus. The LES is a smooth muscle that acts as a valve between the esophagus and the stomach. The flowing back of stomach contents including acid is called a reflux, which can cause heartburn—a burning sensation on the chest.

• Gastroesophageal Reflux in Babies

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is the more serious form of gastroesophageal reflux (GER). A reflux that occurs more often may mean that a person has GERD. Like GER, heartburn is a common symptom of GERD. However, GERD that persists for a long time can lead to more serious problems in the digestive tract.

[Top of Page]

Hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids are swollen, inflamed veins around the anus or lower rectum. It is common in both men and women. In fact, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, about half of the population will experience hemorrhoids by age 50. The most common symptom of hemorrhoids is having blood in the stool. Pain may also be felt around the anus.

Most cases of hemorrhoids are temporary and usually goes away without special medical treatment.

• Hemorrhoids

Heartburn

Heartburn is the burning sensation felt on the chest when acid in the stomach flows back in the esophagus—the tube connecting the pharynx to the stomach. Heartburn is more of a symptom of a health problem rather than a disease itself.

Stomach Ulcers (Peptic Ulcers)

A stomach ulcer is a type of peptic ulcer that occurs when a sore develops in the lining of the stomach. Sometimes peptic ulcer occur in the duodenum—the first part of the small intestine—called duodenal ulcer. Most cases of stomach ulcers are caused by bacteria called Helicobacter Pylori or H. pylori. Long term use of certain pain relievers can cause the condition as well. Symptoms of stomach ulcer include gnawing abdominal pain, poor appetite, weight loss, nausea and vomiting.

• Peptic Ulcers

Suggested Readings:

• Common Stomach Diseases
• Inguinal Hernia
• Indigestion: A Digestion Problem

View List of Digestive Diseases Topics.

Page Last Revised: December 4, 2010

[Top of Page]

Having difficulty of passing stool? Or maybe you have stool that is dry, hard, and painful passing of stool? If your answer to this is yes, you are probably experiencing constipation.

Fact is, constipation is one of the leading gastrointestinal complaints in the United States. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, more than 4 million Americans have frequent constipation, accounting for 2.5 million physician visits a year.

Constipation, according to the National Institute of Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC), is defined as having a bowel movement fewer than three times per week. A person with constipation usually has stools that are dry, hard, small in size, and difficult to pass.

What causes constipation?

Common causes of constipation are:

• Not eating enough fibers
• Physical inactivity (especially in the elderly)
• Ignoring the urge to have a bowel movement
• Certain medications, and
• Dehydration

Sometimes, constipation may be caused by other health problems or conditions, such as stroke, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), problems in the colon, and even pregnancy. Abuse of laxatives may also cause the condition.

Normally, some of the water contents of stool are absorbed by the large intestine or the colon. However, constipation occurs when the colon absorbs too much water or the colon’s muscle contraction is too slow, which causes the stool to move very slowly. This can cause stools to become hard and dry.

What are the available treatments for constipation?

Most cases of constipation last for only a short time and usually is not serious. Sometimes, treating the underlying cause can make the constipation go away. Laxatives are not advisable for everyone. The doctor may recommend laxative for cases where constipation that do not improve. However, laxatives are recommended for a limited time only.

To prevent constipation, experts recommend eating foods high in fiber, drinking enough fluids, visiting the restroom when the urge to have a bowel movement is felt, and exercising regularly.

Suggested Readings:

• Common Digestive System Diseases
• Common Stomach Diseases or Disorders
• Diarrhea

View all Digestive Diseases Topics

Source:
National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC). What I need to know about Constipation (http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/constipation_ez/) Retrieved November 7, 2009

Page Last Revised: June 26, 2012

[Top of Page]