Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, occurs when the muscle located at the end of your esophagus--called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES)--does not close properly. Your esophagus is the tube that carries food from your mouth to your stomach. Because your LES does not close properly when it should, your stomach contents leak back, or reflux, into your esophagus and irritate it. Gastroesophageal reflux disease Symptoms Most people who have gastroesophageal reflux disease feel a burning sensation in their chest or throat....

Hiatal hernia is a digestive problem in which a part of your stomach protrudes through the opening of your diaphragm. Your diaphragm is a thin sheet of muscle that helps your breathe. It also separates your chest from your abdomen. The opening in your diaphragm, called the hiatus, is normally just large enough to allow your esophagus to pass, but prevents your stomach to push upward beyond your diaphragm. The esophagus is the tube connecting your mouth to your stomach. Causes Hiatal Hernia The true cause of hiatal hernia...

Proctitis is a digestive disease in which the inner lining of the rectum, called rectal mucosa, is inflamed. It can be acute (short term) or chronic (long term) proctitis. Causes There are several causes of proctitis. Sometimes inflammation of the rectum is caused by sexually transmitted diseases, such as herpes, gonorrhea, or chlamydia. In other cases, the condition is associated with autoimmune digestive conditions causing inflammation in the colon or small intestine like ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease. Proctitis...

Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) occurs when stomach contents reflux, or back up, into the esophagus during or after a meal. The esophagus is the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach. A ring of muscle at the bottom of the esophagus opens and closes to allow food to enter the stomach. This ring of muscle is called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). The LES normally opens to release gas after meals. With infants, when the LES opens, stomach contents often reflux into the esophagus and out the mouth, resulting in regurgitation,...

Abdominal Adhesions Appendicitis Common Digestive System Diseases Common Stomach Diseases or Disorders Constipation Diarrhea Dyspepsia Gastritis Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) Gastroesophageal Reflux in Babies Hemorrhoids Hiatal Hernia Indigestion Inflamed Rectum Inflamed Stomach Inguinal Hernia Peptic Ulcers Proctitis (Inflamed Rectum) [Top of Pa...