Digestive disorders encompass a wide range of illnesses that can range from mild to severe. Common digestive disorders include gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), cancer, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), lactose intolerance, and hiatal hernia. The digestive system, which is made up of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, liver, pancreas, and gall bladder, helps the body break down food into nutrients that are used for energy, growth, and cell repair. It's normal for people to experience acid reflux and heartburn from time to time.
However, if you have symptoms that affect your daily life or occur at least twice a week, it could be a sign of GERD, a chronic digestive disease that affects 20 percent of Americans according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). If you experience persistent heartburn, bad breath, dental erosion, nausea, chest or upper abdominal pain, or have problems swallowing or breathing, it's important to see your doctor. Gallstones are hard deposits that form in the gallbladder, a small pear-shaped sac that stores and secretes bile for digestion. According to the American Gastroenterological Association, nearly a million Americans are found to have gallstones every year.
Gallstones can form when there is too much cholesterol or waste in the bile or if the gallbladder doesn't empty properly. When gallstones block the ducts that lead from the gallbladder to the intestines, they can cause sharp pain in the upper right part of the abdomen. Sometimes medications can dissolve gallstones but if that doesn't work surgery to remove the gallbladder is the next step.Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that affects 1 in 133 Americans (approximately 1 percent of the population) according to Beyond Celiac (formerly the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness). The group also estimates that more than 80 percent of people with celiac disease don't know they have it or have been misdiagnosed with a different condition.
Some people may not have any symptoms but the only treatment for celiac disease is to completely avoid eating gluten. Common alternatives to gluten include brown rice, quinoa, lentils, soy flour, cornmeal, and amaranth.Ulcerative colitis is another inflammatory bowel disease that can affect up to 907,000 Americans according to the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA). The symptoms of ulcerative colitis are very similar to those of Crohn's disease but it only affects the large intestine (also known as the colon). Medications can suppress inflammation and can also help eliminate foods that cause discomfort.
In severe cases treatment for ulcerative colitis may include surgery to remove the colon.Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects 10 to 15 percent of people around the world and up to 45 million people with IBS live in the United States according to the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. The signs of IBS can vary widely from having hard dry stools one day to loose watery stools the next day. Swelling is also a symptom of IBS. Bright red blood in the toilet bowl when you defecate could be a sign of hemorrhoids which is a very common condition - 75 percent of Americans over 45 years old have hemorrhoids according to NIDDK.Small pouches called diverticula can form anywhere where there are weak spots in the lining of the digestive system but they are most commonly found in the colon.
If you have diverticula but don't have symptoms it's called diverticulosis which is quite common among older adults and rarely causes problems - by age 50 about half of people have diverticulosis according to American Gastroenterology Association. However in about 5 percent of people these bags become inflamed or infected which is called diverticulitis. Symptoms include fever chills nausea and abdominal pain. Obesity is a major risk factor for diverticulitis.Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) refers to an open sore in the lining of the stomach or in the upper part of the small intestine.
A peptic ulcer can develop just above the stomach in the esophagus but this is rare.
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