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Digestive system disorders are usually synonymous with abdominal pain, heartburn, bloating and diarrhea. These are the terms that always pop up when we hear about digestive disorders. In fact, digestive system disorders are broader because they cover the health conditions of the human digestive tract or gastrointestinal tract.
Common types of digestive system disorders
From mild to severe ailments, here's a list of common digestive system disorders, including:
1. Diarrhea
Diarrhea is a health problem when you have watery, loose and more frequent bowel movements than usual. Other symptoms include abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, vomiting, mucus and blood in the stool, and an irresistible urge to defecate.
Diarrhea can be caused by viral, bacterial and parasitic infections. It can also be due to consumption of medications, artificial sweeteners and lactose intolerance or sugar found in milk and dairy products.
How to prevent diarrhea can be by maintaining hygiene, washing hands before eating and making sure that when washing hands use soap and for at least 20 seconds.
A quick treatment is to take anti-diarrhea medication and avoid certain foods that can relieve your diarrhea symptoms.
2. Ulcer
Ulcer is an uncomfortable feeling in the stomach such as pain or burning. It often occurs during or after a meal, when overfed or eating late. Other symptoms include bloating and nausea.
This digestive problem can be treated without medical treatment. You just need to improve your diet and avoid trigger foods or drinks. However, some ulcers should be treated immediately by a doctor if they recur frequently and have interfered with your activities.
3. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
Often equated with ulcers, but Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is a different condition. GERD is stomach acid rising up the esophagus causing heartburn or a burning sensation in the chest.
Treatment of GERD depends on its severity. Your doctor may advise you to change your lifestyle to a healthier one and give you medication.
However, for severe cases of GERD, surgery can be performed, which is a procedure to strengthen the lower esophageal sphincter by wrapping the upper part of the stomach around the lower esophagus.
The aim of GERD surgery is to minimize the chance of stomach acid returning to the esophagus.
4. Lactose intolerance
Lactose intolerance is a digestive disorder caused by the body being unable to digest and absorb lactose (the main ingredient in milk and dairy products). Symptoms include bloating, diarrhea and stomach cramps.
5. Gastric ulcer
Peptic ulcers are open wounds that occur on the stomach lining. They are caused by infection with the Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacteria or long-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen or aspirin.
It is treated by taking antibiotics that will kill the H. pylori bacteria and prevent it from recurring. Keep in mind that peptic ulcers take several months to heal after treatment.
6. Gallstones
Gallstones are hardened deposits of digestive juices in the gallbladder. The function of the gallbladder is to hold digestive fluid called bile produced by the small intestine.
The presence of gallstones will cause severe abdominal pain that makes you unable to stay still or find a comfortable position, high fever and chills, and yellowing of the skin (jaundice).
Gallstones can be treated by administering drugs that dissolve the stones, but some cases require cholecystectomy surgery, which is a surgery to remove the gallbladder advised by doctors because gallstones recur frequently.
7. Constipation
Constipation is a condition that causes hard and clumpy feces that are difficult to expel. This is due to irregular bowel movements.
Constipation can be a common ailment and does not need special treatment. However, there are cases where constipation becomes chronic and causes pain and discomfort to the point of interfering with daily life.
8. Piles
Piles are swollen veins in the anus and lower rectum. Other terms often used for this health condition are piles or hemorrhoids.
The severity of piles varies. Symptoms may include painful bowel movements, bleeding during bowel movements, itching in the anal area.
Hemorrhoid treatment also depends on the severity. Some only need to change a healthy lifestyle but some have to do surgery such as hemorrhoidectomy.
This involves surgically removing large external hemorrhoids or internal prolapse.
9. Inflammation of the bowel
Inflammatory bowel disease is a condition of chronic blistering in the intestines. There are two types of inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, which affect both the small and large intestines.
This results in severe pain, bloody stools, diarrhea, fever, weight loss and malnutrition. Some cases are even life-threatening.
10. Gastrointestinal cancer
Gastrointestinal cancers include all cancers of the digestive tract organs such as the stomach, large and small intestines, pancreas, liver, rectum, anus, and biliary system.
Types of cancer that often affect the digestive system include liver cancer, esophageal tumors, small bowel tumors, colon cancer, and pancreatic tumors.
