Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology Open Access

About the Study

Digestion is the most important metabolism in the human body as many of the nutrients get absorbed after the digestion process of the ingested food. Digestion process starts in the mouth. The food passes through GI tract and enters the small intestine for complete digestion. There are different digestive disorders ranging from mild to severe which include Indigestion, Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), irritable bowel syndrome, lactose intolerance, hiatal hernia, gastroenteritis and ulcers.

Indigestion occurs when the acid in the stomach (HCl) irritates the lining of the stomach leading to improper digestion of the food. The symptoms include pain in the abdomen, feeling full after intake of food, heart burn. Bloating of the stomach is another digestive disorder where excess gas is produced in the stomach and causes discomfort. Vomiting is the forceful expulsion of the stomach contents, this can be due to improper digestion of stomach contents and can also be caused by underlying serious medical conditions.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a common digestive disorder. IBS is characterized by abdominal pain, Fever, Cramping, Bloating. IBS is caused either by going more or less often than normal bowel movements. Diarrhea is characterized by a loose, watery stools or need to have a bowel movement frequently causing excess loss of fluids from the body. Constipation is the irregular movement of the bowel leading to bulk accumulation of the stool in the colon causing abdominal discomfort and cramps.

Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest the natural sugar lactose which is present in the dairy products. Consuming of lactose containing foods can cause abdominal pain, Bloating, Diarrhea. Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is characterized by the reflux of the stomach acids into the tube connecting mouth and stomach-Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) causing heart burn or acid indigestion. Hiatal Hernia is known when the part of the stomach bulges up through diaphragm into chest cavity. Symptoms include Heart burn, Abdominal pain, Bloating.

Gastroenteritis is a digestive disorder that is caused either by virus or bacteria in the gut. Viral infections can be caused by rotavirus and Bacterial infections can be caused either by Helicobacter pylori or salmonella or E. coli symptoms include nausea, vomiting, fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea and electrolytes imbalance. Ulcers are the sores on the lining of the stomach in the small intestine and sometimes can be seen in esophagus. Of all the ulcers Peptic ulcers is most commonly occurring digestive disorder. Generally peptic ulcers were caused either due to diet or by the bacteria in the stomach. Many reseaches revealed that excess usage of Non-Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS) such as ibuprofin causes peptic ulcers. Consuming of spicy foods and Alcohol may cause peptic ulcers.

In this article it can be concluded that the most common symptoms of digestive disorders include Bloating, Diarrhea, Constipation, Heart Burn, Nausea, Vomiting and abdominal pain. Diagnosing Digestive disorders involves collecting of medical history and conducting physical examination. In some cases digestive disorders may need more diagnostic evaluations which include endoscopic procedures, Imaging and lab tests.