Digestive system disorders happen when there is a faulty function during the process of digestion which prevents some part of the digestive system from working as it should do. There are a wide number of common digestive system disorders.
The function of the digestive system is to take the food and liquids that we put into our mouths and then either turn these foods and liquids into nutrients or energy needed by the cells of our body, or alternatively turn them into waste products that are then expelled by our body as bowel movements.
When something goes wrong with this every day process and some part of the process doesn’t work properly, the end result is one kind or another of a digestive system disorders. There are many common digestive system disorders.
Common Digestive System Disorders Colon and Rectal Cancer Colon and Rectal cancer is also referred to as colorectal cancer.This type of cancer is a malignant cell that is found in the colon or rectum region of the body. The large intestine is made up of the colon and the rectum. Colon and rectal cancers share so many common features that they are referred to as the same cancer which is how the name colorectal cancer came about.
Colorectal cancer is a disease in which cells in the colon or rectum become abnormal and divide without control, forming a mass called a tumor
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of death by cancer in the U.S.A. The number of new cases of colorectal cancer has decreased because in large part, the sigmoidoscopic screening and polyp removal procedures initiated by the medical community.
Stomach Cancer Stomach cancer is also called, gastric cancer. This cancer affected approximately 21,700 Americans during 2001. The majority of those individuals were in their 60s and 70s. The risk factors for developing stomach cancer are Helicobacter pylori infection and a diet that consists of the following: eating large amounts of smoked foods, salted fish and meat, foods that are high in starch and low in fiber, pickled vegetables, and foods and beverages that contain nitrates and nitrites.
Gastric cancer, commonly referred to as stomach cancer, can develop in any part of the stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs; particularly the esophagus, lungs, lymph nodes, and the liver. Stomach cancer causes about 800,000 deaths worldwide per year.
Diarrhea Diarrhea is watery stool, or an increased frequency in stool, or both as compared to the normal amount of stool passed by the individual. Diarrhea can be short-term or it can be related to a bacterial or viral infection, or it can be long-term which is usually related to a functional disorder or intestinal disease.
Osmotic diarrhea means that something in the bowel is drawing water from the body into the bowel. A common example of this is "dietetic candy" or "chewing gum" diarrhea, in which a sugar substitute, such as sorbitol, is not absorbed by the body but draws water from the body into the bowel, resulting in diarrhea.
Diverticular Disease
This disease occurs in small pouches that bulge out in the colon. It is an inflammation or infection in the pouches.
These are more common in the sigmoid colon, which is a common place for increased pressure. This is uncommon before the age of 40, and increases in incidence after that age. This is very uncommon but highly dangerous. The diverticulae may bleed, either rapidly (causing bleeding through the rectum) or slowly (causing anaemia). The diverticulae can become infected and develop abscesses, or even perforate.
Gas in the Digestive Tract.
You get gas in your digestive tract by swallowing air or during the breakdown process of certain foods by the bacteria that is present in the colon. Everyone has gas. It can be uncomfortable and certainly embarrassing to pass the gas. The average person produces 1 to 3 pints of gas a day and pass gas through their rectums about 14 times each day.
Heartburn
Heartburn is what most of us get from time to time. Chronic heartburn is a digestive disorder called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD is caused by gastric acid that flows from the stomach and into the esophagus.
Heartburn, also known as pyrosis or acid indigestion is a burning sensation in the chest, just behind the breastbone or in the epigastrium. The pain often rises in the chest and may radiate to the neck, throat, or angle of the jaw.
Heartburn is usually associated with regurgitation of gastric acid (gastric reflux) which is the major symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).[5] It however may also be a symptom of ischemic heart disease so concluding that it is gastroesophageal reflux disease prematurely may lead to misdiagnosis.
Hepatitis Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that can result in liver cell damage. There are two types of hepatitis – acute and chronic and six main types of the hepatitis virus.
Hepatitis may occur with limited or no symptoms, but often leads to jaundice, anorexia (poor appetite) and malaise. Hepatitis is acute when it lasts less than six months and chronic when it persists longer.
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
There are several different diseases that fall under this category all of which require a doctor for treatment. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are two of these diseases.
The main difference between Crohn's disease and UC is the location and nature of the inflammatory changes. Crohn's can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract, from mouth to anus (skip lesions), although a majority of the cases start in the terminal ileum. Ulcerative colitis, in contrast, is restricted to the colon and the rectum.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Irritable bowel syndrome – more commonly referred to as IBS – is an intestinal disorder that causes cramping, gassiness, bloating and changes in the bowel habits of the individual with the disorder.
IBS may begin after an infection (post-infectious, IBS-PI), a stressful life event, or onset of maturity without any other medical indicators.
Lactose Intolerance
People with lactose intolerance lack an enzyme that is called lactase. This enzyme is needed by the body to digest lactose. Lactose is a sugar found in milk products. Adults and children are affected by this intolerance. Digestive diseases or injuries to the small intestine cause this intolerance. The symptoms will worsen when larger portions of milk products are consumed.
Stomach and Duodenal Ulcers
Ulcers are open sores or lesions. They are found in the skin or mucous membranes of areas of the body. A stomach ulcer is called a gastric ulcer and an ulcer in the duodenum is called a duodenal ulcer. Lifestyle, stress and diet used to be thought to cause ulcers. Scientists now know that ulcers are caused by hydrochloric acid and pepsin that are contained in our stomach and duodenal parts of our digestive system and that these acids contribute to ulcer formation.
We have found an interesting story on http://stop-hepatitis-c.info
Disclaimer
The following case studies are from people whose lives have been touched by HCV. These people generously allow us to use their words because they believe that sharing their experiences might help others who are HCV infected. These stories may or may not be representative of the total HCV population and they do not necessarily represent the opinion of Tibotec. We hope that you find the case studies informative. Names have been changed to ensure privacy.
I was diagnosed with hepatitis C somewhere around 1992, although I had probably actually contracted it some thirty years previously. At first it was a bit of a shock - as it is for most people - and I found I consciously ignored it until my subconscious got used to the idea. After that I decided to take a proactive approach and started to learn as much as I could about the disease, altering my lifestyle in the process.
This culminated with finally managing to give up alcohol and cigarettes, in that order though several years apart, as I knew they could be harmful and might exacerbate any liver damage.
Conventional treatment was non-existent back when I was first diagnosed and, when the first treatment was identified, it was a lot less effective than today – consisting of monotherapy with non-pegylated interferon and no ribavirin. It was new and untested territory at that time, so I opted for a watch and wait stance.
I have monitored myself carefully since diagnosis, and everything has been comparatively stable. I have been very lucky so far, having had four biopsies over the years since diagnosis which continue to show no fibrosis. My ALT/ASTs are consistently only just above the normal range although my viral load has been very high for the last few years. However, this being a systemic disease, I had been experiencing other symptoms that I believe are connected to my hep C, including irritable bowel syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, headaches for days at a time, bouts of fatigue, cognitive impairment, brain-fog, mood swings, and declining eyesight. It is interesting how the attitude of doctors has changed towards symptoms.
For instance, there was a time when they told you “upper-right-quadrant pain” in the liver area was imaginary and that any “extra-hepatic” symptoms were psychosomatic! Unfortunately there are still some doctors out there telling their patients that, but in general things have improved.
Although I am symptomatic, there is no guarantee that treatment would get rid of any of these symptoms, so I remain undecided. In fact, when pegylated interferon became available, NICE’s initial guidelines meant I was ineligible for treatment even if I wanted it, as I had no signs of fibrosis. When that changed in 2006 to recommend treatment for everyone regardless of the amount of liver damage they have, I still held off.
Over the years I have seen a lot of changes and major advances in the treatment available. But right now I don’t feel the need to do treatment. Of course, I realise that things may change – my liver might start deteriorating or my symptoms might worsen – and that could change how I feel about it.
Finding out about my “dis-ease” helped me enormously on a number of levels and I want to pass that on to others out there who perhaps feel isolated or lonely and hopefully encourage them to accumulate more knowledge about their virus, so they can take appropriate action and make informed decisions regarding their treatment plan and lifestyle choices.
The information is not intended to serve as a substitute for professional medical advice and we recommend that all decisions about your treatment or products you wish to use should be discussed thoroughly and frankly with your doctor.
Over 85,000 new cases of hepatitis are diagnosed yearly in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control. The CDC defines hepatitis as a family of viral diseases that impact the liver. Five of the six types of hepatitis are defined by letter distinctions. According to the Mayo Clinic, hepatitis A is a mild infection that generally causes flu-like symptoms.
The Mayo Clinic states hepatitis C often causes a life-long illness that can lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer. According to the World Health Organization, hepatitis D and E are rarely found within the United State, but are common in developing countries. The Mayo Clinic describes alcoholic hepatitis as generally tied to long-term alcohol abuse.
The basic treatment for all forms of hepatitis is rest, a diet filled with fresh fruits and vegetables and avoidance of items that could cause further liver damage according to the Mayo Clinic. Avoiding alcohol, herbal supplements and all drugs not prescribed by a physician is advised by the Mayo Clinic.
Treatments for hepatitis A, B and E generally take the "wait and see approach" as there are no specific treatment plans for these infections according to the World Health Organization. Medical oversight may be needed to help control symptoms and the Mayo Clinic states antiviral medications may be prescribed based on your condition and length of illness.
As much as ten to twenty percent of Asian Americans carry a virus that can cause devastating liver damage. The virus is Hepatitis B, and there are ways to slow or stop its steady attack on the liver. Yet only a fraction of those who know they are infected get the treatment they need. In this edition of Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, we look at whats keeping patients from seeking treatment and why it truly is a matter of life or death.
Chronic hepatitis B virus transmission can be done by different ways:
A. Horizontal
-Parenteral or percutaneous ( blood, blood derivates, contact with infected instruments, including tattoos).
-Physical contact (non-sexual) : intrafamilial, children collectivities;
-Sexual contact.
B. Vertical
-Perinatal (from an infected mother to the child).
In areas with high endemicity, the transmission is mainly vertical, while in those with medium and low endemicity the main transmission is mostly horizontal. The serological selection of blood taken for transfusion has led to the decreasing in incidence of HBsAg and of residual risk of transmission of HVB.
Chronic hepatitis B represents a public problem caused by the relatively high carriage.
Epidemiology
At as global level, 2 billions of people in the world have been infected with hepatitis B virus, only in Europe the annual apparition of new cases being more than one million. Nowadays it is estimated that in the whole world there are over 350 millions of chronic carriers HBV, with a tendency to increase to 400 millions. Most chronic carriers are in Asia and Africa, places with high prevalence (over 8 - 10 % ). Our country is considered to have a medium endemicity. There are also zones with a low prevalence (under 2 % ) in Australia, USA and Western Europe.
The natural sources of HBV infection are the infected people, the virus being located in the blood, saliva and other secretions (seminal, vaginal, human milk). The main source of infection is represented by infected blood, so the administration of blood (transfusion) or its derivates (platelets mass, cryoprecipitate, antihemophilic factors etc. ) may produce the infection. This can be also transmitted sexually (by sperm), by different secretions or perinatal. The receptiveness is general except for those that have already surpassed the disease or the vaccinated.
Chronic hepatitis diagnosis is clinic, biological, but mostly histological. Chronic hepatitis can often be asymptomatic, or the clinical features are completely nonspecific, and therefore they are sometimes discovered by routine bilogical investigations.
Almost a half of patients suffering from acute hepatitis are discovered by periodical analyses or by a routine ultrasonography, which will show splenomegaly. When presuming the existence of chronic hepatitis, one should start with an exact etiological history, a correct clinical examination, a biological evaluation of the hepatic disease (the four biological syndromes: cytolytic, hepatoprive, inflammatory and billiar), an abdominal ultrasonography to evaluate the spleen dimension and the possible signs of portal hypertension.
The staging of chronic hepatitis is made compulsory by a hepatic biopsy (HBP). The biopsy will allow the correct histological framing, and also a quite exact prognosis, and sometimes will bring important etiological data, and it will allow in the same time a therapeutical decision. Non invasive markers which measures fibrosis were recently introduced. They use biological tests or hepatic elastography.
The histological staging of chronic hepatitis requires a compulsory hepatic puncture. This is a technique with low invasivity and a minimal risk. Lately HPB has been done by ultrasonographic control. THe bioptic fragment, after fixing and coloration with HE or special colorations, will be interpretated by an experimented pathologist. Whis will describe the lesions, a histological classification in chronic persistent hepatitis, in chronic active hepatitis, and the chronic lobular hepatitis, and then will use a quantifying score of lesions. At this moment, there are more histological framing scores.
Chronic hepatitis represents necro - inflammatory and fibrotic hepatic processes with an evolution of at least 6 months.
Hepatitis may occur with limited or no symptoms, but often leads to jaundice, anorexia (poor appetite) and malaise. Hepatitis is acute when it lasts less than six months and chronic when it persists longer. A group of viruses known as the hepatitis viruses cause most cases of hepatitis worldwide, but it can also be due to toxins (notably alcohol, certain medications, some industrial organic solvents and plants), other infections and autoimmune diseases.
