Common Disorders of the Digestive System

Disorders of the Digestive System

If you are suffering from a digestive system disorder, it can be caused due to indigestion, infection, malnutrition and even overeating. Digestive system disorders are pretty common in most cases and can be treated at home. You do not need to visit the doctor or take medication unless the disease develops symptoms like uncontrollable vomiting or continuous passing of stool. Digestive distress and disorders can be pretty common and are often associated with lifestyle issues. But if the digestive problem is caused due to problems like malnutrition, it becomes a cause for concern. Sometimes disorders of the digestive system can also indicate an underlying problem that needs treatment. Once the root problem is treated, the disorder disappears. Thus, it often becomes necessary to monitor the nature of the disorder and frequency of the problem before you consult a doctor. Some of the common disorders of the digestive system are as follows:

• Diarrhoea

This is probably the most common disorder of the digestive system and both children and adults can suffer from this problem. This disorder can be easily distinguished by loose stool or rice-water stools. You can easily distinguish diarrhoea from other digestive system disorders because this disease will force the patient to defecate three or more times during the day. Sometimes the disorder is accompanied by mild stomach pain. In most cases, diarrhoea resolves itself in three or four days and you do not have to consult a doctor. Patients are advised to have oral rehydration salts or ORS while suffering from diarrhoea. Frequent defecation causes the body to lose essential salts that need to be replenished, which is why you need ORS water. Diarrhoea is usually caused by viruses or by consuming contaminated food. The doctor will prescribe medicines or antibiotics to control the disease and the symptoms in severe cases.

• Chronic constipation

Another digestive system disorder affects people who lead unhealthy lifestyles and do not have food with a good quantity of roughage. Chronic constipation can be diagnosed when a patient has less than three bowel movements in a week. If a patient suffers from chronic constipation, he has to consult a doctor. There is no alternative to medication for the treatment of chronic constipation. In most cases, doctors will tell you to consume foods that have higher volumes of roughage like nuts, bran, spinach, vegetable and other similar food products. In addition, you need to avoid food products like dairy refined grains and avoid a low fibre diet. Another way of combating chronic constipation is to consume a lot of water and exercise regularly. But in most cases, patients need to visit a doctor to get proper treatment of chronic constipation and identify the root cause of the problem. For example, if chronic constipation is the side-effect of medicine, your doctor might consider changing the medication to reduce the effect of the digestive disorder.

• Vomiting

Vomiting is a symptom of an underlying gastrointestinal disorder. If you vomit, you regurgitate undigested food due to some underlying cause. Some of the reasons why vomiting is categorised as a disorder of the digestive system are as follows:

• If you are suffering from stomach flu which is usually caused due to a virus, one of the symptoms of the disease will be vomiting. You will not be able to hold down your food and continue to regurgitate till the disease runs its course. In most cases, stomach flu resolves itself in a few days. Unless it becomes severe, you do not require any medicine.
• If nausea and vomiting occur immediately after eating food, it might result from indigestion. However, it can occur due to food poisoning. If you have consumed contaminated food unknowingly, chances are there that your body will react against the food. As a result, you will vomit or regurgitate the contaminated food. This can prove good as it can prevent the further spread of infection. But excessive vomiting due to food poisoning will require medical attention.
• Vomiting can also result due to gastritis. If the cause of the disease is identified, you will need to undergo treatment. This is caused primarily due to the inflammation of the stomach lining. In addition, it is mainly caused due to a bacterial infection and your doctor will prescribe medicines to treat the problem, which are usually antibiotics.

The underlying cause of continuous vomiting needs to be identified so that the doctor can treat the disease. If the problem resolves on its own, you can be assured that it is a minor infection and the disease has been controlled. However, if vomiting continues, you will need to consult a doctor to identify the actual cause of the problem.

• Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

This is a disease associated with lifestyle issues. Individuals who do not lead healthy lifestyles or are overweight often suffer from Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). This disease is identified by severe heartburns, which the patient suffers more than twice a week. You will feel a severe burning sensation in your stomach and your throat. Patients suffering from GERD have weak lower oesophageal sphincter (LES). When the muscles of the LES become weak, acid from your stomach can move up your oesophagus, resulting in a burning sensation in your throat. GERD has no particular treatment. This means the doctor will prescribe medicines to help you deal with the symptoms of the disease, but this does not treat the disease itself. The actual treatment of GERD lies in lifestyle change and weight management. Doctors mention that one of the best ways to manage GERD is by eating small meals and avoiding spicy food. Food that can irritate your stomach should be avoided. It would be best if you drank lots of water and exercised regularly.  Refined grains and food that do not have fibre should be avoided. Similarly, you should also avoid food with high-calorie content to control and manage problems associated with GERD.

• Peptic ulcer

This disease can be identified as a sore on the lining of the stomach, small intestine or oesophagus. Ulcers are often caused due to excessive accumulation of acid in your stomach. The acid in your stomach burns the protective lining on the stomach walls and results in the sore. The symptoms of peptic ulcer are vomiting, stomach pain, nausea, heartburn and intolerance to fatty food.  When the ulcer becomes worse, you will observe symptoms like blood in your stools, feeling faint, trouble breathing and changes in appetite. A peptic ulcer is a severe illness and requires continuous medical care.The most common causes of peptic ulcers are infection with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori.

Along with the medications, the doctor will give you antacids and pain relief medicines to help you manage the disease. Peptic ulcer needs to be monitored and you need to make dietary changes to manage the illness. For example, you need to avoid eating spicy food and avoid stress as it can increase the tendency of your stomach to produce acid. Thus, you can manage peptic ulcer-like digestive system disorders by lifestyle management.

Conclusion:

When you think of digestive system disorders, you must evaluate whether the disease has been caused by contaminated food, overeating, or a lifestyle problem. For example, overeating can result in several digestive disorders like diarrhoea or indigestion. It can result in continuous vomiting. You might feel that it has been caused due to disease, whereas the real cause would be overeating. 

Doctors often mention that most digestive system disorders can be managed by leading a healthy lifestyle. If you eat healthy food comprising vegetables and fruits, you are less likely to suffer from digestive disorders.  Along with that, if you exercise regularly to manage your weight, you can keep most gastrointestinal diseases at bay. 

Thus, most digestive system disorders can be managed by the patient and many a time can be prevented.