Diseases of the G.I. Tract

 Related conditions

• Constipation – bowel movements that are infrequent. Painful stool that is hard to remove. Can be caused by poor diet and lack of fluids.

• Crohn's Disease – a disease of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract casing severe inflammation. Occurs mostly in the ileum and the large intestine (colon). Can cause diarrhoea and abdominal cramps. Inflammation may affect secretion of certain areas of the GI tract also. Cause still not proven and research has demonstrated Crohn's disease to be related to infertility in women 

• Irritable bowel syndrome – disturbed function of the GI tract causing abdominal pain. Can lead to altered bowel movements leading to constipation/diarrhoea. The population with IBS have higher levels of sensitivity of nerves in the colon thus creating a stronger reaction to food movement. This can result in abnormal colon activity, either speeding bowel movements up causing diarrhoea or slowing it down causing constipation. Sufferers often feel bloated.

• Gall stones – build up of cholesterol in bile due to water being removed from bile by the gall bladder. Can cause painful abdominal attacks. Gall bladder may be removed as it is a deemed non-vital organ. May also cause nausea.

• Helicobacter Pylori – the name of a bacterium that can infect the stomach at the mucosa layer. Its optimal conditions are acidic, found in the mucosa layer of the stomach. The infection can lead to dyspepsia commonly known as heartburn, ulcers, and gastritis or inflammation of the stomach.

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