Diseases Of Gastrointestinal Tract

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) are currently the most common pathologies in the world. No matter what symptoms or form (light or severe) they have, almost every person (95% of the population) has ever suffered from these diseases. In addition, gastrointestinal diseases can be caused by disorders in other body systems: immune, endocrine, nervous, cardiovascular and other.

The proper work of the GI tract is a primary condition for good body health. Through the digestive system we get substances, elements and vitamins needed for the function of all organs in the body.

Types of pathologies in the GI tract

The GI tract is a complex system that consists of several compounds. As any other system, it is prone to different diseases and disorders. The classification of the pathologies is pretty simple.

They are distinguished depending on the location of the disease:

  • diseases of the stomach;
  • diseases of the esophagus;
  • diseases of the large and small intestine;
  • diseases of the bile ducts and liver.

According to its cause, the disease may have:

  • infectious nature;
  • non-infectious nature.

Depending on the severity the diseases are divided into:

  • acute form;
  • moderate form.

Causes

The most common reasons of the GI tract diseases:

  1. Bad nutrition or food poisoning.

As a rule, it is the main cause of many pathologies in the gastrointestinal tract. Bad nutrition involves insufficient, or excessive food consumption, improper and unhealthy diet, deficiency of useful elements in food, diet poor in cellulose, etc.

  1. Chronic and acute stress.

Constant stress and depression may lead to disorders in the GI tract. Some medical experts suggest, that this is #1 factor to cause indigestion and other disorders.

  1. Smoking and alcohol abuse.

These bad habits interfere with the normal micro flora of the GI tract, and disrupt digestive processes. Moreover, nicotine and alcohol have a negative effect on our immune and endocrine systems.

  1. Obesity.

As a rule, overweight is caused by metabolism disturbances, that has a direct impact on the work of the GI tract.

  1. Bad ecology.

Deteriorating conditions of the environment affect the quality of food we eat, water we drink, air we breathe, which has a straight impact on the function of the GI tract.

  1. Genetic predisposition to gastrointestinal diseases.
  2. Low physical activity
  3. Bad personal hygiene.

Symptoms

The symptoms of digestive disorders are diverse. However, some of them are common for many diseases:

  • heartburn;
  • belching;
  • nausea and vomiting;
  • flatulence;
  • loose stool;
  • a sharp weight loss;
  • loss of appetite;
  • stomachache;
  • general weakness.

Treatment

As a rule, the treatment of various disorders in the GI tract involve:

  • drug therapy;
  • diet;
  • physiotherapy;
  • surgical intervention;
  • medical therapy.