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PRESURE IN THE GASTROINTESTINAL SYSTEM

* Food, drink , and waste products moving through the 6-m long digestive tract or gastrointestinal tract or
gastrointestinal system (GI) are fluid or fluid-like in character. Their flow is regulated by pressure and
especially by valves and sphincter muscles in the system.

In the previous table of biological pressures given, pressure in the GI system is given as positive. The
esophagus is an exception.

Its pressure is directly related to the thoracic cavity or chest cavity pressure and is negative. Thoracic cavity
pressure is sometimes monitored by measuring pressure in the esophagus.

A sphincter is needed at the junction of the esophagus and stomach to prevent backflow of stomach fluids, the
most common cause of “heartburn”. During swallowing, muscle action in the esophagus forces fluids into the
stomach.

Increased Pressure in the GI System


CAUSES OF INCREASED PRESSURE IN THE GI SYSTEM
a) swallowed air, very noticeable in infants who swallow air while eating

b) air caused by flatus produced by bacterial action causing cramps

c) blockages in the GI tract also cause pressure to increase, even to the point of rupture due to
the buildup of fluids

The stomach is elastic, so pressure increases gradually, become large only when the stomach is overfilled. The
sensation of hunger happens when the pressure in the stomach is low . The pressure capacity in the stomach can
change depending on one’s eating habits. The stomach stretches considerably s\when a person consistently
overeats. A large stomach’s relative emptiness triggers the sensation of hunger even before the person really needs
more food.

A method of feeding moderately ill patients done by inserting a tube through the patient’s nose and down the
esophagus into the stomach. This tube is called the nasogastric tube. Liquids can be fed down the tube by gravity
since pressure in the stomach is not very large. This feeding method is useful for patients who have difficulty
swallowing, but, are not liable to vomit.

Pressures in the skeletal system are far larger tha any of the fluid pressures listed in the previous table given, being
as large as 7600 mm Hg under ordinary circumstances.
PRESSURE IN THE SKELETON
Skeletal pressures depend a lot on one’s physical activities. Pressure on the skeletal system is the force
carried by a bone or joint divided by the area on which the force is exerted.

Large areas of the bone that is exposed to pressure greatly reduces the pressure that joints feel. The bones
carry, to a large extent, bodily pressures. This prevents the premature deterioration of the joints.

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