DIGESTIVE DISORDERS

HEARTBURN

• Description
• Burning sensation in chest
• Common
• Causes
• Stomach acid backs up into the esophagus
• Malfunction of the esophageal sphincter
 HEARTBURN

• Symptoms – burning sensation in the same region as the heart

• Treatment
• Antacids – help to neutralize stomach acid
• Medication – help to reduce stomach acid
• Avoid foods that trigger heartburn
• Avoid smoking
• Maintain healthy weight
 PEPTIC ULCERS

• Description
• A sore in the lining of the stomach or duodenum
• Tissues become inflamed due to the weakening of the protective mucus covering the
lining
• Cause – acid-resistant bacteria (Helicobacter pylori) attach to the digestive wall and
prevent the area from producing protective mucus
 PEPTIC ULCERS

• Symptoms – abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, loss of appetite etc.

• Treatment
• Medication – antibiotics and/or medicines to reduce acidity in stomach
• Dietary changes
• Lifestyle changes
• Examples – cease smoking, avoid alcohol etc.
 CONSTIPATION

• Description – bowel movements are reduced to 3/week or less

• Causes
• Inadequate water intake
• Lack of good nerve and muscle function in the bowel
• Unhealthy diet
• Lack of physical exercise
 CONSTIPATION

• Symptoms – stools are dry, small and difficult to eliminate

• Treatments
• Eating high-fiber foods
• Drink lots of water
• Stay active
• Decrease stress
 IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME (IBS)

• Description – common, chronic disorder that affects the large intestine

• Causes
• Muscle spams in the intestines
• Inflammation in the intestines
• Symptoms – cramping, bloating, abdominal pain, gas, diarrhea or constipation
• Treatment
• Diet changes – fibre
• Lifestyle changes
• Reduce stress
 INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE (IBD)

• Description
• A group of diseases that cause inflammation in the intestines
• Chronic and incurable
• Cause – unknown, however there are risk factors that increase chances (age, family
history etc.)
• Symptoms – diarrhea, fever, fatigue, abdominal pain and cramping, blood in stool,
reduced appetite, and weight loss
 INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE (IBD)

• Treatment
• Special diets
• Medication to reduce pain and inflammation
• In severe cases – surgery to remove affected area
• Two main forms of IBD – Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
 INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE (IBD)

• Crohn’s disease
• Inflammation of the lining in the digestive tract that spreads deep into affected tissues
• Can affect any part of the alimentary canal (mouth to anus)
• Typically affects the small intestines
• Ulcerative colitis
• Inflammation and ulcers in the lining of the colon and rectum
• Only affects the large intestine
 DISORDERS OF THE LIVER

• Two most serious – hepatitis and cirrhosis

• Hepatitis
• Description
• Inflammation of the liver
• 3 types – A, B, and C
• Causes
• Hep A – contracted by drinking contaminated water
• Hep B – spread by sexual contact and blood
• Hep C – contracted by contact with infected blood
 DISORDERS OF THE LIVER

• Hepatitis continued
• Symptoms – loss of appetite, fatigue, muscle or joint aches, pain in belly, dark urine,
light-coloured stools, jaundice
• Treatments
• Hep A
• No specific treatment – liver will heal within six-months on its own
 DISORDERS OF THE LIVER

• Hepatitis continued
• Treatments
• Hep B – antiviral medications, interferon injections and (in serious cases) liver
transplant
• Hep C – antiviral medications and (in serious cases) liver transplant
 DISORDERS OF THE LIVER

• Cirrhosis
• Description
• Scar tissue replaces healthy liver tissue and prevents the liver from functioning properly
• Chronic
• Cause – most common are chronic alcoholism and hepatitis C
• Symptoms – fatigue, bleeding easily, bruising easily, nausea, swelling in the legs, weight loss
• Treatment – liver transplant
 DISORDER OF THE GALL BLADDER

• Most common – gallstones

• Gallstones
• Description
• Small, hard masses that form in the gallbladder
• Cholesterol in bile can precipitate out of the bile and form crystals – crystals
grow and become gallstones
• Causes – obesity, alcohol intake and heredity
 DISORDER OF THE GALL BLADDER

• Gallstones continued
• Symptoms – intense pain, nausea or vomiting
• Treatment
• Medication or ultrasound shock waves to decrease size to be passed through urine
• Diet changes – i.e. decreasing size of meals, increasing intake of omega-3 fatty acids
• Lifestyle changes
• Surgery – removal of gallbladder
 APPENDICITIS

• Description – inflammation of the appendix

• Causes – a blockage in the lining of the appendix that results in an infection
• Symptoms – loss of appetite, bloating, nausea, vomiting, severe lower right abdominal
pain
• Treatment – surgical removal of the appendix
 DIABETES

• Description
• A condition where body cells are unable to use glucose to provide energy for muscles
and tissues
• Either not enough insulin in the bloodstream or the body cannot properly use the
insulin that the pancreas makes
• Without insulin glucose cannot get into cells – glucose levels in blood can increase to
life-threatening
 DIABETES

• Causes
• Type I
• Genetic
• Insulin-producing cells of the pancreas are destroyed by the immune system
• Type II
• Most often diagnosed in people over 40
• Body doesn’t make enough insulin or is unable to properly use the insulin it makes
• Gestational
• Diabetes that occurs during pregnancy
• Due to pregnancy hormones or inadequate levels of insulin production
 DIABETES

• Symptoms – excessive thirst and increased urination, fatigue, weight loss, blurred vision,
slow-healing sores, tingling hands and feet, red and swollen gums
• Treatment
• Insulin injections/pumps
• Healthy eating
• Physical activity
TECHNIQUES TO TEST FOR DIGESTIVE
DISORDERS
 ENDOSCOPE

• Helps confirm medical problems that are hard to observe using other methods
• Allows one to visually inspect the lining of any part of the digestive system
 OTHER TECHNOLOGIES

• Other techniques used to test for digestive disorders are:

• X-rays
• Ultrasounds
• Stool Samples
• Urine Samples
• Blood Samples
• WBC (white blood cell) scan – determines where and how severe inflammation is
ACTIVITY!!