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