Digestive Diseases

Also called: Gastrointestinal diseases

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Summary

When you eat, your body breaks food down to a form it can use to build and nourish cells and provide energy. This process is called digestion.

Your digestive system is a series of hollow organs joined in a long, twisting tube. It runs from your mouth to your anus and includes your esophagus, stomach, and small and large intestines. Your liver, gallbladder and pancreas are also involved. They produce juices to help digestion.

There are many types of digestive disorders. The symptoms vary widely depending on the problem. In general, you should see your doctor if you have:

Blood in your stool
Changes in bowel habits
Severe abdominal pain
Unintentional weight loss
Heartburn not relieved by antacids

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Start Here

Learn about GI Motility (International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders)
Problems of the Digestive System (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)
Your Digestive System and How It Works (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish

Symptoms

Confusing or Ambiguous Upper Gut Symptoms (International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders)

Diagnosis and Tests

Abdominal Pain (Stomach Pain), Long-Term (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Abdominal Pain (Stomach Pain), Short-Term (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Abdominal Ultrasound (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
Colonoscopy: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
CT Enterography (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
Gastrointestinal Bleeding: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Laparoscopy (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Lower GI Series (Barium Enema) (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
MR Enterography (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
Radiographic Tests in GI (American College of Gastroenterology)
Stool Color: When to Worry (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Stool Tests (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Upper GI Endoscopy (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
Upper GI Series (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

Digestive Health Tips (American College of Gastroenterology)
Keeping Your Gut in Check: Healthy Options to Stay on Tract (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish

Living With

Personal Relationships and Digestive Disorders (International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders)

Related Issues

Globus (International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders)
What Is a Gastroenterologist? (American College of Gastroenterology)

Specifics

Gut Troubles: Pain, Gassiness, Bloating, and More (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish

Genetics

Glucose-galactose malabsorption: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
Megacystis-microcolon-intestinal hypoperistalsis syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
Microvillus inclusion disease: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
Mitochondrial neurogastrointestinal encephalopathy disease: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Videos and Tutorials

Peristalsis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Digestive System Diseases (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Gastrointestinal Diseases (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Intestinal Diseases (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Reference Desk

Definitions of Digestive Terms (International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders)
Digestive Diseases (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
Digestive System (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Your Digestive System and How It Works (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish

Find an Expert

American College of Gastroenterology
ASGE: Find a Doctor (American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy)
Find a Gastroenterologist (American College of Gastroenterology)
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Children

Collecting a Stool Sample for Testing (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Kids and Teens GI (International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders)
Protein-Losing Enteropathy (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation)
What Is a Pediatric Gastroenterologist? (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
Your Digestive System (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

Digestive System (For Teens) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Older Adults

Effects of Aging on the Digestive System (Merck & Co., Inc.) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

Digestive diseases (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
EGD discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Fecal fat (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Gastrointestinal fistula (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Gastrointestinal perforation (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Stools - floating (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Upper GI and small bowel series (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish