Nutrition
Disorders of gut
Biology
Diarrhea
Diarrhea is characterized by frequent loose bowel movements caused by fast peristaltic movement in the intestines.
The main causes are insufficient safe water and infections from viruses and bacteria.
In malnourished individuals, diarrhea can lead to severe dehydration and be life-threatening.
Symptoms:
The symptoms include
abdominal cramps
nausea
fever
weakness
Treatment:
To manage diarrhea, it is important to drink enough water with essential salts and nutrients to replace what is lost.
Constipation
Constipation is when a person has a hard, difficult-to-pass stool.
It can be caused by:
excessive water absorption in the colon
lack of dietary fiber
dehydration
certain medications
tumors
Treatment:
Treatment involves changing diet and exercise habits
use of laxatives
Preventing constipation is better than the treatment
Ulcer
An ulcer is a sore that forms in the lining of the digestive tract, caused by the acidic gastric juice breaking down the tissues. It can occur in different organs such as
stomach (gastric ulcer)
duodenum (duodenal ulcer)
esophagus (esophageal ulcer)
Causes:
long-term use of anti-inflammatory medicine
smoking
coffee
spicy foods
Signs:
Following are the few signs of ulcers
abdominal burning after meals
abdominal pain
after regurgitation, there is a surge of saliva in the mouth
nausea
loss of appetite and weight