Diseases of the digestive system are the most common

The digestive system is one of the most important parts of your body. If even one digestive organ is disturbed or attacked by a disease, all the mechanisms involved in this system certainly cannot work properly.

In addition, indigestion can inhibit the absorption of nutrients the body needs. As a result, your body may become susceptible to disease or unable to function properly.

Consider the following information to find out the various diseases that most often attack the human digestive system.

Diseases of the human digestive system

Disorders of the digestive system are also known as gastrointestinal diseases. The reason is, various diseases in this system can attack the stomach (gastro) and the digestive tract which consists of the intestine (intestinal), rectum, to the anus.

Here are a number of diseases that most often attack the digestive system.

1. Diarrhea

Diarrhea is a digestive disorder caused by many factors. Some of the most common causes of diarrhea include food poisoning (bacterial contamination), certain food allergies, or eating at inappropriate times.

You are said to have diarrhea if you defecate (BAB) more than 3 times a day with a watery stool texture. Symptoms of diarrhea can also be accompanied by:

• a sense of wanting to defecate immediately,
• nausea and / or vomiting,
• abdominal pain, or
• stomach discomfort.

Diarrhea can affect all age groups, from children to the elderly. This disease is actually very common and easy to treat. However, severe diarrhea that is not treated properly can be fatal, especially in children.

Severe diarrhea can cause fever, weight loss, and bloody stools. If you are not getting enough fluids during diarrhea, persistent bowel movements can also cause you to become dehydrated and lose nutrients.

2.Constipation (constipation)

The frequency of bowel movements varies from person to person. Some can defecate every day or once a week. You can be said to have constipation (constipation) if the frequency of bowel movements suddenly is less frequent or more difficult than usual.

Constipation is a disease of the digestive system caused by changes in diet or nutritional intake. Factors that are often the cause include:

• drinking too much milk,
• lack of fiber intake,
• lack of water intake,
• less active,
• are taking antacids containing calcium or aluminum, or
• under stress.

Constipation is not a serious digestive system disorder, but this condition will cause discomfort. You can prevent and treat constipation by increasing the consumption of fibrous foods, drinking water, and exercising.

3. GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease)

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a disease of the digestive system characterized by the increase in stomach acid up into the esophagus. If left untreated, increased stomach acid can irritate the inner lining of the esophagus.

Common symptoms of GERD include:

• burning sensation in the chest (heartburn) especially at night or after eating,
• difficulty swallowing,
• chest pain,
• a feeling like something is stuck in the esophagus, and
• discharge of acidic food or liquids when belching.

At the base of the esophagus, there are ring-shaped muscles that prevent food from rising back up. If this muscle is weakened, food and stomach acid can move up into the esophagus and cause heartburn.

Factors that increase the risk of developing GERD include obesity, pregnancy, hernias, and obstruction of gastric emptying. Indigestion can also be triggered by smoking, eating large portions, and consuming aspirin.

4. Gastroenteritis

Gastroenteritis is an infectious disease of the digestive system that attacks the stomach and intestines. This disease is also known as stomach flu or vomiting. Everyone can experience it, but children under five years of age are usually more susceptible.

The main symptoms of gastroenteritis include:

• diarrhea,
• fever,
• nausea or vomiting,
• stomach ache,
• headaches, and
• reduced appetite.

The main causes of stomach flu are rotavirus and norovirus infections. In addition, this disease of the digestive system can also be caused by bacterial infection, parasite giardia, and toxic chemicals found in certain types of fungi.

Most cases of vomiting caused by viruses are not dangerous. You can even recover in a few days just by resting, eating soft foods, and drinking lots of water to replace lost fluids.

However, this disease can become dangerous if the patient is severely dehydrated from not getting enough fluids. Patients who show signs of severe dehydration should seek immediate care in the hospital.

5. Food poisoning

A person can experience food poisoning if they eat food that has been contaminated by microbes. Symptoms of poisoning are caused by the toxic effects of these various microbes on the digestive tract.

Microbes that often cause food poisoning include:

• E. coli,
• salmonella,
• C. botulinum,
• shigella, and
• the giardia parasite.

Contamination can occur not only during the production or packaging process of food. Improper food storage or processing techniques are also often the cause of a person experiencing poisoning.

Food poisoning is characterized by nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, and fever. You may also experience watery or bloody diarrhea, depending on the severity of the disease.

Symptoms can appear within hours of eating contaminated food. Most cases of food poisoning are mild and heal on their own, but there are sufferers who require treatment in the hospital.

6. Gallbladder disease

All kinds of inflammation, infection, blockage, and the formation of gallstones are part of gallbladder disease. The gallbladder is a bile storage organ located at the bottom of the liver.

The most common types of gallbladder disease are as follows.

• Cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder).
• Stone formation in the bile bladder or duct.
• Tissue growth in the gallbladder.
• Congenital defects of the gallbladder.
• Tumors of the bladder and bile ducts.
• Chronic acalculous gallbladder disease (reduced ability to move the gallbladder to excrete bile).
• Primary sclerosing cholangitis (inflammation and scarring of the gallbladder).
• Buildup of pus or death of the gallbladder tissue.

The most common symptom of this digestive system disease is periodic pain in the right abdomen near the ribs. The pain can spread to the spine or sternum, and be accompanied by nausea or vomiting.

When gallstones form, the patient usually has symptoms of a yellowish appearance. Other symptoms that can appear are dark urine, lighter stool color, decreased blood pressure, fever, and nausea and vomiting.

7. Liver disease

The liver or liver functions to digest food and cleanse the body from toxic substances. Diseases that attack the liver can be caused by viral infections, excessive alcohol consumption, to genetic factors.

Launching the US National Library of Medicine, here are some of the most common types of liver disease.

• Viral diseases such as hepatitis A, B, and C.
• Illnesses due to toxins or excessive consumption of alcohol and drugs, such as fatty liver disease.
• Hereditary liver disease, such as hemochromatosis and Wilson's disease.
• Heart cancer.

The common signs and symptoms of liver disease vary widely. The severity also varies, depending on the type of disease. Even so, the most common signs and symptoms include:

• yellowish-looking skin and eyes (jaundice),
• stomach pain and swelling,
• swelling in the feet and ankles,
• itchy skin,
• dark urine color,
• the color of the stool is pale, black, or contaminated with blood,
• experiencing chronic fatigue,
• nausea or vomiting,
• loss of appetite, as well
• body skin tends to bruise easily.

Over time, damage to the liver can lead to scarring and the formation of scar tissue (cirrhosis of the liver). This disease can cause liver failure or even be fatal if left untreated.

8.Inflammation of the appendix (appendicitis)

Appendicitis or appendicitis is a disease of the digestive system characterized by inflammation of the appendix, aka appendicitis. This can be due to the clogged appendix with stool, a foreign object, cancer, or an infection.

Common symptoms of appendicitis include:

• pain near the navel area,
• nausea and vomiting,
• fever,
• hard to fart,
• pain when urinating,
• stomach cramps, and
• no appetite.

Appendicitis needs to be treated with surgical removal of the appendix. Without appendicitis, you will have no significant problems. Appendicitis that is left untreated is actually dangerous because it can rupture and cause infection of the lining of the abdominal cavity (peritoneum).

9. Intestinal disorders

There are a number of disorders that can affect the small intestine and large intestine. Some diseases are caused by infection or inflammation. In addition, there are also intestinal problems that originate from the formation of a wound or tissue in the inner lining of the intestine.

The following are some examples of diseases that can affect the small intestine.

• Inguinal hernia: discharge a little part of the small intestine out of the abdominal cavity.
• Celiac disease: inflammation of the small intestine triggered by consumption of foods containing gluten.
• Inflammatory bowel disease:all kinds of diseases characterized by inflammation of the intestines, including Crohn's disease.
• Peptic ulcer: known as peptic ulcers, this is a digestive system disorder caused by injury to the lining of the stomach or small intestine.
• Other diseases such as bleeding, blockage, infection, or cancer of the small intestine.

Meanwhile, here are a number of digestive system diseases that occur in the large intestine.

• Colitis: inflammation and irritation of the inner lining of the large intestine. This disease is a form of inflammatory bowel disease.
• Diverticulosis: formation of small pockets in the digestive tract, especially the large intestine. When the pouch becomes inflamed or infected, this is known as diverticulitis.
• Colon polyps: tissue growth or lumps on the inner lining of the large intestine.
• Colon cancer: formation of tumor tissue on the inner lining of the large intestine. This condition can also start with colon polyps.

10. Piles / hemorrhoids (hemorrhoids)

Piles or hemorrhoids are inflammation and swelling of the blood vessels around the anus. In the medical world, this condition is also known as hemorrhoids. The main symptoms are pain in the anus and bleeding during bowel movements.

One of the factors that most often causes hemorrhoids is the habit of pushing too hard or for a long time when passing a bowel movement. This problem is usually experienced by sufferers of chronic constipation who lack fiber intake.

Hemorrhoids can cause intense pain during bowel movements so you may be afraid to have a bowel movement. In fact, holding back defecation can actually make hemorrhoids worse.

You can prevent hemorrhoids in the same way as constipation, namely by eating lots of fiber, drinking enough water, and exercising. Non-prescription hemorrhoid medication can also help reduce swollen hemorrhoids, but it still has to be balanced with fiber consumption.

11. Other digestive disorders

The digestive system involves various organs and channels that work with each other. Apart from the health problems mentioned above, here are a number of other diseases that are often found in the digestive system.

• Anal fissure: tear in the anus due to the habit of straining during bowel movements.
• Food intolerance: difficulty digesting food because the body is too sensitive to certain content in food.
• Pancreatitis: inflammation of the pancreas, the organ that produces digestive hormones and insulin.
• Splenomegaly: enlargement of the spleen, the organ that regulates lymph circulation and several immune functions.
• Pruritus ani: itching sensation in the anus which can be caused by skin diseases or other disorders of the digestive system.
• Stool bleeding: the appearance of blood in the stool due to certain diseases of the digestive system.
• Proctitis: inflammation of the inner lining of the rectum.

The human digestive system consists of the digestive tract as well as complementary organs such as the liver, bile and gallbladder. Every component of the digestive system can experience problems due to inflammation, infection, tumors, etc.

Some diseases of the digestive system may be mild, for example, stomach pain due to eating wrong. However, there are also digestive disorders that are more severe or can cause complications that need to be treated immediately.

Therefore, don't ignore the symptoms that appear in your digestive system. If even mild symptoms persist for days and don't get better, immediately consult a doctor to find out the cause.

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