Digestive disorders are a combination of various complications involving different organs responsible for digestion and excretion. Various intestinal disorders together lead to this one particular condition called digestive disorder.  Chronic diarrhea, for example, can lead to several complications and these disorders are basically the different types of digestive disorders that we witness in our regular course of life:

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Inflammatory bowel disease or IBD is one single term that is commonly used for describing two very similar, yet very distinct conditions: Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease. These diseases tend to affect our digestive system and can also cause intestinal inflammation, sore formation, bleeding, scarring and might make the inner lining rough and uneven, the common symptom of Irritable Bowel Disease are cramping, abdominal pain, diarrhea and fatigue.

Crohn’s Disease

Crohn’s disease affects the gastrointestinal tract in general and might attack many of the parts of the tract, starting from our mouth to our anus. Inflammation patches can be noted all over and they tend to occur in the healthy tissues lying between the diseases areas and these are known as “skip lesions”.  This inflammation can even extend through out the layer of the affected bowel tissues. Although the symptoms of the disease can be relieved by medications or surgery, but it cannot be cured thoroughly.

Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis occurs only in the colon or the large bowel and affects the inner lining of the intestine. The disease is triggered in the rectum first and then it extends as an unremitting inflammation, as opposed to the patchy one, from that spot to the remaining parts of the colon. Ulcerative colitis can be healed with certain medications. Permanently eliminating the disease is also a possible option and this can be achieved by removing the affected colon surgically. In such cases, the waste materials and the stool would be stored in the body and an external appliance would be needed for releasing the same.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Irritable Bowel Syndrome, also regarded as spastic colitis or nervous colon syndrome or mucus colitis, is a very common intestinal disease that can cause cramping, gas, bloat and some peculiar changes in the bowel movements, like diarrhea, constipation or both. Sometimes, even doctors fail to diagnose the extreme conditions of the disease, in spite of exhaustive intestinal tests and evaluations. IBS, however, does not have any impact on a person’s span of life. Medications can be used for controlling the symptoms of the disorder and curing it.

Celiac Disease

Celiac disease tends to cause damage to the small intestinal surfaces and also restrains the nutrients like proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins from being absorbed. In case of Celiac disease, gluten, a typical substance that can be normally found in rye, wheat, barley, oats and triticale tends to interact with the immune system of the body. This causes damage to the intestinal lining and prevents the absorption of nutrients. The disease has certain symptoms like chronic diarrhea, weight loss, anemia, fatigue, bloating, cramps and irritability.

Digestive disorders are one of the most common problems that people encounter at least once in their entire lifetime. These diseases can be very difficult to deal with and sometimes severe cases also require surgery. But people often have many false notions about the digestive disorders and that leads them to wrong diagnosis and self treatment procedures that can be potentially harmful. A disease needs treatment and proper treatment will only be possible if the person has through knowledge about the facts related to the disease. Noted below are some of the common facts and fallacies related to digestive disorder for your convenience:

Ulcers are caused by spicy foods. It is also triggered due to stress.

This is a false notion. Stomach ulcers are usually caused as an infection which is triggered by a bacterium known as Heicobcter pylori or H.pylori. It can also be caused by certain medications like ibuprofen, aspirin and naproxen; these drugs fall into the category of NSAIDs or Nonsteroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs. Ulcers induced by NSAIDs can be treated, but would take some time. Stress and spicy foods can as well aggravate the symptoms of stomach ulcer, but cannot be the main cause of the disease.

Bowel Regularity refers to bowel movements everyday.

This is also a false notion. People can have bowels thrice a day or thrice a week, which is normal. The perfectly healthy lot might have bowels everyday and that’s a different case altogether. Regular bowels aren’t mandatory.

Enemas can be used habitually for treating constipation and is harmless.

False. If you use enemas regularly, you would be causing harm to yourself. Over time, these enemas can actually impair the usual functioning of the intestinal muscles, thus disabling them from carrying out their regular actions. If you feel a consistent desire for enemas to pass stools, it is a problem. You need to see a doctor for regularizing your bowels.

Psychological problems are the primary cause of inflammatory bowel disease.

Not true. Inflammatory bowel disease is a name that has been given to two combined diseases that can cause intestinal inflammation – ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. The actual cause of this disease is still unknown, but researchers hold that some bacteria or viruses that interact with the immune system of the body can be responsible for triggering the disease.  There is no evidence to prove that inflammatory bowel disease is triggered by anxiety, tension or any such psychological factors.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS is a digestive disease.

True. IBS is definitely a disease, though it is regarded as a typical form of functional disorder.  The disease is characterized by abdominal pain, gas, constipation or diarrhea. Though, the disease can be painful, but it does not cause damage to your digestive tract. Also, the disease would not lead to severe digestive problems like cancer.

Noted below are some of the steps involved in diagnosing digestive disorders:

Medical History

Verifying the medical history is the first step in diagnosing the disorder. It actually helps in understanding if the disorder is something that has recently triggered or it is a condition of the past.  Along with medical history, the physical examination art also becomes essential.  The doctor would need to check the overall body weight of the person and whether or not it is proportionate to the body weight.

In some cases, the doctor might as well try to examine the abdominal parts locally.

Psychologic Evaluation

As the human digestive system and the human brain are very much interactive, this calls for a psychologic evaluation sometimes. Though there might not be any visible relation between digestive disorder and psychologic factors, but these are inter-related. It doesn’t really mean that the digestive disorder complains are imagined or simply made up, it rather means that the problems have been caused as a result of stress, anxiety and depression. This is a fact and it is true for 50% people having digestive disorder symptoms.

Diagnostic Procedures

Based on the medical history of the individual and his physical examination, some diagnostic procedures are required. The tests for digestive disorders are carried out with the help of endoscopes. Endoscopes are basically flexible tubes used by the doctors for viewing the internal structure of the intestine or the affected part and obtaining the tissue as samples. Ultrasound scans, X-rays, capsule endoscopy, chemical measurements etc become essential as well. All these tests can assist the doctor in locating, diagnosing and treating the problem.

Endoscopy:

This is basically a process of internal examination wherein the structures of the internal organs are observed with the use of an endoscope. The equipment is passed through the mouth to locate the esophagus, the stomach and the small and large intestine. It can also be passed through anus or the rectum if required. This is one of the most preferred methods of diagnosis and involves no complications as well.

Capsule Endoscopy

In this procedure, an individual has to swallow a capsule which has battery powder. These capsules contain small cameras, a transmitter and a light. Images are taken from the inner intestinal lining and are transmitted to the receiver which is worn by the individual as a belt or a pouch.

Laproscopy

This is also an examination procedure that involves the cavity of the abdomen with the use of an endoscope. This procedure requires general anesthesia and is almost like a surgery. After washing the skin area thoroughly, an antiseptic is applied and a little incision is done in the individual’s navel for obtaining samples.

Several other procedures might be required as per the need of the patient and the intensity of the disorder. It is the doctor who decides what needs to be done.