Digestive Health

Colon cleansing is basically known as the process of casting mild spurts of water in the large intestine for the intoxification of waste along with the toxins present in it. But an important...

Diverticulosis is a disorder in which small pockets form within the large intestine. These pockets, called diverticula, can trap food or bacteria, leading to inflammation and pain. The actual...

Crohn's disease is a highly uncomfortable and unpleasant disorder that results in inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. The swelling resulting from Crohn's causes diarrhea and pain. It is...

Celiac disease is a genetic digestive disorder caused by the inability to digest gluten. For people with celiac disease, eating gluten prompts the immune system to react in the small intestine,...

Crohn's disease is a gastrointestinal disorder that affects the digestive, or gastrointestinal (GI), tract. According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC), while...

Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease. This condition causes the small intestine to become inflamed, which can lead to the formation of ulcers and cause excessive bleeding.

Colon tubes are thin, hollow instruments usually made of rubber or latex. They are inserted into the anus and through the rectum. A liquid solution is then forced through the colon tube in an...

Superior mesenteric artery syndrome (SMAS) is a rare condition that affects the digestive system and has the potential to cause a number of unpleasant symptoms. Despite its rarity, mesenteric...

The presence of tissue build-up, a tumor or a hernia can cause an intestinal blockage that prevents food or liquid from passing through the colon or small intestine. The condition can be treated,...

Colon cleansing became popular in the 1920s and is still recommended by alternative health proponents today to treat a variety of common ailments. They say there are symptoms to recognize that...

Diversion colitis is an inflammatory condition that affects some patients who have undergone an ileostomy or colostomy to divert stool from the normal intestinal path. The condition typically...

Diverticulosis is a disorder that causes people to develop pouches in their large intestine. The disorder develops into diverticulitis when the pouches become swelled.

Bowel disease in babies is known by its medical term as Hirschsprung's disease. The disease affects the bowel or large colon by causing problems passing stools. The problem is caused by the...

The adult hookworm lives in the small intestine. It latches onto the intestine using six sharp teeth, where it feeds by sucking blood through the intestinal wall.

The digestive system is made up of a series of organs that are responsible for breaking down food in the body. These organs work with others in the body such as the gallbladder, which helps with...

Colon problems can range from uncomfortable bowel symptoms like cramping and flatulence to dangerous diseases like colorectal cancer. In severe cases, a doctor must send a tube into the colon to...

An overactive colon, also known as a spastic colon or irritable bowel, is a dysfunction of the large intestine which can cause digestive challenges and discomfort. The condition is chronic, and...

Intestinal blockage, more commonly known as intestinal obstruction, is a blockage of the small intestine or colon. Often caused by a buildup of fibrous tissue such as a tumor or hernia, intestinal...

The gall bladder is a small, pear-shaped, non-essential digestive organ located behind the stomach. It aids in the digestive process by storing the bile that is produced in the liver until it is...

Diarrhea occurs when your stool is loose and watery. Chronic diarrhea, lasting more than four weeks, leads to unintentional weight loss. Diarrhea signal some other problem inside your body. A...

The gallbladder, a small, pear-shaped, non-vital gland behind the stomach, stores bile produced in the liver until it is needed in the small intestine to aid in the digestive process. When...

The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped, non-essential organ located behind the stomach. It stores bile produced in the liver until it is needed in the small intestine to assist with digestion....

The gall bladder--the small, pear-shaped, non-vital organ behind the stomach--stores bile produced in the liver until it is released into the small intestine to begin the digestion of food. The...

The gall bladder, a small, pear-shaped, non-essential digestive organ, stores the bile produced in the liver until it is released to the small intestine where it assists in the digestive process....

Within your large intestine and the lining or your colon are small pouches known as diverticula. Diverticula are pouches that bulge from weak spots within your intestine. Many people develop these...

The body breaks down food and absorbs nutrients from it through the digestive process. It starts when your teeth chew large bites of food into small bits. Saliva then mixes with the chewed food to...

A colonoscopy examines the large intestine, the last stage of your digestive system. The colon is the upper portion of the large intestine, forming a squatty question-mark shape in the abdomen....

Diverticulitis is a condition in which bulging, small pouches form in the digestive tract and become inflamed. These pouches are called diverticula and can appear throughout the digestive system...

Intussusception is a sudden bowel blockage which develops when one portion of intestine slides into another section. It is a rare condition, but is considered a medical emergency requiring...

Adult tapeworms (Diplyidium caninum) live in the small intestines of various animals, including humans. They hook onto the small intestine walls with their rostellum and their six rows of teeth....

According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC), the digestive system is composed of the digestive tract---a series of hollow organs joined in a long, twisting tube...

The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped, non-essential organ that stores the bile produced in the liver and assists in the digestion of food. When foods are consumed, particularly foods with a...

Gallstones (or cholelithiasis), the most common form of gallbladder disease, interrupt the flow of bile from the liver through the gallbladder to the small intestine. Stones are usually composed...

An intestinal blockage can be located in either the small intestine or the large intestine and can cause partial or full obstruction of the intestines. When this happens, you may feel bloated,...

Hookworms are common parasitic pests that can invade the intestines of humans, resulting in abdominal pain and mild diarrhea. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that in the year 2002, more...

The digestive system consists of the mouth, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, small intestine, large intestine, colon and rectum. The main function of the digestive system is to...

Digestive disorders can be dangerous to infants resulting in dehydration or malnutrition, and affect the normal growth and development. A short-term digestive problem that occurs occasionally,...

The colon is the organ responsible for mass waste elimination from the body. It removes toxins that collect in the intestines, and it is the site where the circulatory and lymphatic systems also...

An estimated 85% of the world's population may be living with some form of internal parasite, according to the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. The majority of these infestations...

Gluten is found in a variety of our favorite foods: pizza, bread, French fries, potato chips and gravy. It can even be found in everyday items such as vitamins and medication--anything containing...

Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease that affects the innermost lining of the large intestine. The disease can be chronic, and no cure has been found, but treatments are available...

Intestinal gas and bloating is a normal part of life, although sometimes gas can become embarrassing and uncomfortable. According to the Mayo Clinic, excess gas comes from certain foods, the way...

Colonic irrigation and detoxifying is the process of flushing the entire large intestine with water to remove impurities. These toxins collect in the intestines over time and can include...

The expulsion of gas mixtures from the byproducts of digested food through the rectum is called flatulence. Flatus, or the mixture of gases, goes to the rectum in the same peristaltic process that...

Colon cancer refers to the presence of cancerous cells or tumors located in the colon, also known as the large intestine. While individuals afflicted with colon cancer experience a distinct number...

Colon cancer refers to cancer that originates in the colon. Ninety-five percent of colon cancer cases begin with polyps in the colon called adenomas, which grow in the colon's lining before slowly...

Digestion breaks the food we eat down into a form that can be absorbed and used by the body. This process begins in the mouth, continues in the stomach and ends in the small intestine. While the...

Stomach troubles like heartburn, burping, bloating, and abdominal cramping affect everyone at one time or another. The American Gastroenterological Association reports 25% of Americans regularly...

Coeliac disease--more commonly spelled celiac disease and also called gluten-sensitive enteropathy, celiac sprue and nontropical sprue--is an incurable yet treatable genetic disorder characterized...

Flatulence is called by many names by different people and can be embarrassing if it is experienced in inappropriate locations or moments. Some have turned to making humor out of their flatulence...