Problems and Remedies

The digestive system is a set of organs (including the stomach, large and small intestines, rectum, and others) that convert the foods we eat into nutrients and absorb these nutrients into the bloodstream to fuel our bodies. We seldom notice its workings unless something goes wrong, as in the case of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It's estimated that up to 1 million Americans have inflammatory bowel disease. It occurs most frequently in people ages 15 to 30, but it can also affect younger children and older people. And there are significantly more reported cases in western Europe and North America than in other parts of the world. What Is Inflammatory Bowel Disease? Inflammatory bowel disease (which is not the same thing as irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS) refers to two chronic diseases that cause inflammation of the intestines: ulcerative colitis and Crohn's diseaseCrohn's disease. Although the diseases have some features in common, there are some impor

HTML clipboard Introduction Protein-losing enteropathy is characterized by the severe loss of serum proteins into the intestine. Normal protein loss in the gastrointestinal tract mainly consists of sloughed enterocytes and pancreatic and biliary secretions. Albumin loss through the gastrointestinal tract normally accounts for 2-15% of the total body degradation of albumin, but, in patients with severe protein-losing gastrointestinal disorders, the enteric protein loss may reach up to 60% of the total albumin pool. The serum protein level reflects the balance between protein synthesis, metabolism, and protein loss. Protein-losing enteropathy is characterized by more loss of proteins via the gastrointestinal tract than synthesis leading to hypoalbuminemia. It is not a single disease, but an atypical manifestation of other diseases. Pathophysiology The pathophysiology of this disorder is directly related to the excessive leakage of plasma proteins into the lumen of the

Foods which causes black stool consist of Beets, Blueberries or blackberries in larger amounts, Licorice, uncooked red meat, or any food which contain considerable quantity of animal blood. Bleeding: Black colored stool indicates blood passing through the stomach during digestion process. Hemoglobin iron is oxidized by stomach acid. Several stomach acids may appear in duodenum; the part of the small intestine between the stomach and the jejunum. Because of this phenomenon, if there is any bleeding arises from duodenum or above, will result in black, stinking stools that stick to the toilet. Causes of bleeding may include: Internal bleeding (Gastrointestinal, Rectal, Stomach, Nose, Mouth, Lung, or Spontaneous bleeding into the gut due to trobocytopenia, hemophilia, metastases, or sepsis) Stomach or duodenal inflammation (gastritis) Ulcer (Peptic, or due to alcohol, smoking, strong spices, or infection with H. pylori bacteria, Colon cancer) Stomach or duodenal cancer Es

Short-Chain Carbohydrates may Result in Chronic Bloating and Diarrhea Some short-chained carbohydrates can result chronic diarrhea, abdominal bloating, gas, or other gastrointestinal indications in individuals, who already have been diagnosed: Dyspepsia (indigestion) Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or functional bowel disease (FBD)… …or also a cause of: Celiac disease Dumping syndrome (rapid gastric emptying) Fructose malabsorption Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis) Lactose intolerance Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) These carbohydrates were named FODMAPs. What are FODMAPs? FODMAPs (Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, and Mono-saccharides, And Polyols) are short-chain carbohydrates that are Osmotically active, and may remove water from intestinal vessels into intestinal lumen, thus resulting diarrhea and/or easily degradable (fermentable) by intestinal bacteria, and producing large amount of gases like hydrogen, carbon dioxide, or methane thus re

Causes of Infant Diarrhea Diarrhea in first 3 days of life: congenital diseases of liver, pancreas, biliary tract, small or large intestine. Fever, vomiting, diarrhea: Rotavirus, rarely other microbes; Mild diarrhea: overfeeding, neonatal drug withdrawal; Skin rash, strain to vomiting (gagging), irritability, diarrhea: allergy to cow's milk or soy formula; Remedies Newborn normally have bowel movement 8-10 times a day. Medications to treat diarrhea in adults can be dangerous for children. Infant and Toddler Diarrhea ACUTE DIARRHEA: Fever, vomiting, diarrhea: Rotavirus; less commonly: bacteria, parasites, middle ear and urinary tract infections, intusussception, hemolytic-uremic syndrome; mild diarrhea: newly introduced food, liquid starvation diet, food allergies, antibiotics. CHRONIC DIARRHEA: Diarrhea with undigested food particles, the toddler looks healthy: excessive drinking of fruit juices (toddler's diarrhea); Constipation, alternating with diarrhea: post-i

Definition of Acute Diarrhea Diarrhea means having over three loose bowel movements a day. Acute (Latin acutus = sharp, pointed) diarrhea, by definition, lasts less than 3 weeks (1). Causes of Acute Diarrhea A) Acute INFECTIOUS Diarrhea Bacterial diarrhea usually occurs in food poisoningdue to infection with bacteria like E. coli or salmonella. Parasitic diarrhea may be due to intestinal worms, or one-cell parasiteslike Entamoeba hystolytica, or giardia. Viral diarrhea mainly affect small children in kinder-gartens due to stool-to-mouth infection from other children, or (in poor countries) due to infection by water, contaminated by rotavirus. B) Acute NON-INFECTIOUS Diarrhea Food allergies may affect children or adults. Main causes are wheat, eggs, cow milk, soy, fish, shellfish, peanuts, and tree-nuts, but can be virtually any food. Fish poisoning. Both ciguatera poisoning by big tropical fish like barracuda or meckerel, and scombroid poisoning by non-properly stored fish are com

What are foodborne illnesses? Foodborne illnesses are caused by eating food or drinking beverages contaminated with bacteria, parasites, or viruses. Harmful chemicals can also cause foodborne illnesses if they have contaminated food during harvesting or processing. Foodborne illnesses can cause symptoms that range from an upset stomach to more serious symptoms, including diarrhea, fever, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and dehydration. Most foodborne infections are undiagnosed and unreported, though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that every year about 76 million people in the United States become ill from pathogens, or disease-causing substances, in food. Of these people, about 5,000 die. What are the causes of foodborne illnesses? Harmful bacteria are the most common cause of foodborne illnesses. Some bacteria may be present on foods when you purchase them. Raw foods are the most common source of foodborne illnesses because they are not sterile; examples inc