A common aspect of the modern lifestyle is the growing dependence on eating out and takeaways. And a natural fallout of this is gastrointestinal disorders. From simple acidity and heartburns to more serious consequences such as haemorrhoids, gastrointestinal diseases are becoming more and more common.

Let’s look at some common gastrointestinal diseases and understand more about them.

What are Gastrointestinal Diseases?

Any disease that affects our gastrointestinal (GI) tract that runs from our mouth to the anus, is a gastrointestinal disease. They are mainly of two types:

1. Functional GI diseases:

In these diseases, the GI tract appears to be normal when examined, but it doesn’t move properly. These are more common than their counterparts. The most common examples of functional GI disease are constipation, gas, bloating, diarrhoea, irritable bowel syndrome and nausea.

Functional GI diseases can be caused due to a range of factors such as:

• A low-fibre diet
• Lack of exercise
• Stress
• Consuming substantial amounts of dairy products
• Changes to one’s routine due to different reasons such as travelling
• Resisting the urge to pass bowel due to various reasons such as piles or haemorrhoids
• Taking too many antacids
• Over usage of anti-diarrheal medications
• Taking certain medications such as antidepressants, pain medicines and iron pills

2. Structural GI diseases:

In structural GI diseases, the GI tract doesn’t work normally and the bowel looks abnormal upon examination. Sometimes the GI tract can have some structural deformity which needs to be removed surgically. Stenosis, haemorrhoids, diverticular disease, colon polyps, colon cancer, strictures and inflammatory bowel disease are some of the common examples of structural GI diseases.

Common Gastrointestinal Disorders

Let’s look at some common gastrointestinal disorders that people commonly face:

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Also known as irritable colon, nervous stomach or spastic colon, irritable bowel syndrome is a functional disease where the intestinal muscles contract less or more often than normal. This can be triggered due to certain medicines, foods or emotional stress. Symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome include excess gas, bloating, abdominal cramps, changes in bowel habits, constipation or diarrhoea.

Irritable bowel syndrome can be treated at home by:

• Increasing the fibre in the diet
• Avoiding excessive caffeine
• Monitoring foods that are triggering the condition
• Learning methods to cope with stress or minimising stress
• Getting quality sleep
• Avoiding dehydration

Haemorrhoids

Dilation of the veins of the anal canal is known as haemorrhoids. It is a structural disease that can be caused by persistent diarrhoea, and chronic excess pressure during bowel movement or pregnancy. Haemorrhoids can be of two types:

Ulcerative Colitis

An inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis or simply colitis causes inflammation in the large bowel or rectum. This can lead to diarrhoea or severe abdominal pain. Although it can develop at any age, it first appears between 15 to 20 years of age.

Symptoms of ulcerative colitis may vary from one person to another and usually includes:

• Blood or mucus in your stool
• Diarrhoea
• Fatigue
• Abdominal pain
• Reduced appetite
• Weight loss

Ulcerative colitis is an autoimmune condition, the exact causes of which are not known. You can read our guide Decoding the Mysteries of Autoimmune Diseases to learn more about autoimmune diseases. Genetics, infections and environmental factors play a major role in this disease. Consumption of too much-processed food and sugar can also induce colitis. Meeting a doctor is recommended if you face any of the symptoms discussed above.

Gastro-oesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

When the acid from your stomach moves up into your oesophagus (food pipe), then it is diagnosed as a GERD. This is commonly known as reflux or acid reflux.

A common symptom of acid reflux is heartburn, burning pain or discomfort in the chest. However, all heartburn may not be GERD. When heartburn is experienced two or more times a week, then it is diagnosed as GERD. While GERD can affect everyone, it is mostly felt by people over 40 years of age.

Other symptoms of GERD include difficulty in swallowing and regurgitation. GERD is mainly caused by a problem in the lower oesophageal sphincter, a muscle at the bottom of the food pipe that stops the contents of the stomach from rising back up to the throat.

GERD is usually treated through lifestyle changes such as losing weight or stopping smoking, diet and nutrition changes such as avoiding caffeine, alcohol etc, raising the bed head and medication.

Anal Fissures

This is a structural disease characterised by splits and cracks in the lining of the anus. The main cause of anal fissures is passing watery or very hard stools.

The anal lining contains underlying muscles that control the passage of stool through the anus. These muscles get exposed by the development of fissures. Anal fissures can be very painful due to the exposure of muscles to stool or air. One can experience extreme pain, spasms and bleeding during bowel movement.

Anal fissures are usually treated using pain medicines. Another significant treatment includes increasing the dietary fibre and sitting in a few inches of warm water. However, if these measures don’t work, the doctor may suggest surgery to repair the anal lining.

Sources:

• https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/gastrointestinal-diseases
• https://gi.org/topics/common-gi-symptoms/
• https://www.verywellhealth.com/gastrointestinal-diseases
• https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs
• https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/ulcerative-colitis
• https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/gord-reflux
• https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/heartburn