Stomach Ailments Scientific Facts Overview

• Gastroinestinal disorders occur when the digestive tract (gastrointestinal) does not function properly. As a result, patients may have difficulty digesting food, absorbing nutrients, or having normal bowel movements.
• Several body parts, including the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and anus, make up the digestive (gastrointestinal) tract. The digestive process begins when food enters the mouth.
• When a person begins chewing food, digestive enzymes in the saliva break down the food before it is swallowed.
• The esophagus is a muscular tube that carries food and liquids from the mouth to the stomach. The stomach contains harsh enzymes that break down food so it can be absorbed by the body.
• Food then enters the small intestine, which contains three parts:the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. Most of digestion occurs in the small intestine because it is responsible for absorbing nutrients from food.
• The remaining food then enters the colon, which also has three parts:the cecum, colon, and rectum. The large intestine absorbs any remaining water from indigestible food matter and eliminates the unusable food matter, or waste, from the body. The anus is the external opening of the rectum. It allows waste (feces) to be excreted from the body.
• There are many different types of gastrointestinal disorders. Some gastrointestinal disorders affect multiple parts of the digestive tract, while others only affect the esophagus, abdomen/stomach, intestines, or anus/rectum. The severity of gastrointestinal disorders varies significantly, depending on the specific type of the disease. Some disorders, such as indigestion, are mild while others, such as Crohn's disease, are lifelong.

Related Terms:

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