Digestion begins in the mouth as salivary glands moisten the foods consumed. The food proceeds down the esophagus to the stomach where stomach acids are added to further breakdown food. Eventually, the food reaches the intestines and works it way to the rectum and anus. Certain diseases affect the digestive process and can lead to stomach pain, diarrhea or nausea.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome refers to a medical problem that affects the lower part of the digestive tract, says MedlinePlus. Symptoms of this disease include stomach bloating, a loss of appetite, depression, stress and intermittent stomach pain that goes away after having a bowel movement. Irritable bowel syndrome also causes chronic or frequent constipation or diarrhea.
Problems with the intestinal muscles may be to blame for causing irritable bowel syndrome. In some cases, an intestinal infection can trigger this disease.
Treatment involves taking part in exercise and getting better sleep because this can actually lower the stress that may trigger irritable bowel symptoms. Adding fiber to the diet and avoiding caffeine-containing foods may help in decreasing irritable bowel syndrome. Talk therapy, antidiarrheal medications and antidepressant medications are other treatment options for irritable bowel syndrome.
Dumping Syndrome
Dumping syndrome is a condition that occurs after gastrointestinal surgery. Specific symptoms of dumping syndrome include nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting, bloating, belching, lightheadedness, dizziness, fatigue and a fast heart rate, according to the Mayo Clinic. Dumping syndrome can also lead to a pounding heart, sweating and confusion. Typically, these symptoms occur 15 to 30 minutes after eating.
Dumping syndrome occurs in 25 to 50 percent of people who underwent gastric bypass, a surgical procedure that treats morbid obesity.
Eating smaller meals; consuming foods rich in vitamins, calcium and iron; and increasing pectin-rich foods (peaches, plums and apples) are some lifestyle changes that can manage dumping syndrome. Medications such as acarbose or octreotide can be taken to treat dumping syndrome. Acarbose is a medication that slows the digestion of carbohydrates, while octreotide is an antidiarrheal medication.
Surgery can also be used to treat dumping syndrome.
Viral Gastroenteritis
Viral gastroenteritis, commonly known as the stomach flu, is a condition marked by watery diarrhea, stomach pain or cramps and a fever, says the Mayo Clinic. Viral gastroenteritis can also cause headaches, muscles aches, vomiting or nausea.
Consuming contaminated water or foods can lead to viral gastroenteritis. Specifically, the rotovirus is the most common virus causing diarrhea in infants and children, says the Mayo Clinic. The norovirus can make a person ill within 18 to 72 hours.
Avoiding certain foods while letting the stomach rest is a conservative approach for managing viral gastroenteritis. Drinking clear liquids to rehydrate the body and following a BRAT (bananas, rice, apple sauce and tea) diet can help manage viral gastroenteritis.
