Your colon includes lining tissue surrounded by involuntary muscle, which propels fecal matter toward your rectum. Diverticula are small outpouchings of the colon that arise from weak areas in the muscular wall. Although diverticula can occur...
Colon cancer is a potentially curable disease if it is caught in early stages. This is the reason the American Cancer Society has recommended screening people starting at age 50. The symptoms of colon cancer vary according to location of the...
Colon cancer is the third-most common cancer in both men and women in the United States. For men it is surpassed by prostate and lung cancer, and for women by breast and lung cancer. Though not preventable, colon cancer has a high cure rate when...
Entocort (generic name budesonide), also known as Entocort EC, is the sole prescription medication that is approved by the FDA to treat mild and moderate cases of Crohn's disease that affects the ileum and ascending colon, according to the product...
Inversion therapy consists of hanging upside down, secured to a specially designed table, to help fight the negative effects that gravity has on your body. Inversion therapy was used as early as 400 B.C. by Hippocrates to treat his patients,...
A healthy colon makes for a happy person, and psyllium husk can help keep your colon functioning as it should. Considered a laxative, this food provides a variety of benefits both for your colon function and other processes. Consult your...
Exercise prior to a sigmoid colon resection is considered good for your health -- right up until the day before your surgery, provided you are feeling well enough to do so. A variety of exercises can be performed as tolerated, such as running,...
Colon cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the Western world and the second-leading cause of cancer deaths. More common among women, incidence of colon cancer begins to rise at age 40 and peaks between ages 60 and 75. Early...
Abdominal pain is common complaint in many emergency rooms. The nature and severity of the pain often varies according to the underlying condition causing the pain. Right upper quadrant (RUQ) abdominal pain, depending on the cause, may require...
Described by Medline Plus, the large intestine is composed of five segments: the cecum, ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon and the sigmoid colon. The primary function of the large intestine is to absorb the remaining water from...
Over 500,000 Americans have some type of ostomy, according to 2008 information from the United Ostomy Association, with 36 percent having a colostomy, a surgically created opening that diverts stool from the colon into a pouch worn on the body...
Your colon is a vital part of your body, as its role is to get rid of all the waste material from whatever you consume. More specifically, it removes water from your digesting food particles and bulks up your stools. There is much potentially...
Nutrition is a crucial part of any recovery from surgery, and surgery on the digestive tract requires careful nutritional management. Your intestines are healing from trauma and need good nutrition to aid in the healing process. Talk with your...
When most people think of the digestive system, they think of the stomach. Though the stomach is an important part of the digestive tract, it's not the biggest or most important. There are many parts to the digestive tract, starting in the mouth...
Colon polyps are small fleshy growths of tissue that from the tissue lining the intestinal tract. Polyps generally cause no symptoms and do no harm unless they turn cancerous. Most polyps are detected and removed during a routine screening...
When a patient has a diseased gastrointestinal system or dysfunctioning bladder, a surgical opening must be made so that waste products can exit the body. An ostomy defines the surgically created opening, while a stoma defines the actual...
Yoga works the body while creating a balance between your physical body and mental capacity. While some people experience greater peace by saying chants, the focus on your breathing and relaxation reduces stress, restores energy to your body and...
Colon cleansing is the practice of removing waste matter from the colon. According to the Colonic Cleansing Organization, there are two ways to do this. Enemas force fluid into the colon through the anus to flush the waste from the colon....
A colon polyp is an abnormal growth in the lining of the bowel. Colon polyps are a risk factor for developing colon cancer. Colorectal cancers are the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Despite advances in...
The human body is composed of millions of cells, myriad tissues, and numerous organs; some have unique functions, other functions are coordinated, and some functions overlap. Therefore, a classification of organ systems is not definitive. For...
Coffee enemas have become a popular form of liver, bowel and colon cleansing. Although many holistic claims are made regarding the beneficial aspects of coffee enemas, there is no hard scientific proof that they actually detoxify any of the...
In their 2010 textbook "The Science and Philosophy of Teaching Yoga and Toga Therapy," Jacqueline Koay and Theodora Barenholtz describe yoga as a form of exercise designed for any age group, with any health limitations. Seniors looking to start a...
The food you eat must provide your body with nutrition and a usable form of energy. Your intestines are responsible for breaking food down into energy, and into nutrients small enough to be absorbed and used by your body. A properly functioning...
A hemicolectomy is a procedure that involves the surgical removal of a portion of either the ascending or descending colon, depending on if you are getting a right or left hemicolectomy. This surgery is often performed on individuals suffering...
Surgical procedures like a colectomy are often required to address digestive issues or condition in the colon, also known as the large intestine. Some of the most common reasons for a partial colectomy includes conditions like colon cancer,...
Reflexology is a touch science. The earliest evidence of Reflexology comes from China, circa 2700 BCE. The reflex is stimulated by direct pressure to the particular point. On the palm and wrist there are some 45 reflex points, and on the back...
The large intestine, or colon, is the end segment of your digestive system before waste is eliminated from the anus. It runs from the small intestine to the rectum and includes the ascending, transverse and descending colon. The primary functions...
Ostomies are surgically created openings that divert body fluid and waste materials through the abdominal wall. Ostomies are used to divert waste products from the large and small intestine, and from the urinary tract, after parts of the...
The last segment of your digestive system includes your bowel, which is also referred to as the large intestine, or colon. The colon stores waste from digested foods and empties waste into the rectum for elimination. Risk of bowel cancer increases...
Constipation is the condition of experiencing hard feces which are difficult to pass. Learn remedies and treatment options for constipation in this health video.
