Abdominal pain, increased bowel sounds and gas after eating are all symptoms that may be the result of one or more digestive condition. The most common cause for these symptoms is food intolerances, which primarily affect the digestive system....
A stethoscope is a piece of medical equipment used to listen to different sounds inside the body. It was invented by Rene Theophile Hyacinthe Laennec in 1816. Prior to the invention of the stethoscope, doctors sometimes placed their ear directly...
According to "Schwartz's Principles of Surgery," obstruction is the most common surgical disorder of the small intestine. It can result from a variety of pathologic conditions, including those which originate within the bowel itself and those...
Often associated with hunger, the sounds coming from the abdominal region can be annoying and even a little embarrassing. Yet the presence of most abdominal sounds is completely normal and shows that your digestive system is doing its job. In some...
A hysterectomy removes a woman's uterus due to a variety of medical complications ranging from cancer to infection. Part of the reproductive system, the uterus carries a baby during pregnancy. After a hysterectomy, a woman will no longer be able...
The surgical removal of the stomach is caused by peptic ulcer disease, trauma or cancer. The entire stomach or part of the stomach is removed in a gastrectomy. Monitoring the surgical site is important, as is your post-operative diet....
Blockage of the small bowel, or small bowel obstruction, is a blockage in the small intestine that impedes the normal passage of fluid and digested material. The blockage is categorized as partial or complete. Most partial small bowel obstructions...
Trauma to the abdominal area may cause a serious, life-threatening injury that may go untreated because immediate symptoms may not be evident. The membranous peritoneum surrounds some organs suspended from the abdominal wall, and others such as...
Blood pressure is the measurement of the force that blood exerts on the blood vessels each time the heart beats. Blood pressure measurements are taken in doctors’ offices, clinics and hospitals and can even be taken at home. Several...
Lactose is a natural sugar found in milk and other dairy products. Chemically, lactose is a disaccharide composed of two monosaccharides: glucose and galactose. Normally, lactose is split into glucose and galactose in your intestine by a...
Abdominal pain is a common complaint. The causes of abdominal pain are usually benign, but certain signs and symptoms should alert you to the possibility of a serious condition. Other characteristics of the pain that are important in assessing...
The gallbladder's main function is to filter bile, a digestive fluid produced by the liver. A malfunctioning gallbladder may lead to gall stones. Symptoms include severe abdominal pain and nausea. Surgical removal of the gallbladder, also known as...
Abdominal pain is one of the most common complaints of patients who call 911. EMTs and paramedics commonly see and treat abdominal pain from numerous causes and are well educated in the etiology and symptoms associated with pain in the abdominal...
Endometriosis is the growth of endometrial tissue outside the uterus. Endometrial tissue is normally found of the inside of the uterus, but can travel to other locations. The ovary, because of its proximity to the uterus, is one of the most common...
Approximately 5 percent of all Americans will develop appendicitis. The Merck Manual states that before surgery and antibiotics were readily available, 50 percent of those patients would die, a rate that is now almost zero. Rupture, the most...
Gastroschisis, an abnormal opening in the abdominal wall that allows the intestines to extrude from the body, occurs in around 1 in 5,000 births, the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin (CHW) states. The opening usually occurs to the right of the...
Rapidly developing inflammation of the gallbladder is called acute cholecystitis. This condition most often develops when a gallstone lodges in the duct that permits outflow of bile from the gallbladder. Without a way to release bile, the...
Dangerously high blood glucose levels--over 300 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL)--can cause life-threatening complications. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) occurs mostly in type 1 diabetics, but can occur in type 2 diabetics in some cases. In DKA,...
Bowel obstruction is the cessation of movement of food through a person's small or large bowel. It is an absolute medical emergency that sometimes requires surgery. Because it can occur in both large and small bowel, it is divided into the two...
Small bowel obstruction occurs when the intestine loses function as a result of either partial or complete blockage. Postoperative scar tissue causes most bowel obstructions and can happen anywhere from four weeks to many years after surgery. An...
Although sounds of gurgling, rumbling and sloshing coming from within your body might be embarrassing, Dr. Robert Shmerling reports for InteliHealth that these sounds should actually make you feel comforted. In most cases, they mean things are...
A hysterectomy is a procedure involving surgical removal of your uterus. Surgeons usually perform this if you have a tumor in your uterus, an infection or endometriosis. Like most surgeries, you receive anesthesia and will not be able to eat solid...
Both colic and reflux can test a new parent's stamina and patience, but the conditions have very different symptoms. Colic is characterized by general irritability late in the afternoon. A colicky baby is content in the morning, but seems to wind...
Doctors use various terms to describe specific areas of the body, including your belly. Health professionals use these terms to localize pain or tenderness in injured or diseased muscles, blood vessels and organs. Your upper abdomen is between...
Abdominal pain in children is a common medical problem. According to the University of Michigan Health System, about one in three children sees a doctor for abdominal pain by age 15. The characteristics of the pain, along with its onset, location...
The gallbladder stores bile that is produced in the liver, and the bile is then secreted into the intestines to help with the digestion of fat. Having gallstones can lead to the need for your gallbladder to be removed, in a surgery called a...
The gallbladder is an organ located near the liver that stores bile. Bile, which is manufactured in the liver, is an emulsifier that prepares fats and oils for digestion. When you eat fat, the gallbladder gets a hormonal signal to release bile...
The appendix is a small, nonessential organ attached to the bowel. When it becomes inflamed or infected, the appendix should be removed so that it will not rupture, causing a generalized infection of the abdomen called peritonitis, notes the...
The gallbladder is located on the underside of the liver on the right side of the abdomen. The liver produces bile, which is then stored in the gallbladder. When there is food in the intestines, the gallbladder secretes the bile to help with the...
