Bacillary dysentery is a bacteria-induced diarrheal illness primarily caused by four species of Shigella: S. dysenteriae, S. sonnei, S. flexneri and S. boydii. Shigellosis is another term for bacillary dysentery. The infecting bacteria cause an...
Inflammatory bowel disease is the medical term for illnesses associated with chronic inflammation of the intestines. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are the two types of inflammatory bowel disease. Both disorders involve damage to the colon...
Stage IV colon cancer is cancer of the colon, which has spread to other organs in the body. Patients diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer have low survival rate--only 20 to 30 percent. Patients diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer also experience...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in five American adults is infected with genital herpes. In some cases, genital herpes involves the anus and surround tissue. Anal herpes is most common among people who engage in...
Colon cancer is a malignancy of the colon, or large intestine, a shallow digestive tube extending from the cecum to the rectum. In most cases, colon cancers begin as polyps, which are growths--clinically known as adenocarcinomas--projecting from...
Endometriosis is the migration of endometrial tissue, the tissue that lines the inside of the uterus, to areas outside the uterus. Endometriosis affects the gastrointestinal (GI) tract in at least 5 percent of cases, the New England Journal of...
Antibiotic-associated olitis, also known as pseudomembranous colitis or C. difficile colitis, is an inflammation of the colon that occurs in some people who have received antibiotic therapy. Taking antibiotics kills many of the beneficial...
Running to the bathroom because of a severe and persistent bout of diarrhea can be extremely inconvenient and even life-threatening if not treated promptly. Diarrhea leads to fluid and electrolyte loss in the body. Certain viruses and inflammation...
Ulcerative colitis is categorized under the broader term inflammatory bowel disease. An ulcer is a lesion or sore that does not heal on its own. These types of sores form on the lining of the intestines, specifically in the rectum and colon, to...
Colitis is the medical term that describes inflammation of the colon, or large intestine. Infectious colitis is inflammation of the colon caused by an infectious agent. These include bacteria, viruses and parasites. Infectious colitis is usually a...
Dysentery, once known as "the bloody flux," causes severe diarrhea. Without proper medical treatment, the worst cases can rapidly cause death due to dehydration. Although dysentery is fairly uncommon in the United States, huge numbers of people in...
Hemorrhoids are a common and often painful condition that affects many Americans. The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons notes that hemorrhoids are enlarged blood vessels in or around your anus or lower rectum. Hemorrhoids can be...
Hemorrhoids are swollen and twisted veins situated in your rectal and anal walls. The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library states that swollen veins occur in these areas due to rises in pressure, and that hemorrhoids -- which can cause pain or...
A gland approximately the size of a walnut, your prostate is located in your genitourinary tract and surrounds a portion of your bladder and urethra, or the tube through which urine passes on its way out of your body. The prostate gland is an...
Lovaza (generic name: omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids) is a supplement used to help lower trigyceride levels in the blood. According to Drugs.com, omega-3 fatty acids are typically contained in foods such as fish and vegetables. Lowering your...
Some conditions can cause upper abdominal pain and back pain. According to the Merck Manuals website, although most abdominal pain is not serious or life-threatening, severe abdominal pain that manifests suddenly usually indicates a serious...
There are many possible causes of sharp stomach or abdominal pain. According to Medline Plus, abdominal pain is pain that's felt anywhere between a person's chest and groin, including the stomach and other organs in the abdominal cavity. In some...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that more than 1.4 million people in the U.S. live with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a group of diseases that affect the intestines in people from 15 to 35. IBD describes disorders...
Colonitis is another name for colitis, which is an inflammation of the large intestines (bowel) that is sometimes classified under the general term inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). According to Cedars Sinai Medical Center, this condition is often...
There are many disorders that can affect the sigmoid colon. The sigmoid colon is an S-shaped portion of the colon near its terminal end, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse website. The website goes on to explain...
Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that causes an inflammation of the intestinal tract. Signs of Crohn's disease may emerge in response to diet or stress, but are likely caused by immune system and inherited factors, according...
MedlinePlus says that abdominal pain usually develops between the chest and groin, and can affect a part of the stomach or spread to all regions of the stomach. The pain can be dull, sharp or cramping. In some people, consuming dairy products or...
Colitis is disease that causes inflammation of the colon leading to digestive upsets and disorders. According to UK Health Care, there is no one specific diet plan to prevent and treat colitis. Individual needs and treatment plans may differ based...
Speculation about the role of diet in ulcerative colitis, or UC, covers every facet of the disease. At one point or another, diet and eating habits were believed to play a role in the origin and cause of UC, control of flares and treatment. Even...