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Diarrhea is a condition where you experience frequent, watery and loose stools that can lead to dehydration. Once the digestive tract begins to empty because of diarrhea, much of the food you've eaten goes undigested. Excessive diarrhea can lead...
Your digestive system uses muscles to mechanically propel food particles, enzymes to break those particles into smaller molecules and cells to absorb the energy and nutrients your body needs to function. Gluten intolerance, a condition known as...
Diarrhea consists of increased amounts and frequency of bowel movements. According to the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center (MSHMC) at Penn State University, typical diarrhea tends to be mild and short-lived. In the case of chronic diarrhea,...
Acid reflux is a condition that occurs when incompletely digested foods pass from your stomach back through to your esophagus or throat. It commonly arises as part of a larger syndrome called gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. Typically,...
Stress changes blood flow within the body. When the body becomes stressed, it channels more blood to the muscles of the arms and legs, causing less blood to go to the stomach. As a result, food is more slowly digested and instead remains in the...
The esophagus, commonly called the food pipe, extends from the mouth to the stomach. Stricture is an abnormal narrowing of the esophagus. Stricture occurs due to scar tissue in the esophagus and affects about 1 in 500 people. There are various...
Colon cleansing is one aspect of the "detoxification" trend in alternative medicine. The theory behind colon cleansing is that toxins can accumulate in the colon from undigested food. These toxins affect the whole body, according to cleansing...
Everyone passes some abdominal gas, although the volume of gas depends on the amount of undigested food that goes into the large intestine. Belching or burping is the most common way of expelling abdominal gas through the mouth. The unpleasant...
Intestinal gas and loose stools often occur simultaneously with a variety of disorders and conditions. Incomplete digestion commonly leads to diarrhea. As undigested food reaches the large intestine, colonic bacteria break down the particles,...
Intestinal gas is the result of poor digestion or swallowing excess air, which can occur while eating, drinking or chewing gum. Gas is usually relieved by burping, belching or passing gas rectally. The Mayo Clinic states that excessive intestinal...
Diverticulitis is the swelling and inflammation of an abnormal protruding pouch found on the wall of the large intestine. These abnormal pouches are known as diverticula and the presence of diverticula in the colon is called diverticulosis....
A gastrectomy is a surgical procedure that can be done to treat certain health problems, such as cancer, peptic ulcers or a hole in your stomach. If you have a gastrectomy, your digestive tract is impaired which may make it harder for you to...
The colon, also known as the "large intestine," is an important part of the digestive tract. After food passes into the colon from the small intestine, water, nutrients and salts are extracted for use by the body. The rest of the material is then...
Your digestive system can malfunction for many reasons, so you'll need a correct diagnosis to put your symptoms into perspective. You may suffer from slow digestion and difficult bowel movements, or food may pass too quickly through your...
Everyone gets flatulence. Certain practices avoid some causes of gas, an often unavoidable inconvenience. Many of the foods that produce gas in the digestive tract include healthy foods necessary in the diet to some degree. Some people may have...
Sometimes, undigested food or swallowed air causes a buildup of excess air in the intestine, leading to abdominal bloating and flatulence, or gas. In many cases, flatulence can be treated with various at-home dietary and over-the-counter remedies;...
Low stomach acid can lead to many health problems, including celiac disease, asthma and constipation. Your body requires stomach acid, also known as hydrochloric acid, to make the enzymes that help break down your food. If you have low levels of...
The majority of people produce between 1 and 4 pt. of gas in the stomach each day. Most of that gas is expelled through burping or passing gas through the rectum, which occurs on average about 14 times a day, according to the National Digestive...
When talking about digestion and food, residue refers to the undigested food and fiber that remains in your digestive tract, adding bulk to your stool. If your doctor wants you to follow a low-residue diet, it means you need to limit amount of...
The Billroth II procedure is a form of weight-loss surgery that removes part of the stomach in an effort to make it a smaller reservoir, and then the jejunum is connected to the newly formed stomach for drainage. Reducing the size of the stomach...
Most commonly associated with a burning sensation in the esophagus and throat, acid reflux is related to a difficulty in the digestion of certain foods. Even though an individual may not have eaten for several hours before going to sleep, acid...
In the 1920s, Dr. William Hay introduced a way of eating that focused on the combination of food groups for optimal nutrition and digestive health. Hay believed that eating the wrong combination of foods would confuse the body and prevent it from...
Indigestion can be uncomfortable, painful and embarrassing. Not only do specific foods lead to indigestion but stress and anxiety play a large role in proper digestion. Homeopathy is an effective, noninvasive way to treat your abdominal complaints...
Malabsorption is the medical term for not digesting and absorbing your food properly. Many types of medical conditions can lead to malabsorption, which typically comes to light when you experience signs and symptoms. Your digestive system is the...
Inflamed intestines can turn your scrumptious meal into a raging aftermath, especially when you eat the wrong foods. Intestinal inflammation is a common symptom among people with gastrointestinal diseases and conditions. Certain foods can...
According to the September 2007 issue of "Scientific American," more than 1.3 billion people worldwide are obese. Dr. Lan Liang of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality says, "Waistlines aren't the only thing poised to balloon in the...
Water is the most essential nutrient for your body, because the average person cannot live without it for more than a few days. The typical recommendation of drinking eight glasses of water per day is arbitrary and depends on many factors....
The symptoms of a congested digestive tract vary from person to person. According to Detox Your Body, the toxins from this congestion can cause low energy and increased fatigue, bloating, stomach discomfort, gas, bad breath and constipation. You...
Diverticulitis is inflammation of the pouches, called diverticula, in the colon or large intestine. Undigested food particles get trapped inside the pouches, causing bleeding, pain, infection and diarrhea, according to Merck Manual. Diverticulitis...
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