Please save your profile to prevent losing your data!
Pancreatitis inflames the pancreas, causing digestive enzymes to attack the tissue that produces them. Pancreatitis is considered chronic when the pancreas becomes scarred.
While the cause cannot always be determined, chronic pancreatitis is often caused by years of alcohol abuse. Repeat episodes of acute pancreatitis can lead to a chronic condition. Genetics may also be a factor in some cases.
Chronic pancreatitis is more common in men than women, often developing in people ages 30 to 40.
Pancreatitis inflames the pancreas, causing digestive enzymes to attack the tissue that produces them. Acute pancreatitis occurs soon after the pancreas becomes damaged by its own enzymes.
Most of the time, the enzymes produced by the pancreas are only active after they reach the small intestine, where they are needed to digest food. But when these enzymes somehow become active inside the pancreas, they eat (and digest) the tissue of the pancreas, causing swelling, bleeding (hemorrhage), and damage to the pancreas and its blood vessels.
Constipation is most often defined as having a bowel movement less than 3 times per week, and is usually is associated with hard stools or difficulty passing stools.
Crohn’s disease is inflammation of any part of the digestive track. It is often found in the intestines where the small intestine and the colon meet, causing pain and discomfort.
While the exact cause of Crohn’s disease is unknown, this autoimmune disorder is linked to a problem with the body’s immune system response. Instead of protecting the body, the immune system’s overactive response causes chronic inflammation.
There are many causes of diarrhea, and while treatment can be very simple, special testing may be required if diarrhea is constant, ongoing, explosive or severe.
The most common cause of diarrhea is viral gastroenteritis, a mild viral infection known as the stomach flu. Food poisoning and traveler’s diarrhea are two other common causes of diarrhea, resulting from the consumption of contaminated food or water. Medications, especially antibiotics, laxatives containing magnesium, and chemotherapy for cancer treatment, can also cause diarrhea.
Diverticulosis develops when small pouches form in the walls of the large intestine or colon, trapping undigested food or waste and leading to inflammation or infection.
Diverticulitis is caused by inflammation or a small tear in a diverticulum, often the result of high or abnormal pressure in the colon. If the tear is large, stool in the colon can spill into the abdominal cavity, causing infection or inflammation.
Acid reflux (Gastroesophageal reflux or GER) is when your stomach contents come back up into your esophagus. In more severe cases, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a long-lasting condition in which GER causes repeated symptoms or leads to complications over time which is diagnosed as acid reflux disease.
Heartburn is a common sign of acid reflux or GERD. And while occasional heartburn is no cause for concern, frequent heartburn could be a sign of reflux disease – and a sign that you should see your doctor.
When you eat, food passes through the esophagus from the throat to the stomach, where a ring of muscle fibers, the sphincter, prevents food from moving back into the esophagus. If this sphincter muscle doesn’t close well, food, liquid and stomach acid can leak back into the esophagus.
Hemorrhoids are a very common problem, with swollen veins in the anal canal causing pain and discomfort.
Hemorrhoids result from increased pressure in the veins of the anus. The pressure causes the veins to bulge and expand, making them painful – especially while sitting.
The liver performs many essential functions, and when it becomes inflamed due to hepatitis, there is cause for concern. There are many types of viral hepatitis, including A, B and C.
Hepatitis can be caused by:
When functioning properly, the muscles of the digestive tract contract to move food through. IBS occurs when normal digestive tract motility is disrupted, causing uncomfortable symptoms that affect about1 in 6 Americans.
There are many possible causes of IBS. For example, there may be a problem with muscles in the intestine, or the intestine may be more sensitive to stretching or movement.
This type of inflammatory bowel disease occurs in the rectum and affects the colon as well. Ulcerative colitis typically starts in the rectal area and may spread to involve the entire large intestine over time.
The cause is unknown, but ulcerative colitis is often linked to problems with the immune system. However, it is not clear whether immune problems cause this illness. Although stress and certain foods can trigger symptoms, they do not cause ulcerative colitis.
Charleston GI information on Health Beyond Insurance (HBI) platform is intended for consumers to connect with Charleston GI, and to provide helpful information to consumers regarding providers' products and services. HBI does not endorse, guarantee, or warrant the products or services of Charleston GI, and HBI is not an agent, or representative of, or otherwise responsible for or on behalf of, Charleston GI. HBI never makes any medical decisions for you or on your behalf, nor does HBI ever take any medical action in response to information transmitted or received by the Charleston GI. HBI does not take part in any medical diagnoses, procedures, or recommendations, or in any medical, prescription, service.