Indigestion definition (dyspepsia, upset stomach) and facts Indigestion can have many different causes. Indigestion (dyspepsia) is a functional disease in which the gastrointestinal (GI) organs, primarily the stomach and first part of the small intestine (and occasionally the esophagus), function abnormally. It is a chronic disease in which the symptoms fluctuate in frequency and intensity...
Bowel incontinence (fecal incontinence) definition Picture of a Person with Bowel Incontinence Fecal incontinence can be defined as the unintentional loss of stool (feces) or gas (flatus). It is often due to a failure of one or more of the components that allow the body to control the evacuation of feces, when it is socially...
Prediabetes definition and facts Readers Comments 2 Share Your Story Prediabetes typically has no symptoms or signs; however, it has been associated with being overweight. The best way to prevent prediabetes is to stay active, eat a healthy low glycemic index diet, and handle stress in healthy ways. Prediabetes means your blood sugar is higher...
Irritable bowel syndrome in children definition and facts* *Irritable bowel syndrome in children facts medical author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD IBS is not a disease; it is a group of symptoms that occur together. Irritable bowel syndrome is a functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorder, meaning it is a problem caused by changes in how the GI...
Inflammatory bowel disease facts The two most common types of inflammatory bowel disease are Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). The intestinal complications of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis differ because of the characteristically dissimilar behaviors of the intestinal inflammation in these two...
Food poisoning facts Food poisoning commonly causes stomach cramps. Food poisoning is a common infectious condition that affects millions of people in the United States each year. Most commonly, people complain of vomiting, diarrhea, and cramping abdominal pain. People should seek medical care if they have an associated fever, blood in their stool (rectal bleeding),...
What facts should I know about nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NASH)? Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, NAFLD) is the accumulation of abnormal amounts of fat within the liver. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease can be divided into isolated fatty liver in which there is only accumulation of fat, and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in...
Endoscopy vs. colonoscopy: What’s the difference? Sometimes endoscopes are cameras on long tubes, but in recent years technology has allowed doctors to mount cameras in small pills to reduce the risk of complications and unpleasantness. Both endoscopy and colonoscopy are nonsurgical procedures that involve use of a flexible tube with a light and camera to...
What are odynophagia and dysphagia? The difference between odynophagia and dysphagia is that dysphagia is difficulty swallowing and odynophagia is painful swallowing. Dysphagia is a medical term that describes difficulty swallowing. It can feel like you have something stuck in your throat or chest that is preventing you from swallowing correctly. There are two types...
What is drug-induced liver disease? Readers Comments 27 Share Your Story Picture of Liver Drug-induced liver diseases are diseases of the liver that are caused by physician-prescribed medications, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, hormones, herbs, illicit (“recreational”) drugs, and environmental toxins. What is the liver? Illustration of the Liver The liver is an organ that is located...