Digestive Diseases (Print Version)

Also called: Also called: Gastrointestinal diseases

When you eat, your body breaks food down to a form it can use to build and nourish cells and provide energy. This process is called digestion.

Your digestive system is a series of hollow organs joined in a long, twisting tube. It runs from your mouth to your anus and includes your esophagus, stomach, and small and large intestines. Your liver, gallbladder and pancreas are also involved. They produce juices to help digestion.

There are many types of digestive disorders. The symptoms vary widely depending on the problem. In general, you should see your doctor if you have

Blood in your stool
Changes in bowel habits
Severe abdominal pain
Unintentional weight loss
Heartburn not relieved by antacids

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Start Here

Your Digestive System and How It Works(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/yrdd/
Also available in Spanish http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/spanish/pubs/yrdd/index.htm

Overviews

About GI Motility(International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders) - http://www.aboutgimotility.org/site/about-gi-motility/
Facts and Fallacies about Digestive Diseases(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/facts/index.htm
Gastrointestinal Disorders(Cleveland Clinic Foundation) - http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/gastrointestinal_tract_disorders/hic_gastrointestinal_disorders.aspx
Also available in Spanish http://my.clevelandclinic.org/es_/disorders/gastrointestinal_tract_disorders/hic_gastrointestinal_disorders.aspx

Latest News

Powerful Antacid Drugs Raise Fracture Risk(08/11/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_68025.html
Breast-Fed Babies Have Fewer Gastrointestinal Infections(07/18/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_67142.html

Diagnosis/Symptoms

Abdominal Pain, Long-Term(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/tools/symptom/528.printerview.html
Abdominal Pain, Short-Term(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/tools/symptom/527.printerview.html
Diagnostic Laparoscopy(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/laparoscopy/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/laparoscopyspanish/htm/index.htm
ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography)(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/ercp/
Esophageal Manometry Test(Cleveland Clinic Foundation) - http://my.clevelandclinic.org/services/esophageal_manometry_test/hic_esophageal_manometry_test.aspx
Flexible Sigmoidoscopy(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/sigmoidoscopy/
Lower GI Series (Barium Enema)(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/lowergi/
Stool Color: When to Worry(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/stool-color/AN00772/METHOD=print
Stool Tests(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/sick/labtest8.html
Upper Endoscopy(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/upperendoscopy/
Upper GI Endoscopy(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/uppergiendoscopy/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/uppergiendoscopyspanish/htm/index.htm
Upper GI Series(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/uppergi/

Treatment

Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS)(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=tips

Prevention/Screening

Digestive Health Tips(American College of Gastroenterology) - http://www.acg.gi.org/patients/healthtips.asp

Nutrition

Healthy Eating for the Digestive System(Cleveland Clinic Foundation) - http://my.clevelandclinic.org/healthy_living/nutrition/hic_healthy_eating_for_the_digestive_system.aspx
Vitamins and Minerals in the Prevention and Management of Gastrointestinal Diseases(Cleveland Clinic Foundation) - http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/cirrhosis/hic_vitamins_and_minerals_in_the_prevention_and_management_of_gi_diseases.aspx

Specific Conditions

Blind Loop Syndrome(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/blind-loop-syndrome/DS00629/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/cvs/index.htm
Intestinal Adhesions(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/intestinaladhesions/
Intestinal Obstruction(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/intestinal-obstruction/DS00823/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
Mesenteric Ischemia(Society for Vascular Surgery) - http://www.vascularweb.org/patients/NorthPoint/Mesenteric_Ischemia.html
Short Bowel Syndrome(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/shortbowel/index.htm
Whipple's Disease(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/whipple/index.htm

Related Issues

Make the Best Choice for Your Endoscopic Procedure(American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy) - http://www.asge.org/PatientInfoIndex.aspx?id=376
Smoking and Your Digestive System(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/smoking/

Pictures & Photographs

Atlas of the Body: The Digestive System(American Medical Association) - http://www.medem.com/medlb/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZ7C4T46JC&sub_cat=511

Health Check Tools

Take the Core Quiz: What's Your Core Score?(American Gastroenterological Association) - http://www.gastro.org/wmspage.cfm?parm1=671

Tutorials

Diagnostic Laparoscopy(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/laparoscopy/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/laparoscopyspanish/htm/index.htm
Digestive System: The Inside Story(Johns Hopkins Medicine) - Requires media player - http://hopkins-gi.nts.jhu.edu/images/shared/home/database/digestiveSystem.html
Upper GI Endoscopy(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/uppergiendoscopy/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/uppergiendoscopyspanish/htm/index.htm

Anatomy/Physiology

Digestive System(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body_basics/digestive.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/general/digestive_esp.html
Your Digestive System and How It Works(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/yrdd/
Also available in Spanish http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/spanish/pubs/yrdd/index.htm

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Digestive System Diseases(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Digestive+System+Diseases%22
ClinicalTrials.gov: Gastrointestinal Diseases(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Gastrointestinal+Diseases%22
ClinicalTrials.gov: Intestinal Diseases(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Intestinal+Diseases%22

Genetics

Genetics Home Reference: Glucose-galactose malabsorption(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=glucosegalactosemalabsorption
Genetics Home Reference: Mitochondrial neurogastrointestinal encephalopathy disease(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=mitochondrialneurogastrointestinalencephalopathydisease

Journal Articles

References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Article: Gallstones: healthy choices help sidestep surgery. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18792449&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: The clinical management of dysphagia in primary care. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18773758&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Health-related quality of life in patients treated for enterocutaneous fistula. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18763244&tool=MedlinePlus
Digestive Diseases -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=digestive+system+diseases[majr]+NOT+(stomach+diseases[mh]+OR+peptic+ulcer[mh]+OR+hepatitis[mh]+OR+gastroenteritis[mh]+OR+gastrointestinal+neoplasms[mh]+OR+liver+diseases[mh]+OR+hernia[mh]+OR+ostomy[mh]+OR+pancreatic+diseases[mh]+OR+rectal+diseases[mh]+OR+celiac+disease[mh]+OR+heartburn[mh]+OR+gastroesophageal+reflux[mh]+OR+irritable+bowel+syndrome[mh])+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(jsubsetk[text]+OR+review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus

Dictionaries/Glossaries

GI Disorders: Glossary of Terms(International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders) - http://www.iffgd.org/site/learning-center/glossary

Directories

American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy: Find a Doctor(American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy) - http://www.asge.org/Apps/FindADoctor/search.aspx
Directory of Digestive Disease Organizations for Patients(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/resources/patient.htm
GI Physician Locator(American College of Gastroenterology) - http://www.acg.gi.org/patients/phylocator.asp

Organizations

American College of Gastroenterology - http://www.acg.gi.org/
American Gastroenterological Association - http://www.gastro.org/
National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/

Newsletters/Print Publications

Digestive Diseases Materials(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://catalog.niddk.nih.gov/materials.cfm?CH=NDDIC

Statistics

FASTATS: Digestive Disorders(National Center for Health Statistics) - http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/digestiv.htm

Children

Digestive and Liver Disorders(Children's Hospital of Philadelphia) - http://www.chop.edu/consumer/your_child/condition_section_index.jsp?id=-8600
Digestive Tract Defects(Merck & Co., Inc.) - http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec23/ch265/ch265e.html
Intestinal Malrotation(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/digestive/malrotation.html
Intussusception(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/system/surgical/intussusception.html
What Causes Hiccups?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/qa/hiccup.html
What Is a Pediatric Gastroenterologist?(American Academy of Pediatrics) - Links to PDF - http://www.aap.org/family/WhatisPedGastroDoc.pdf
Your Digestive System(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/digestive_system.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/cuerpo/digest_esp.html

Teenagers

Digestive System(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_body/body_basics/digestive_system.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/en_espanol/cuerpo/digestive_system_esp.html

Women

What Everyone Should Know about Gastrointestinal Disorders in Women(American College of Gastroenterology) - http://www.acg.gi.org/patients/gihealth/women.asp

Seniors

Digestive Disorders: Aging Effects(Merck & Co., Inc.) - http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec09/ch118/ch118j.html
Disorders of the Digestive System(AGS Foundation for Health in Aging) - http://www.healthinaging.org/agingintheknow/chapters_ch_trial.asp?ch=47

You may also be interested in these MedlinePlus related pages:

Celiac Disease - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/celiacdisease.html
Colonic Diseases - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/colonicdiseases.html
Constipation - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/constipation.html
Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/diverticulosisanddiverticulitis.html
Gas - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/gas.html
Gastroenteritis - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/gastroenteritis.html
GERD - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/gerd.html
Indigestion - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/indigestion.html
Liver Diseases - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/liverdiseases.html
Peptic Ulcer - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/pepticulcer.html
Stomach Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/stomachdisorders.html
Digestive System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/digestivesystem.html

The primary NIH organization for research on Digestive Diseases is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/

Digestive Diseases - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/digestivediseases.html