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
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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
- 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
- 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
- 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
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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/
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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/
- Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS)(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=tips
- Digestive Health Tips(American College of Gastroenterology) - http://www.acg.gi.org/patients/healthtips.asp
- 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
- 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
- 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/
- Atlas of the Body: The Digestive System(American Medical Association) - http://www.medem.com/medlb/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZ7C4T46JC&sub_cat=511
- Take the Core Quiz: What's Your Core Score?(American Gastroenterological Association) - http://www.gastro.org/wmspage.cfm?parm1=671
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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
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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
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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
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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
- 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 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
- 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
- GI Disorders: Glossary of Terms(International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders) - http://www.iffgd.org/site/learning-center/glossary
- 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
- 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/
- Digestive Diseases Materials(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://catalog.niddk.nih.gov/materials.cfm?CH=NDDIC
- FASTATS: Digestive Disorders(National Center for Health Statistics) - http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/digestiv.htm
- 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
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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
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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
- What Everyone Should Know about Gastrointestinal Disorders in Women(American College of Gastroenterology) - http://www.acg.gi.org/patients/gihealth/women.asp
- 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
- 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