Gastroenterology deals with the treatment of digestive system and its disorders. It is a branch of medicine which mainly deals with organs in the gastrointestinal tract, which includes organs from mouth to anus, the way food takes from kits injection to excretion.
Who are gastroenterologists?
Physicians, mainly dedicated to the area of gastroenterology are called gastroenterologists. They usually have great experiences as they have completed about eight years of study, that is medical and premedical education, a one-year internship, three years of an internal medicine residency, and two to three years of the gastroenterology fellowship.
Some common conditions in gastroenterology malfunction include:
- Acid Reflux, heartburn
- Dyspepsia/ Indigestion
- Diarrhoea (acute and chronic)
- Nausea and vomiting
- Peptic Ulcer disease
- Abdominal Pain Syndrome
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| Gastroenterology |
Acid reflux/ heartburn
It is a condition when acid from the stomach enters into the esophagus. People feel a burning sensation in their chest area when a significant amount of the digestive acid flows into the esophagus. It is a feeling of discomfort, due to the burning sensation behind the breastbone, sometimes, one may experience a bitter or sour taste in the throat. These symptoms may last for several hours.
Related Article: (When should you visit a Gastroenterologist)
Cause:
- If the wall of the esophagus comes in contact with the acid present in the stomach juice, for an extended period, the esophagus is injured, which produces a burning discomfort.
Dyspepsia/Indigestion
It is the condition of fullness during a meal, uncomfortable fullness after meals, and a burning or painful sensation in the upper abdominal area. Dyspepsia is common for adults and especially office workers who have zero ground work, and their body does not get enough exercise.
Symptoms of Indigestion are:
- Heavy fullness after a meal
- Fullness during a meal
- Epigastric pain (Epigastric area is the area between the lower end of the chest bone and the navel.)
- Epigastric burning.
Diarrhoea
Diarrhoea lasting less than two weeks is known as acute diarrhea. Worldwide it is a primary reason for child deaths, especially of children under four years of age.
Chronic diarrhea is the type that lasts more than four weeks.
In diarrhea, stools are watery or loose and take the shape of the container. The number of stools also increases. Associated symptoms include abdominal cramps, fever, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and urgency.
Chronic diarrhea brings weight loss, malnutrition, abdominal pain, many such health concerns.
During acute diarrhea, taking plenty of fluid with sugar and salt can help. Milk and dairy products must be avoided, treatment of severe diarrhea is simple, and the above method can help, or anti-diarrhoeal drug therapy can help curb acute symptoms, but in case of chronic diarrhea, its causes determine the way of treatment.
Nausea and vomiting
Nausea can be described as an unpleasant want to vomit. Moreover, in case of vomiting, there is a rejection of undigested or semi-digested food from the stomach. Vomiting generally occurs as a preventive step for the body, to reject unwanted material, but also may occur due to various infectious and inflammatory conditions of the body.
Causes:
- Medicines and medication
- Gastrointestinal tract infection
- Infections outside digestive tract which include, pneumonia, bladder and kidney infection, meningitis and ear infections.
- Food poisoning
- Pregnancy
- Motion sickness
- Alcohol intoxication
- Inflation of Abdominal organs
- Blockage in intestine
Peptic Ulcer Disease
Ulcer means open sore. Peptic means related to acid. Here, peptic shows that the problem is similar to acid. Gastroenterologists use just the word ‘ulcer’ for ‘peptic ulcer.' Peptic ulcer, mainly, is of two common types ‘gastric ulcers’ and ‘duodenal ulcers.' The name refers to the location of the ulcer.
Gastric ulcers are the ones located in the stomach while duodenal ulcers are found in the starting area of the small intestine (also called the small bowel), known as the duodenum. The Same person may have both the ulcers at the same time.
Bleeding is a significant symptom of peptic ulcer disease apart from nausea and vomiting.
Abdominal pain syndrome
Most of the times we have no idea about the movement of the food in our abdomen, but sometimes, our nerves may transmit this as an unpleasant situation in our body, due to which our brain may feel pain or discomfort. Mild pain or chronic pain is not a serious cause for concern. Severe pain must be brought to the notice of your doctor.
Causes:
- Functional problem of the abdomen
- Inflammatory condition of the upper abdomen
- Cancers of the upper abdomen
- Vascular issues
- Pelvic problems in women.
Dr. Susan Ng, a Gastroenterologist in East Bay, states that any gastroenterologist has to be well trained and has to perform many diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, like colonoscopy, endoscopy, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), endoscopic ultrasound and liver biopsy to treat the digestive concerns accurately.
References:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastroenterology
- http://www.eastbaygi.com/procedures/
- http://www.healthcommunities.com/general-gi-symptoms/what-is-a-gastroenterologist.shtml
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