Normal Urge to Defecate

The need to have a bowel movement is first marked by an urging. This sensation compels a person to find suitable toilet facilities so that defecation can occur. There are a number of reasons why this sensation occurs including :

• Stretching of the wall of the colon as waste and water accumulates in it.
• Increased pressure within the abdomen (intra-abdominal pressure).
• Defecation reflexes which are stimulation of the bowels by nerve signals.
• Filling of the rectum with feces.

These triggers for the defecation urge is considered normal. It occurs on daily basis for most people and facilitates the process of stool evacuation. The rectum fills with stool and the external and internal anal sphincters relax allowing stool to pass out into the environment. Once all of the stool in the rectum has been passed out, the defecation urge sensation subsides completely.

continue reading Defecation Urge, Persistent and Constant Need to Pass Stool

Normal Stomach Activity

The stomach is a hollow sac with muscular walls that can contract and relax in order to help with digestion and motility. Food enters the stomach after passing down the esophagus (food pipe). Once in the stomach, the food needs to be crushed (mechanical digestion) and churned with digestive enzymes (chemical digestion). Eventually the partially digested food mixed with digestive enzymes, gastric acid and water is passed out of the stomach and into the first part of the small intestine known as the duodenum. This semi-fluid mass is known as chyme.

The movement of the chyme into the duodenum is carefully controlled by the action of the stomach muscles through the narrow terminal part of the stomach known as the pylorus. It is regulated by the opening and closing of the pylorus in a manner that is referred to as the pyloric pump while the muscles in the other parts of the stomach pushes the chyme through it. This process is known as gastric emptying. In this way only chyme passes into the stomach and undigested food remains in the stomach for further crushing and churning. The entire process is regulated by the certain nerves and hormones that control the action of the stomach muscles, pyloric valve of the stomach as well as the enzymes, acid and water in the stomach.

continue reading Gastroparesis (Stomach Paralysis and Slow Stomach Emptying)

What is a sore stomach?

The stomach is located in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen, largely tucked in under the left ribcage and extending across the midline to slightly protrude into the right upper quadrant. It is part of the alimentary tract which is responsible for the digestion of food, absorption of nutrients and expulsion of waste material in the form of feces. The stomach lies just after the esophagus and leads through to the first part of the small intestine known as the duodenum. There are a number of diseases that can affect the stomach, which often involves the neighboring segments of the alimentary tract – the esophagus and/or duodenum. Discomfort or pain may therefore be present in this specific region and it may be referred to as a sore stomach.

The abdominal cavity contains the most amount of organs within any body cavity. Therefore discomfort or pain of the organs surrounding the stomach, including the overlying muscles and skin, may be also be attributed to the stomach.  However, it is not uncommon for a person to refer to the abdomen as a whole as the ‘stomach’. Therefore pain or discomfort of the abdomen may be referred to as stomach soreness despite the stomach not being involved in some instances.

continue reading Sore Stomach in Pregnancy, Adults and Children

What is the stomach?

The human stomach is a walled sac that is a part of the alimentary tract lying between the esophagus (food pipe) and duodenum (first part of the small intestine). It plays a central role in both mechanical and chemical digestion of food – the process of breaking down food into simpler compounds for absorption into the body.

What is a stomach problem?

The term stomach problem is broadly used to describe any disorder relating to the stomach. It is also commonly used quite loosely to describe upper gastrointestinal symptoms in general. However, these symptoms may not be emanating from the stomach or be associated with any stomach disorder. The word ‘stomach’ is also at times used to refer to the abdomen in general. In this context, stomach problems may also refer to abdominal problems at large.

Stomach Problem Meaning

It is important to know the basic structure, activity and functions of the stomach in order to understand what may be meant by the term ‘stomach problem’. It is used to describe any upper abdominal symptoms, particularly with discomfort or pain that is left sided, any symptoms shortly after eating or when hungry. Although the symptoms are indicative of a gastrointestinal disturbance, some symptoms like pain is non-specific and may be related to surrounding structures. Technically a stomach problem refers to any disturbance or disease of the stomach. However the stomach does not exist in isolation in the alimentary tract and there can be an overlap of diseases although it is attributed mainly to the stomach.

Stomach Anatomy

The stomach is a dilated portion of the alimentary tract that leads from the esophagus. The four main parts of the stomach are the :

• Cardia at the entrance of the stomach.
• Fundus which is the dilated upper portion of the stomach next to the cardia.
• Body which is the largest section of the stomach lying between the parts at either end.
• Pylorus which is at the end of the stomach leading into the duodenum.

Food travels down the esophagus, is then allowed into the stomach by relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and enters the body of the stomach where it undergoes chemical and mechanical digestion. The pylorus carefully regulates the outflow of partially digested food by the action of the pyloric pump.

continue reading Stomach Problem Causes, Types, Symptoms, Treament

Bowel irritation is one of those common terms used by patients that does not identify a specific symptom or condition. It can describe any number of symptoms including diarrhea, loose or frequent stool that do not fit the specific definition of diarrhea, urgency to defecate, feeling of incomplete evacuation, excessive flatulence and abdominal pain or cramping. Normal bowel movements vary from 3 times a day to 3 times a week.  The stool is typically soft but firm, tan to brown in color and is passed out without pain or much strain. Mild abdominal discomfort is not uncommon after eating a very large meal and the passing of flatus (gas) is a normal phenomenon. It is when there is a deviation from the norm and the presence of other bowel-related symptoms that a person may report a bowel irritation without understanding the exact nature of the condition.

continue reading Bowel Irritation Problems Causes and Symptoms