Overindulging in certain foods or beverages and overeating in terms of larger than normal quantities of food intake can lead to diarrhea for several reasons. Sometimes this diarrhea can start during or immediately after eating, while at other times it may arise hours or even a day or two later. There may be no signs of an >> Read More ...
The consistency of bowel movement is a good indicator of bowel health as is the frequency of bowel movements and even the color of stool. Normally stool should be soft but firm. However, there are cases where some people may experience either extreme – very soft stool that cannot maintain its form and may even be >> Read More ...
Peptic ulcer disease is a common problem of the stomach and duodenum (first part of the small intestine). It is estimated that at least 10% of the American population has a duodenal ulcer, the most common type of peptic ulcer, at any one time. One of the complications of a peptic ulcer is that it may bleed. As a result >> Read More ...
The stool has a number of different substances including wastes, indigestible foods like fiber, mucus, water and bacteria. Blood should not be present, even though some of the components of blood cell breakdown such as bilirubin, may be present. When blood is seen in the bowel movement or detected with medical tests then >> Read More ...
Bile is a greenish-yellow fluid that is secreted from the duodenum, which is the first part of the small intestine. The duodenum is connected to the end of the stomach so under normal conditions bile should not enter the stomach. However, in a condition known as bile reflux it may enter the stomach and even reach up as >> Read More ...
Most of us experience an upset stomach every now and then, and usually it is not a cause for concern. Although we tend to refer to it as indigestion or by other common everyday terms like a queasy stomach, the underlying problem may not always be due to a digestive problem. Sometimes a queasy stomach is more than just >> Read More ...
Stomach ulcers are a common digestive problem and can cause significant discomfort. Sometimes these ulcers, which are open sores, may bleed. This can continue intermittently for weeks and even months. However, in some cases it can arise suddenly and be severe. As with any blood loss, this can be dangerous. For high risk >> Read More ...
Appendicitis affects about 7% of the American population at some point in their life with about 250,000 new cases occurring every year. It tends to occur in teens and young adults more often than in children and older adults. Overall men are slightly more at risk than women are of dveloping appendicitis. Appendicitis can >> Read More ...
Gastritis is a relatively common stomach condition among adults and can also affect children. The stomach wall becomes inflamed in gastritis and there may even be open sores (ulcers) that form in the wall. Gastritis can be acute or chronic, with the latter often associated with H.pylori >> Read More ...
Having an accident with bowel movements is not only embarrassing and inconvenient but it is also an indication that there is an underlying medical problem. Most children are toilet trained by the age of 4 years and bowel accidents are rare later in childhood, except when it occurs with diarrheal illnesses like >> Read More ...
