How Disease Affects Your Tract
When disease strikes, it can have a profound impact on your digestive tract. Here are some common ways that diseases can affect your tract:
Infections: Infectious diseases, such as food poisoning, bacterial infections, and viral infections, can irritate and inflame your digestive tract. This can cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and fever.
Ulcers: Ulcers are sores that can develop in the lining of your stomach or small intestine. They can be caused by a variety of factors, including infection with the bacteria Helicobacter pylori, excessive use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and certain medical conditions. Ulcers can cause abdominal pain, bloating, and indigestion.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): IBS is a common functional disorder of the digestive tract. It is characterised by recurrent abdominal pain, diarrhoea, and/or constipation. The exact cause of IBS is unknown, but it is thought to be related to abnormalities in the gut-brain interaction.
Crohn's disease: Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that can affect any part of the digestive tract, from the mouth to the anus. Symptoms of Crohn's disease can include abdominal pain, diarrhoea, weight loss, fever, and fatigue.
Ulcerative colitis: Ulcerative colitis is another chronic IBD that affects the colon and rectum. Symptoms of ulcerative colitis can include diarrhoea, abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, and weight loss.
Diverticular disease: Diverticular disease is a condition in which small pouches (diverticula) form in the wall of the colon. These pouches can become inflamed or infected, leading to symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhoea, and constipation.
Colorectal cancer: Colorectal cancer is a cancer that starts in the colon or rectum. Symptoms of colorectal cancer can include changes in bowel habits, such as diarrhoea or constipation, blood in the stool, abdominal pain, and weight loss.
Celiac disease: Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that causes damage to the small intestine when gluten is consumed. Symptoms of celiac disease can include diarrhoea, weight loss, bloating, and abdominal pain.