Beyond Passing Gas
With such an extensive and diverse system as the digestive system, the possible problems, malfunctions, and diseases that can occur are numerous. Following are just a few of the digestive problems that are commonly encountered.
GERD
A growing disorder in Westernized cultures is gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Basically, this is a chronic heartburn condition. Gastric acid, normally restricted to the stomach where an acid-neutralizing mucus protects the surface lining cells from damage, regurgitates past the lower esophageal sphincter and into the esophagus. Cells of the esophagus are not protected from the acid and the result is a burning sensation.
Dangers of GERD
In addition to the discomfort GERD causes, the long-term exposure of the esophageal tissue to acid may lead to esophageal cancer.
GERD is often a result of an expanded hiatus or even a hiatal hernia, where portions of the stomach project through the hiatus in the diaphragm and into the thoracic cavity. Normally, the lower esophageal sphincter is at the same level as the hiatus, and as a result the muscle of the diaphragm provides extra support for closing this important valve and keeping acid in the stomach. Repair of such a defect is often enough to resolve the GERD.
In other cases, an overproduction of acid because of diet or lifestyle can increase the occurrence of acid flowing into the esophagus. Medications including proton pump inhibitors may be prescribed to limit the stomach’s production of HCl. Additionally, eating smaller, more frequent meals and not lying horizontal immediately after a meal are lifestyle alterations that can minimize the bouts of GERD.
Peptic Ulcers
While the stomach has natural means of protecting its own cells from the harmful effects of acid, in some cases damage occurs to the mucosal wall and allows the acid to penetrate into the underlying connective tissue and cause further damage. Sensitive pain receptors present in the submucosa alert the individual of pain, especially after eating a meal when the acid increases. In many cases, this wound fails to properly heal because of populations of indigenous bacteria (H. pylori) that collect in the wound site. Antibiotics are often effective at resolving these minor ulcerations and allow the body’s wound healing process to close the mucosa.
Diarrhea
The intestinal crypt cells typically produce a secretion containing antibacterial enzymes daily (intestinal juice). When pathogens or parasites are detected in the intestine or mucosal layer, these glands shift into overdrive and produce massive amounts of fluid to flush the alimentary canal. Additionally, absorption is reduced to allow more material to flush the system in hopes of removing the problematic materials. If the diarrhea is not alleviated and if fluids cannot be retained, dehydration will occur in a short period of time, and may eventually lead to death if severe enough.
Severe cases of diarrhea
While this condition may just seem like a minor inconvenience to some, for many throughout the world it is a life-threatening condition. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over three-quarters of a million children under the age of 5 die from diarrhea each year.
Hepatitis
Literally meaning inflammation of the liver, hepatitis has many causes, including sexually transmitted viruses (the most common cause), chronic alcohol consumption, and autoimmune diseases. During the inflammatory process, immune system cells flood the liver tissue and essentially interfere with normal liver function. Therefore, the symptoms resulting from liver damage include yellowing of the skin (jaundice), nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, and loss of appetite.
Depending on the cause of the disease, the prognosis is varied. With chronic damage to the liver, scar tissue will build up and block the regenerative ability of the liver, resulting in permanent damage and loss of function. Therefore, prevention is highly advised (this can be accomplished with a vaccine). Early administration of vaccines for hepatitis A and B yielded great success (90–100 percent efficacy) in preventing the contraction of this disease.