Know Your Gastrointestinal Tract

Symptoms of Digestive Disorders

Digestive symptoms are among the most common complaints presenting in primary medical practice. The major symptoms of the GIT disorders are as follows : 

Nausea and Vomiting, ranging from feeling a little squeamish to feeling very sick, ready to vomit at any movement. If nausea is associated with profuse water salivation, vomiting soon follows.

Bloating is distention of the abdomen from excess gas in the digestive tract. Gas can accumulate from the fermentation of food materials and from air-swallowing. Food allergy can also cause rapid, dramatic bloating. 

Constipation is decreased frequency of bowel movement, often with hard stools that are difficult to pass. Constipation suggests a slowing of peristalsis, with accumulation of faeces in the colon. Often the muscle of the colon will contract in a spastic manner blocking the passage of stool. A 'spastic colon' is often painful and will produce hard, pelleted stools. Many patients report alternating constipation and diarrhoea. They describe days with no bowel movements followed by a burst of loose or watery stool often with crampy pain. 

Diarrhoea is increased frequency of bowel movement with stools that are loose to watery. Some have defined diarrhoea as more than three loose to watery stools per day. With prolonged diarrhoea nutritional deficiencies from malabsorption of nutrients becomes increasingly likely. 
Abdominal pain comes in assorted patterns and intensities. Spasmodic pain occurs with muscle spasms of the various abdominal organs. Severe spasmodic pain is often called colic. Small-intestinal spasm presents as spasmodic pain around the navel. Colon spasm is on the right or the left side. Distention of the GIT produces more continuous or aching pain. Inflammation of the GIT is associated with continuous pain and distinct tenderness, often aggravated by movement. Ulcer pain tends to be distinctive with discrete pain localized to the epigastrium, and increases on empty stomach. The pain of ulcer is relieved by food and antacids (medicines which neutralize the acid).

Organs Associated with the Digestive Tract