Digestive Health Archives

11. Rerouting the Digestive System

Aug 27, 2019 · Lynne Christensen · Digestive Health

When you break it down, the digestive system exists to do one basic, yet crucial task: extract the nutrients we need from food for survival and then absorb them into the body. It’s a simple concept if you think about it: you eat when the body demands it. Of course, … Read More

10. Diseases and Disorders of the Rectum and Anus

Aug 27, 2019 · Lynne Christensen · Digestive Health

The digestive process began when you chewed and swallowed your recent meal and it ends in the last few inches of your colon, known as the rectum. This is where stools are stored until they are ready to be expelled from the body via the anal canal and anus during … Read More

9. Diseases and Disorders of the Colon

Aug 27, 2019 · Lynne Christensen · Digestive Health

Any food that remains after its journey through the small intestine ends up in the large intestine, also known as the colon. The six-foot-long colon is where water, some remaining nutrients, and electrolytes are absorbed. Anything leftover gets transformed into solid waste and travels down the colon into the rectum, … Read More

8. Diseases and Disorders of the Small Intestine

Aug 27, 2019 · Lynne Christensen · Digestive Health

The small intestine isn’t small in terms of size or significance. Stretched out, it covers about 20 feet—about the same height as an adult male giraffe. It also is where much of your digestion takes place. Along its winding, track, nutrients from foods are broken down before they enter the … Read More

7. Diseases and Disorders of the Pancreas

Aug 27, 2019 · Lynne Christensen · Digestive Health

Just six to eight inches long, the pancreas lies horizontally behind the stomach, near the upper portion of the small intestine. It has two main jobs. The first is to work with the small intestine to produce enzymes needed to help digest proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Its other job is … Read More

6. Diseases and Disorders of the Gallbladder

Aug 27, 2019 · Lynne Christensen · Digestive Health

The gallbladder is perhaps one of the body’s most underappreciated organs. This small, pear-shaped organ hangs out next to the liver (think of it as the liver’s faithful sidekick). Its role is to store bile produced by the liver until the body needs it to digest fats in the small … Read More

5. Diseases and Disorders of the Liver

Aug 27, 2019 · Lynne Christensen · Digestive Health

The liver doesn’t get much attention when it comes to digestion, but it performs some of the body’s biggest jobs. It converts digested nutrients into products the body requires, and then stores them like a giant warehouse for later use. It manufactures cholesterol, creates bile to digest fats, and filters … Read More

4. Diseases and Disorders of the Stomach

Aug 27, 2019 · Lynne Christensen · Digestive Health

When you think about digestion, no doubt your thoughts go straight to your stomach—and for good reason. This is where the complex process of digestion really begins, and where we often experience many common everyday digestive problems. With walls made of layers and layers of mucous membrane, connective tissue, and … Read More

3. Diseases and Disorders of the Esophagus

Aug 27, 2019 · Lynne Christensen · Digestive Health

The first stage of the digestive process is the one we most take for granted—after all, we have been chewing and swallowing food every day since our baby teeth came in. This quick journey from the mouth down the esophagus and into the stomach takes only seconds to complete. But … Read More

2. Diagnostic Tests

Aug 26, 2019 · Lynne Christensen · Digestive Health

When symptoms of a digestive disorder appear, they often can be confirmed through a simple physical exam and blood test. Yet, sometimes these are not sufficient, particularly if your symptoms are common to several conditions. In these cases, your doctor may suggest any number of specialized tests to help identify … Read More

Digestive Health

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