Stomach and intestines are important components of the digestive tract, which we only become aware of when they are not working and something hits our stomach. Unfortunately, our civilized way of life does not help to make the work easier for the stomach and intestines – office work, fast food and little exercise lead to typical complaints such as constipation; in addition, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in Germany, next to breast cancer and lung cancer.
The digestive tract
The digestive tract of humans includes all organs that take in food, crush it, transport it further, break it down into its components and absorb it. After the mouth, pharynx and esophagus, the stomach is the next organ with multiple tasks. Stomach acid and protein-decomposing enzymes begin digesting proteins, the acidic gastric juice kills almost all bacteria, and all solid food components are kept in the stomach until they are mixed with juice and liquefied. Then the pulp enters the intestine.
In the first intestinal section (duodenum), bile and pancreatic fluid are added – now fat digestion can begin. In the next section of the small intestine, nutrients are absorbed. Later, in the large intestine, only liquid and electrolytes dissolved in it are absorbed. During the daily digestive process, approximately ten liters of fluid enter the intestine (through drinking, saliva, gastric juice, bile, pancreatic secretions, intestinal juices), which must be reabsorbed in the intestine – if this system is disturbed, diarrhea and dehydration threaten.
Gastrointestinal Disorders
Some very common diseases of the digestive system we all know from our own experience. They cause discomfort for a few days, but can be managed with home remedies, bed rest and plenty of fluid intake. Gastrointestinal complaints are extremely varied, have different symptoms and often occur in combination. Very rarely does someone have only pain or only diarrhea as their sole symptoms.
Common complaints and symptoms include pain, feeling of pressure or fullness, heartburn, nausea, vomiting of stomach contents or blood, bloating, diarrhea, constipation. Also occurring as symptoms may be hiccups, a burning sensation, blood or mucus in the stool, and other stool changes. The situation is different if there is no improvement – in the case of persistent gastrointestinal infections with fever (an indication of intestinal infection), gastritis (inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach) or gastric or duodenal ulcer, one should resort to professional assistance.
Chronic diseases
Chronic symptoms suggest irritable bowel syndrome or irritable stomach, and lactose intolerance (milk sugar intolerance) and food allergies are also common conditions that present with recurrent diarrhea after eating certain foods. Less common are Crohn’s disease, celiac disease (indigenous sprue) or even a systemic disease such as porphyria. Eating disorders also lead to persistent gastrointestinal symptoms via unnatural eating behaviors.
Acute diseases
With some illnesses, it is forbidden to wait a few days to see if it does not get better again on its own – however, the complaints of these clinical pictures are often so dramatic that no one would get the idea to just wait. The experts speak of acute abdomen and mean diseases that occur suddenly and can be life-threatening without treatment: Stomach bleeding, appendicitis, intestinal obstruction (ileus) or even inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) must be mentioned here – the latter is only close to the stomach and intestines, but severely affects them when inflamed.
Diverticula, hemorrhoids or even colon cancer become noticeable with blood or mucus in the stool, but the latter in particular can also grow for a long time without visible signs – which is why annual colon cancer screening is so important.
