Digestion
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If you've ever had an upset stomach or a case of heartburn, you know how painful digestive problems can be. But the digestive system is made up of more than just the stomach. Other organs, like the small intestine and the colon, are also part of the digestive system. A problem with any of these organs can lead to pain or other serious problems. Our topics can help you deal with digestion problems and give you tips on how to keep your digestive system healthy.
Get the information you need in our digestion topics, such as:
Health Topics
- Abdominal Fullness or Bloating
- Abdominal Gas and Colic
- Abdominal Pain Causes
- Abdominal Pain, Age 11 and Younger
- Abdominal Pain, Age 12 and Older
- Acupressure Bands for Motion Sickness
- Adjustable Gastric Banding Surgery
- Anal Cancer
- Anal Fissure
- Anal Fissures: Botox Injections
- Anal Fissures: Lateral Internal Sphincterotomy
- Anal Fissures: Nifedipine and Diltiazem
- Anal Fissures: Nitroglycerin Ointment
- Anal Fistulas and Crohn's Disease
- Anesthesia
- Anesthesia: Malignant Hyperthermia Response
- Anthrax
- Antianxiety Medicines for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Antidepressants for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Antidiarrheal Medicines for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Antidiarrheals for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Appendicitis
- Asthma and GERD
- Basic Metabolic Panel
- Biliopancreatic Diversion and Biliopancreatic Diversion With Duodenal Switch
- Bowel Movements in Babies
- Bowel Obstruction
- Bowel Obstruction: Stent Treatment
- Bowel Resection
- Bowel Resection for Colorectal Cancer
- Campylobacteriosis
- Cancer Treatment: Symptoms Diary for Nausea and Vomiting
- Cancer: Home Treatment for Constipation
- Cancer: Home Treatment for Diarrhea
- Causes of Bleeding in the Digestive Tract
- Celiac Disease
- Celiac Disease Complications
- Central Venous Catheters
- Cholecystitis
- Chronic Constipation
- Chronic Pancreatitis: Pain Management
- Cirrhosis
- Cirrhosis Complications: Encephalopathy
- Cirrhosis Complications: Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis
- Cirrhosis Complications: Variceal Bleeding
- Cirrhosis: Beta-Blockers for Portal Hypertension and Varices
- Cirrhosis: Sodium and Ascites
- Cirrhosis: Surgical Shunts for Portal Hypertension
- Cirrhosis: Vasoconstrictor Medicines for Variceal Bleeding
- Cleaning Up Diarrhea
- Clostridium Difficile Colitis
- Colic Diary
- Colon Cancer Genetic Testing
- Colon Cancer: What Raises Your Risk
- Colon Polyps
- Colorectal Cancer
- Colorectal Cancer Test Recommendations
- Colorectal Cancer, Metastatic or Recurrent
- Colostomy for Colorectal Cancer
- Common Types of Hernias
- Complications of Gallstones
- Comprehensive Metabolic Panel
- Constipation, Age 11 and Younger
- Constipation, Age 12 and Older
- Constipation: Keeping Your Bowels Healthy
- Cow's Milk Protein Intolerance
- Crohn's Disease
- Crohn's Disease: Problems Outside the Digestive Tract
- Crohn's Disease: When Surgery Is Needed
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Cystic Fibrosis: Getting Enough Calories and Nutrients
- Dementia: Bladder and Bowel Problems
- Dengue Fever
- Diabetes: How to Prepare for a Colonoscopy
- Diabetes-Related High and Low Blood Sugar Levels
- Diarrhea, Age 11 and Younger
- Diarrhea, Age 12 and Older
- Difficulty Swallowing (Dysphagia)
- Diverticular Bleeding
- Diverticular Disease: Severe Bleeding
- Diverticulitis
- Diverticulosis
- Drinking Enough Water
- Dry Mouth: Home Treatment and Prevention
- Dyspepsia
- E. Coli Infection From Food or Water
- E. Coli Infection From Food or Water: Blood and Kidney Problems
- Electrolyte Panel
- Endoscopic Treatment for Variceal Bleeding Caused by Cirrhosis
- Environmental Illness
- Environmental Illness in Children
- Environmental Illness: Evaluating Your Home or Workplace
- Esophageal Spasm
- Esophagitis
- Fasting
- Feeding Your Premature Infant
- Femoral Hernia
- Fitz-Hugh-Curtis Syndrome
- Following a Low-Fiber Diet
- Food Poisoning and Safe Food Handling
- Fructose or Sorbitol Intolerance
- Fulminant Hepatitis
- Fundoplication Surgery for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
- Fungal Infections: Risks of Oral Antifungals
- Gallstone Symptoms: When Surgery Is Needed
- Gallstones
- Gallstones Without Symptoms: When Surgery Is Needed
- Gas (Flatus)
- Gas, Bloating, and Burping
- Gastric Sleeve Surgery
- Gastroenteritis in Adults and Older Children
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) During Pregnancy
- Gastroesophageal Reflux in Babies and Children
- Gastroparesis
- General Anesthesia
- GERD: Esophageal Erosion and Ulcers
- Getting Enough Fiber
- Giardiasis
- Giardiasis and Lactose Intolerance
- Ginger for Motion Sickness
- Gluten-Free Diet for Celiac Disease
- Groin Problems and Injuries
- Health Problems Associated With Adult Obesity
- Health Tracking Forms and Checklists
- Heartburn
- Heartburn: Changing Your Eating Habits
- Heartburn: Reducing Pressure on Your Stomach
- Helicobacter Pylori Bacteria
- HELLP Syndrome and Preeclampsia
- Helping Your Teen Follow a Gluten-Free Diet
- Hemorrhoidectomy for Hemorrhoids
- Hemorrhoids
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis A and Undercooked Shellfish
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis B and C: Risk of Liver Cancer
- Hepatitis B Treatment Recommendations
- Hepatitis B Viral DNA
- Hepatitis B: How to Avoid Spreading the Virus
- Hepatitis B: Postvaccination Test for Immunity
- Hepatitis C
- Hepatitis C Genotypes
- Hepatitis C Home Test
- Hepatitis C: Your Risk for Cirrhosis
- Hepatitis D
- Hepatitis E
- Hepatitis Immunoglobulin (HBIG)
- Hepatitis Panel
- Hiatal Hernia
- Hiatal Hernia and GERD
- Hiccups
- Hidden Gluten
- Hirschsprung's Disease
- How Cystic Fibrosis Affects Digestion and the Pancreas
- Ileoanal Anastomosis for Ulcerative Colitis
- Incision of External Hemorrhoids
- Infant Formulas
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Cancer Risk
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease During Pregnancy
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Enteral or Total Parenteral Nutrition
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Rare Complications
- Infrared Photocoagulation for Hemorrhoids
- Inguinal Hernia
- Inguinal Hernia: Surgery in Adults
- Inguinal Hernia: Surgery in Children
- Intestinal Transplant for Crohn's Disease
- Intraoperative Cholangiogram
- Intussusception
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Bile Acid Binding Medicines
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Criteria for Diagnosis
- Lactose Intolerance
- Laparoscopic Gallbladder Surgery for Gallstones
- Laparoscopic Surgery
- Laxatives
- Listeriosis
- Lithotripsy for Gallstones
- Liver Function Panel
- Liver Resection
- Liver Transplant for Hepatitis B
- Living Organ Donation
- Living With an Ostomy
- Living With More Than One Health Problem
- Lung Transplant for Cystic Fibrosis
- Magnetic Resonance Cholangiogram
- Malabsorption Syndrome
- Malabsorption Syndrome
- Marine Toxins
- Medical History and Physical Exam for Lactose Intolerance
- Medical History for Hepatitis C
- Medicines That Can Cause Constipation
- Medicines That Can Cause Pancreatitis
- Mild, Moderate, or Severe Diarrhea
- Milk Sugar Tolerance
- Monitoring During Anesthesia
- Motion Sickness
- Nasal Potential Difference Test for Cystic Fibrosis
- Nausea and Vomiting, Age 11 and Younger
- Nausea and Vomiting, Age 12 and Older
- Necrotizing Enterocolitis
- Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)
- Nonprescription Medicines for Peptic Ulcers
- Noroviruses (Norwalk Viruses)
- Object Stuck in the Throat
- Open Gallbladder Surgery for Gallstones
- Open Inguinal Hernia Repair (Herniorrhaphy, Hernioplasty)
- Oral Rehydration Solutions
- Organ Transplant
- Organ Transplants: Antirejection Medicines
- Pancreatic Cancer
- Pancreatitis
- Pelvic Organ Prolapse
- Peptic Ulcer Disease
- Peptic Ulcers and Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs
- Physical Exam for Hepatitis C
- Pinworms
- Planning to Be an Organ Donor
- Postcholecystectomy Syndrome
- Postoperative Problems
- Pregnancy: Hemorrhoids and Constipation
- Pregnancy-Related Problems
- Prevent Giardia When Traveling
- Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (PBC)
- Probiotics
- Procedural Sedation
- Proctocolectomy and Ileostomy for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Protect Yourself From Hepatitis A When Traveling
- Psychotherapy for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Pushing a Rectal Prolapse Into Place
- Pyloric Stenosis
- Questions About Inguinal Hernia Surgery
- Rectal Problems
- Rectal Prolapse
- Rectal Prolapse in Adults
- Rectal Prolapse in Children
- Rectal Prolapse Surgery
- Recurrent Abdominal Pain (RAP)
- Repair of Rectocele or Enterocele
- Reye Syndrome
- Rotavirus
- Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass
- Rubber Band Ligation for Hemorrhoids
- Salmonellosis
- Scleroderma
- Shigellosis
- Spitting Up
- Stages of Colorectal Cancer
- Staph Food Poisoning
- Stroke: Bladder and Bowel Problems
- Swallowed Air
- Swallowed Button Disc Battery, Magnet, or Object with Lead
- Swallowed or Inhaled Objects
- Syphilis: Gummata
- Technetium-Labeled Red Blood Cell Bleeding Scan
- Tips for Swallowing Medicines
- Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS) for Cirrhosis
- Transparent Tape Test for Pinworms
- Travel Health
- Traveler's Diarrhea
- Treating a Twisting Bowel Obstruction
- Treating Nausea and Vomiting From Chemotherapy
- Types of Peptic Ulcers
- Types of Ulcerative Colitis
- Ulcerative Colitis
- Ulcerative Colitis: Problems Outside the Digestive Tract
- Ulcerative Colitis: When Surgery Is Needed
- Umbilical Hernia in Children
- Using Antibiotics Wisely
- Video Capsule Endoscopy
- Viral Hepatitis
- Virtual Colonoscopy
- Vitamin B12 Deficiency Anemia
- Water Purification to Prevent Giardia
- Weaning
- What the Liver Does
- Whipple Surgery for Pancreatic Cancer
- Who Is Affected by Lactose Intolerance
- Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome and Peptic Ulcer
Medical Tests
- Abdominal Ultrasound
- Abdominal X-Ray
- Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT)
- Alkaline Phosphatase
- Ammonia
- Amylase
- Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST)
- Barium Enema
- Bilirubin
- Bowel Transit Time
- Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA)
- Chemistry Screen
- Chloride (Cl)
- Colonoscopy
- Computed Tomography (CT) Scan of the Body
- C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
- Digital Rectal Examination (DRE)
- D-Xylose Absorption Test
- Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatogram (ERCP)
- Esophagus Tests
- Gallbladder Scan
- Gastrin
- Helicobacter Pylori Tests
- Hepatitis A Virus Test
- Hepatitis B Virus Tests
- Hepatitis C Virus Tests
- Laparoscopy
- Lipase
- Liver and Spleen Scan
- Liver Biopsy
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the Abdomen
- Paracentesis
- Potassium (K) in Blood
- Potassium (K) in Urine
- Prealbumin Blood Test
- Salivary Gland Scan
- Sigmoidoscopy (Anoscopy, Proctoscopy)
- Sodium (Na) in Blood
- Stool Analysis
- Stool Culture
- Stool Tests for Colorectal Cancer
- Total Serum Protein
- Upper Gastrointestinal (UGI) Series
- Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
- Vitamin B12 Test
Medications
- Alosetron for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Aminosalicylates for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Antacids for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
- Antacids for Peptic Ulcer Disease
- Anthelmintics for Pinworms
- Antibiotics for Crohn's Disease
- Antibiotics for Cystic Fibrosis
- Anticholinergics (Antispasmodics) for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Anticholinergics for Cystic Fibrosis
- Antiprotozoals for Giardiasis
- Bile Acids for Gallstones
- Biologics for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Bronchodilators for Cystic Fibrosis
- Capecitabine
- Cetuximab
- Combination Antiviral Therapy for Hepatitis C
- Combination Drug Therapy for Peptic Ulcer Disease
- Combination Vaccine for Hepatitis A and B
- Corticosteroids for Cystic Fibrosis
- Corticosteroids for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Cyclosporine for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- DNase (Dornase Alfa) for Cystic Fibrosis
- Enzyme Replacement Therapy for Cystic Fibrosis
- Erlotinib
- Fluorouracil
- H2 Blockers (Acid Reducers) for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
- Histamine H2 Acid Reducers for Peptic Ulcer Disease
- Ifosfamide
- Immunoglobulin (IG) for Hepatitis A
- Immunomodulators for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Interferons for Chronic Hepatitis B
- Irinotecan
- Leucovorin
- Monoclonal Antibodies for Cancer
- Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTIs) for Chronic Hepatitis B
- Oxaliplatin
- Prostaglandin Analog to Prevent NSAID-Induced Peptic Ulcer
- Protease Inhibitors (PIs) for Hepatitis C
- Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) for Peptic Ulcer Disease
- Proton Pump Inhibitors for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
- Pyrantel Pamoate for the Treatment of Pinworms
Make a Wise Decision
- Colon Cancer: Which Screening Test Should I Have?
- End-of-Life Care: Should I Have Artificial Hydration and Nutrition?
- Gallstones: Should I Have Gallbladder Surgery?
- GERD: Which Treatment Should I Use?
- Hemorrhoids: Which Treatment Should I Use?
- Hepatitis B and C: Should I Be Tested?
- Hepatitis B: Should I Take Antiviral Medicine for Chronic Hepatitis B?
- Hepatitis C: Should I Take Antiviral Medicine?
- Inguinal Hernia: Should I Have Surgery Now, or Should I Wait?
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Should I Have Tests for IBS Symptoms?
- Pelvic Organ Prolapse: Should I Have Surgery?
- Ulcerative Colitis: Should I Have Surgery?
- Umbilical Hernia: Should I Have Surgery?
- Umbilical Hernia: Should My Child Have Surgery?
Take Action
- Bowel Disease: Caring for Your Ostomy
- Bowel Disease: Changing Your Diet
- Celiac Disease: Eating a Gluten-Free Diet
- Cystic Fibrosis: Helping Your Child Cough Up Mucus
- GERD: Controlling Heartburn by Changing Your Habits
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Controlling Symptoms With Diet
- Stroke Recovery: Coping With Eating Problems
- Tube Feeding: Living With a Feeding Tube
Last Revised: August 24, 2011
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review: Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
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