Digestive diseases

What are digestive diseases?

A digestive disease, or disorder, involves something going wrong with one of the organs in the digestive system.

The digestive system is a tube made up of the mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine and large intestine, which leads to the back passage. It also contains organs such as the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas.

Each part of this system has a different purpose, such as breaking down food, absorbing nutrients, or removing toxins or alcohol.

Diagram of the digestive system, which can be affected by the digestive system

Digestive diseases can include:

Girl with a stomach ache, which could indicate her having one of various digestive diseases

What are the symptoms of a digestive disease?

Symptoms of a digestive disease can include:

  • bloating
  • constipation
  • diarrhoea
  • stomach pain
  • weight gain or loss
  • heartburn
  • incontinence
  • nausea or vomiting

What type of specialist treats digestive diseases?

A gastroenterologist is a type of consultant who specialises in digestive diseases. Depending on your condition, however, they may not be able to make a diagnosis on their own, and may refer you to other specialists, such as radiologists, to conduct further tests.

05-29-2024
Top Doctors

Digestive diseases

Professor Raj Mookerjee - Gastroenterology

Created on: 02-03-2014

Updated on: 05-29-2024

Edited by: Karolyn Judge

What are digestive diseases?

A digestive disease, or disorder, involves something going wrong with one of the organs in the digestive system.

The digestive system is a tube made up of the mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine and large intestine, which leads to the back passage. It also contains organs such as the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas.

Each part of this system has a different purpose, such as breaking down food, absorbing nutrients, or removing toxins or alcohol.

Diagram of the digestive system, which can be affected by the digestive system

Digestive diseases can include:

Girl with a stomach ache, which could indicate her having one of various digestive diseases

What are the symptoms of a digestive disease?

Symptoms of a digestive disease can include:

  • bloating
  • constipation
  • diarrhoea
  • stomach pain
  • weight gain or loss
  • heartburn
  • incontinence
  • nausea or vomiting

What type of specialist treats digestive diseases?

A gastroenterologist is a type of consultant who specialises in digestive diseases. Depending on your condition, however, they may not be able to make a diagnosis on their own, and may refer you to other specialists, such as radiologists, to conduct further tests.

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