Gastroenterology is a special discipline that studies the structure, physiology and pathology of the digestive system, as well as issues of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the digestive system. Within gastroenterology there are narrower sections: for example, liver and gallbladder diseases are studied by hepatology, pathology of the large intestine and pararectal space – proctology. The state of the endocrine system, the oral cavity, and the presence of infectious agents in the body have a great influence on the normal activity of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract.
The digestive system includes a set of many organs and glands that provide the nutrients necessary for the body to develop and function. It permeates almost the entire body, starting with the oral cavity and ending with the rectum. Therefore, the pathology of even one of the digestive organs entails a disorder of the functioning of the digestive system as a whole. Modern ecology, stress, new foods and supplements, as well as medications cause the occurrence or exacerbation of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Diseases of the digestive system are so common that every person meets with their manifestations at least once in their life. Among the diseases of the digestive tract, the undisputed leaders are inflammatory processes of its various departments that have an acute or chronic course: inflammation of the esophagus (esophagitis), stomach (gastritis), duodenum (duodenitis), liver (hepatitis), pancreas (pancreatitis), gallbladder and ducts (cholecystitis and cholangitis), small and large intestines (enteritis and colitis), rectum (proctitis). They, in turn, cause changes in the mucous membrane of organs, their motor function and lead to ulcers of the stomach and duodenum, cholelithiasis, ulcerative colitis. A serious problem of modern society is intestinal dysbiosis, which occurs in the vast majority of people, including newborn children.
Diseases of the stomach, pancreas, intestines often serve as the root cause of many diseases of the skin and metabolism. The symptoms of diseases of the digestive system are very diverse and depend on the affected organ. Common manifestations are impaired appetite, abdominal pain, belching, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, flatulence, stool disorder, weakness, weight loss.
Modern gastroenterology has great diagnostic capabilities that allow us to recognize diseases of the digestive system already at the early stages of occurrence. Laboratory tests include blood tests, gastric and duodenal juice, feces, intestinal microflora, tissue samples taken during biopsy. X-ray and endoscopic methods (esophagoscopy, colonoscopy, gastroduodenoscopy, etc.) are used to examine the hollow organs of the gastrointestinal tract, ultrasound diagnostics are used for parenchymal. Many chronic diseases of the digestive system, which subsequently require surgical intervention, are caused by neglect or undertreatment of an acute condition. Therefore, the occurrence of any pathological manifestation in the digestive system should serve as a signal to immediately contact a specialist gastroenterologist. In the treatment of diseases of the digestive system, the patient will be required to strictly follow the treatment regimen and diet.
Hepatitis is a diffuse inflammation of the liver tissue due to a toxic, infectious or autoimmune process. General symptoms – heaviness and pain in the right hypochondrium with irradiation under the right shoulder blade, nausea, dryness and a feeling of bitterness in the mouth, lack of appetite, belching. In severe cases – jaundice, weight loss,…
Hemorrhagic pancreatitis is an extremely severe form of damage to the pancreas, characterized by the rapid destruction of the parenchyma of the organ and blood vessels by its own enzymes, resulting in necrosis, hemorrhages and peritonitis. The main signs of the disease are intense pain syndrome and toxemia; the condition of patients is critical. Diagnosis…
Hemorrhagic gastritis is an inflammation of the gastric mucosa, accompanied by the formation of erosions and bleeding. This is a polyethological disease that can have an acute or chronic course. Patients complain of dull pain in the epigastric region associated with eating, dyspeptic disorders; in the case of acute gastric bleeding, symptoms of blood loss…
Hemoperitoneum is an intra–abdominal bleeding that leads to the outpouring of free blood into the abdominal cavity. It is clinically manifested by signs of hemorrhagic shock: fainting (or motor excitement), pallor of the skin and mucous membranes, dizziness, cold sweat, darkening of the eyes, tachycardia, arterial hypotension, as well as local symptoms – sharp abdominal…
Hemolytic jaundice is a variant of the suprahepatic jaundice syndrome caused by hemolysis of red blood cells. It is manifested by jaundice and pallor of the skin and mucous membranes, splenomegaly, darkening of urine and feces, hemolytic crises. It is diagnosed using a blood test, determination of the concentration of indirect and total bilirubin, ultrasound…
Liver hemangioma is a benign vascular tumor affecting one or both lobes of the liver. Most often, its size does not exceed 5 cm, and erased symptoms appear only with significant sizes of education. The primary diagnosis is usually accidental and occurs during examination for another pathology. Ultrasound, CT or MRI of the hepatobiliary system…
Gastroenterocolitis is a combined inflammation of the stomach, small and large intestines. The disease often has an infectious nature (viral bacterial or parasitic pathogens), less often begins under the influence of allergens, exogenous toxins, some medications. Pathology is manifested by nausea, vomiting, various abdominal pains, stool disorders. Diagnosis requires stool tests, blood tests, ultrasound of…
Gastroenteritis is an inflammatory process in the stomach and small intestine, the cause of which may be bacterial (including helicobacter), viral or protozoal lesion, the action of chemical and physical factors, the development of allergic reactions. The leading clinical signs are dyspeptic, pain syndrome, and dehydration in acute infectious gastroenteritis. Diagnosis consists in studying the…
Gastroesophageal reflux disease is an inflammation of the walls of the lower esophagus that occurs as a result of regular reflux (reverse movement) of gastric or duodenal contents into the esophagus. It is manifested by heartburn, belching with a sour or bitter taste, pain and difficulty swallowing food, dyspepsia, pain behind the sternum and other…
Gastroptosis is an omission of the stomach, accompanied by its elongation and hypotension. In the early stages, it may not manifest in any way, and in the later stages, the patient begins to worry about pain after eating (especially in an upright position), during physical exertion and running. Gastroptosis is often accompanied by omission of…
