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Digestion
Learn about digestion
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:
- Abdominal Fullness or Bloating
- Abdominal Pain and Other Illness
- Abdominal Pain Causes
- Abdominal Pain Following an Injury
- Abdominal Pain, Age 11 and Younger
- Abdominal Pain, Age 12 and Older
- Acid-Reducing Medicines
- Acute Pancreatitis
- Adjustable Gastric Banding Surgery
- Anal Cancer
- Anal Fissure
- Anal Fistulas and Crohn's Disease
- Anthrax
- Appendicitis
- Ascites and Liver Disease
- Asthma and GERD
- Belly (Abdominal) Gas in Babies
- Biliopancreatic Diversion With or Without a Duodenal Switch
- Bowel Movements in Babies
- Bowel Obstruction
- Bowel Resection
- Bowel Resection for Colorectal Cancer
- Campylobacteriosis
- Cancer: Home Treatment for Constipation
- Cancer: Home Treatment for Diarrhea
- Capsaicin
- Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats, and Blood Sugar
- Cardiac Cachexia
- Caregiving: Using a Bedside Commode (Toilet)
- Causes of Bleeding in the Gastrointestinal Tract
- Celiac Disease
- Cholecystitis
- Cholera Vaccine: What You Need to Know
- Chronic Constipation
- Chronic Pancreatitis
- 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: Surgical Shunts for Portal Hypertension
- Cirrhosis: Vasoconstrictor Medicines for Variceal Bleeding
- Cleaning Up Diarrhea
- Clostridioides Difficile (C. diff) Colitis
- Colic
- Colon Polyps
- Colorectal Cancer
- Colorectal Cancer Genetic Testing
- Colorectal Cancer Screening
- Colorectal Cancer, Metastatic or Recurrent
- Colostomy
- Common Types of Hernias
- Complications of Peptic Ulcer
- Constipation in Children
- Constipation, Age 11 and Younger
- Constipation, Age 12 and Older
- Constipation: Keeping Your Bowels Healthy
- Crohn's Disease
- Crohn's Disease: Problems Outside the Digestive Tract
- Crohn's Disease: When Surgery Is Needed
- Cryptosporidium
- Dementia: Bladder and Bowel Problems
- Dengue Fever
- Diabetes and Constipation or Diarrhea
- Diabetes: How to Prepare for a Colonoscopy
- Diarrhea, Age 11 and Younger
- Diarrhea, Age 12 and Older
- Difficulty Swallowing (Dysphagia)
- Diverticular Bleeding
- Diverticulitis
- Diverticulosis
- Dyspepsia
- E. Coli Infection From Food or Water
- Endoscopic Treatment for Variceal Bleeding
- Environmental Illness
- Eosinophilic Esophagitis
- Esophageal Spasm
- Esophagitis
- Feeding Your Premature Infant
- Following a Low-Fiber Diet
- Food Poisoning and Safe Food Handling
- Food Poisoning: Clostridium Perfringens
- Fructose or Sorbitol Intolerance
- Full Liquid Diets
- Fulminant Hepatitis
- Fundoplication Surgery for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
- Gallstone Symptoms: When Surgery Is Needed
- Gallstones
- Gas (Flatus)
- Gas, Bloating, and Burping
- Gas, Burping, or Bloating That Begins After Eating or Drinking
- Gastric Bypass Surgery
- Gastric Sleeve Surgery
- Gastritis
- Gastroenteritis in Adults and Older Children
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
- Gastroesophageal Reflux in Babies and Children
- Gastroparesis
- GERD: Esophageal Erosion and Ulcers
- Getting Enough Fiber
- Giardiasis
- Groin Problems and Injuries
- Heartburn
- Heartburn During Pregnancy
- Heartburn Symptom Record
- Heartburn: Changing Your Eating Habits
- Helicobacter Pylori Bacteria
- HELLP Syndrome
- Hemorrhoidectomy
- Hemorrhoids
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis A Vaccine: What You Need to Know
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis B and C: Risk of Liver Cancer
- Hepatitis B Treatment Recommendations
- Hepatitis B Vaccine: What You Need to Know
- Hepatitis B: Postvaccination Test for Immunity
- Hepatitis C
- Hepatitis C in Pregnancy
- Hepatitis C: Your Risk for Cirrhosis
- Hepatitis D
- Hepatitis E
- Hiatal Hernia
- Hiccups
- Hidden Gluten
- Hirschsprung Disease
- Ileoanal Anastomosis for Ulcerative Colitis
- Incision of External Hemorrhoids
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Cancer Risk
- Infrared Photocoagulation for Hemorrhoids
- Inguinal Hernia
- Inguinal Hernia: Surgery in Adults
- Intraoperative Cholangiogram
- Intussusception
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Criteria for Diagnosis
- Lactose Intolerance
- Laparoscopic Gallbladder Removal Surgery for Gallstones
- Laparoscopic Surgery
- Laxatives
- Liposuction
- Listeriosis
- Liver Function Panel
- Liver Resection
- Liver Transplant
- Liver Transplant in Children
- Living With an Ostomy
- Living With More Than One Health Problem
- Lung Transplant for Cystic Fibrosis
- Malabsorption Syndrome
- Marine Toxins
- Medicines or Vitamins That Can Cause Gas, Bloating, or Burping
- Medicines That Can Cause Abdominal Pain
- Medicines That Can Cause Constipation
- Medicines That Can Cause Diarrhea
- Medicines That Can Cause Heartburn
- Medicines That Can Cause Nausea and Vomiting
- Medicines That Can Cause Pancreatitis
- MELD Score (Model for End-Stage Liver Disease)
- Mild, Moderate, or Severe Diarrhea
- Monitoring During Anesthesia
- Motion Sickness
- Multi-Organ Transplants
- Nausea and Vomiting, Age 11 and Younger
- Necrotizing Enterocolitis
- Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)
- Nonprescription Antacids for Heartburn
- Noroviruses (Norwalk Viruses)
- Object Stuck in a Child's Airway
- Object Stuck in the Throat
- Open Gallbladder Surgery for Gallstones
- Open Inguinal Hernia Repair (Herniorrhaphy, Hernioplasty)
- Organ Transplant
- Pain Management
- Pain Management Clinic
- Pancreas Transplant
- Pancreatic Cancer
- Pelvic Organ Prolapse
- Peptic Ulcer Disease
- Perforation
- Pinworms
- Postcholecystectomy Syndrome
- Postoperative Problems
- Pregnancy: Changes in Bowel Habits
- Pregnancy: Hemorrhoids and Constipation
- Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC)
- Probiotics
- Proctocolectomy and Ileostomy for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Protect Yourself From Hepatitis A When Traveling
- Pushing a Rectal Prolapse Into Place
- Pyloric Stenosis
- Rectal Problems
- Rectal Problems Caused by Abuse
- Rectal Prolapse
- Recurrent Abdominal Pain (RAP)
- Refeeding Syndrome
- Repair of Rectocele or Enterocele
- Rotavirus
- Rotavirus Vaccine: What You Need to Know
- Rubber Band Ligation for Hemorrhoids
- Salmonellosis
- Scleroderma
- Shigellosis
- Spitting Up
- Staph Food Poisoning
- Stroke: Bladder and Bowel Problems
- Swallowed Air
- Swallowed Button Disc Battery, Magnet, or Object With Lead
- Swallowed or Inhaled Objects
- Tips for Swallowing Medicines
- Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN)
- Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS)
- Travel Health
- Traveler's Diarrhea
- Treating a Twisting Bowel Obstruction
- Types of Peptic Ulcers
- Types of Ulcerative Colitis
- Ulcerative Colitis
- Ulcerative Colitis: Problems Outside the Digestive Tract
- Umbilical Hernia in Children
- Viral Hepatitis
- Vitamin B12 Deficiency Anemia
- Weaning
- Weight-Loss (Bariatric) Surgery
- Weight-Loss Medicines
- Whipple Surgery for Pancreatic Cancer
- Abdominal Ultrasound
- Abdominal X-Ray
- Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) Test
- Alkaline Phosphatase Test
- Ammonia Test
- Amylase Test
- Antigen Tests for Giardiasis
- Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) Test
- Barium Enema
- Basic Metabolic Panel
- Bilirubin Test
- Bowel Transit Time Test
- Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) Test
- Celiac Disease Antibodies Test
- Chloride (Cl) Test
- Clostridioides Difficile (C. diff) Toxins Test
- Colonoscopy
- Comprehensive Metabolic Panel
- Computed Tomography (CT) Scan of the Body
- Digital Rectal Examination
- D-Xylose Absorption Test
- Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatogram (ERCP)
- Esophagus Tests
- Gastrin Test
- Helicobacter Pylori Tests
- Hepatitis A Virus Test
- Hepatitis B Virus Tests
- Hepatitis C Virus Tests
- Hepatitis Panel
- HIDA Scan
- Lactic Acid Dehydrogenase (LDH) Test
- Laparoscopy
- Lipase Blood Test
- Liver and Spleen Scan
- Liver Function Tests
- Magnetic Resonance Cholangiogram
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the Abdomen
- Needle Biopsy of the Liver
- Paracentesis
- Potassium (K) in Blood Test
- Potassium (K) in Urine Test
- Prealbumin Blood Test
- Sigmoidoscopy (Anoscopy, Proctoscopy)
- Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT)
- Sodium (Na) in Blood Test
- Stool Analysis
- Stool Culture
- Stool Tests for Colorectal Cancer
- Technetium-Labeled Red Blood Cell Bleeding Scan
- Total Serum Protein Test
- Upper Gastrointestinal (UGI) Series
- Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
- Video Capsule Endoscopy
- Virtual Colonoscopy
- Advance Care Planning: Should I Have Artificial Hydration and Nutrition?
- Colorectal Cancer: Which Screening Test Should I Have?
- Gallstones: Should I Have Gallbladder Surgery?
- GERD: Which Treatment Should I Use?
- Hemorrhoids: Which Treatment Should I Use?
- Hepatitis B: Should I Be Tested?
- Hepatitis B: Should I Take Antiviral Medicine for Chronic Hepatitis B?
- Inguinal Hernia: Should I Have Surgery Now, or Should I Wait?
- 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?
- Bowel Disease: Caring for Your Ostomy
- Bowel Disease: Changing Your Diet
- Celiac Disease: Eating a Gluten-Free Diet
- GERD: Controlling Heartburn by Changing Your Habits
- Hepatitis B: How to Avoid Spreading the Virus
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Controlling Symptoms With Diet
- Tube Feeding: Living With a Feeding Tube
Current as of: October 19, 2023
Author: Healthwise Staff
Clinical Review Board
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.