16/09/2025
Some diseases of the digestive system:
1. Ulcerative Colitis
• A chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
• Causes ulcers and pseudopolyps in the colon lining.
• Leads to abdominal pain, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), and weight loss.
2. IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
• A functional disorder, not structural damage.
• Causes colon spasms, bloating, alternating constipation/diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
3. Polyps
• Abnormal growths in the intestinal lining.
• Can be sessile (flat) or pedunculated (on a stalk).
• Some polyps can develop into cancer over time.
4. Cancer
• Malignant growth in the colon.
• Can cause bleeding, weight loss, anemia, and obstruction.
5. Crohn’s Disease
• Another type of IBD.
• Causes thickened walls, deep ulcers, and inflammation anywhere along the digestive tract.
• Symptoms: abdominal pain, diarrhea, malabsorption, weight loss.
6. Hemorrhoids
• Swollen veins in the re**um/a**s.
• Can be internal (inside re**um) or external (outside a**s).
• Causes bleeding, itching, and pain.
7. Diverticulosis & Diverticulitis
• Diverticulosis: small pouches (diverticula) form in the colon wall.
• Can trap stool → concretion.
• If inflamed/infected → diverticulitis, causing pain and fever.
8. Intussusception
• A section of the intestine slides into another, causing blockage.
• More common in children.
• Leads to severe pain and obstruction.
9. Appendicitis
• Inflammation of the appendix, often caused by a fecalith (hardened stool).
• Causes severe lower right abdominal pain, fever, nausea.
• Requires urgent surgery.
10. Hernia
• Part of the intestine pushes through a weak spot in the abdominal wall (often near the inguinal ligament).
• Appears as a bulge, may cause pain, and risk of strangulation (cut-off blood supply).
