Digestive Health

What is celiac disease? Celiac disease is a long-term condition wherein the small intestine becomes irritated when a person eats food containing gluten. Gluten is a type of protein usually found in grains, rye, wheat and barley. When a person with this disease ingests gluten, the immune system reacts to it, causing inflammation in the small intestines. […]

Hiccups can be annoying. But should you be worried if your hiccups last longer than usual? Let’s look at what normally causes hiccups, how to stop them, and what are hiccups a sign of. What are hiccups? Hiccups are your diaphragm’s involuntary contractions. Your diaphragm is a muscle with a vital role in breathing. It separates your […]

Gallbladder polyps are small, abnormal tissue growths that stick out from the lining of the gallbladder. It typically does not show any clinical symptoms. A majority of cases are discovered through a CT scan or an ultrasound. However, gallbladder polyps may cause nausea, vomiting, and occasional pain in the right part of the upper abdomen. […]

The gallbladder is a hollow organ that is roughly as big as a pear that sits beneath the liver. For adults, gallbladder sizes are usually no more than 7 to 10 centimeters in length and 4 centimeters in diameter. The gallbladder is part of the biliary system, which consists of the gallbladder, bile ducts, and […]

When the small sac-like organ, the gallbladder, becomes inflamed, it contracts. This type of swelling and irritation of the bladder is called cholecystitis. There are two kinds of cholecystitis namely, acute cholecystitis and chronic cholecystitis. The contraction or shrinkage of the gallbladder falls under chronic cholecystitis.  Chronic cholecystitis is a low-level inflammation of the gallbladder and […]

A colostomy is a surgery that involves making a temporary or permanent opening, referred to as a stoma. The stoma is a path that leads from the large intestine to the outer part of your abdomen. This enables feces and gas to leave the body without having to pass through the rectum. The solid waste […]

Lactose intolerance refers to the inability to digest lactose, a type of sugar in milk and other dairy products. After these dairy products are consumed, lactose reaches the small intestine, wherein it is broken down by lactase into simple forms of sugar like glucose and galactose. Lactase is an enzyme produced by cells lining the […]

Malabsorption syndrome, also known as intestinal malabsorption and abbreviated as MAS, occurs due to incomplete digestion and absorption of nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, fats, bacteria, and various other factors. It is common amongst both males and females across ages. This syndrome varies from being mild and moderate to severe. It may be hereditary by nature […]

An appendectomy is a type of surgery for appendix removal. Situated at the lower right side of the abdomen, the appendix is a tube-shaped pouch fixed to your large intestine. This small pouch is known as a vestigial organ, because your body can function well even without it. Appendectomy is one of the common emergency surgeries to […]

Heartburn is characterized by a burning sensation in the chest behind the breastbone. It occurs when stomach acid moves up into the esophagus. When you swallow, a band of muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter loosens to give way for food and liquid to enter the stomach, after which it tightens once more. But when […]