Gastroenterology
What Is Gastroenterology?
Gastroenterology is a general medicine subspecialty. It focuses on the digestive system, its associated organs, and their disorders. The main function of the gastrointestinal system is to digest and transfer food, assimilate nutrients, eliminate toxins from the body. It is mainly concerned with the illnesses affecting the organs starting from the mouth to the anus i.e. the gastrointestinal tract.
What do our Gastroenterologists treat?
Our Gastroenterologists are extensively trained to identify and treat disorders and ailments of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract . This includes the oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine (colon), and biliary system (liver, pancreas, gallbladder, bile ducts). A gastroenterologist will be able to guide more on the symptoms and conditions of the GI organs mentioned below.
Liver Problems – The liver plays a crucial role in breaking down fat, and also helps in keeping our body clean by breaking down toxins in the body. Jaundice (Yellowish eyes, skin and nails), abdominal pain, dark urine are some of the common symptoms and conditions which indicate trouble for the liver.
Nausea – Nausea is an uneasy feeling of sickness leading to an urge to vomit. Nauseous sensation may arise due to a number of factors such as motion sickness, gastroesophageal reflux, bacterial/viral infections. It can also be a sign of food poisoning, or stomach upset. Consulting a gastroenterologist is the first step to diagnose and know more about any underlying symptoms.
Constipation – Constipation is a condition in which the bowel movements are infrequent. It is also characterized by difficulty in passing stool through the body. This generally occurs when the stool becomes too hard, resulting in a slower than usual bowel movement. Other causes include irritable bowel syndrome, lack of physical activity and low fiber diet. Treatments generally include eating a fiber-rich diet, and drinking lots of fluids. If constipation is longer and persistent it is better to consult a gastroenterologist to know more about the underlying problems.
A Gastroenterologist is a physician with dedicated training management of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and liver.
Gastroenterology is the study of the normal function and diseases of the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon and rectum, pancreas, gallbladder, bile ducts and liver. It includes common and important conditions such as colon polyps and cancer, hepatitis, gastroesophageal reflux (heartburn), peptic ulcer disease, colitis, gallbladder and biliary tract disease, nutritional problems, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), and pancreatitis. In essence, all normal activity and disease of the digestive organs is part of the study of Gastroenterology.