Human Digestive - मानव पाचन

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There;s something about digestive difficulties that makes them hard to discuss in polite company -
which leaves many of us suffering one problem or another in silence.
Yet fixes can be as simple as making informed lifestyle changes or taking over-the-counter remedies.

Here ;s a rundown of the latest medical wisdom on

Reflux

Symptoms of reflux, such as heartburn, are among the most common digestive ills. In a Swedish study, 6 percent of people reported experiencing reflux symptoms daily and 14 percent had them at least weekly. Such frequent symptoms may indicate a person has GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Treatment options include drugs that reduce acid levels, such as the proton pump inhibitors Aciphex, Nexium, Prevacid, Prilosec, and Protonix and the H2 blockers Axid, Pepcid, Tagamet, and Zantac. But taking medication is not without risk.

In severe cases of GERD, surgeons can tighten a loose muscle between the stomach and esophagus to inhibit the upward flow of acid.

Peptic Ulcers

If you have unexplained stomach pain, consider this before reaching for a painkiller: "The worst thing to do if ulcers are suspected is to take aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug pain reducers," Gold says. "They worsen it and don't help."

Instead, if you think you have a peptic ulcer- and 25 million living Americans will get one at some point-
consider getting tested for Helicobacter pylori, experts advise.

Left untreated, ulcers can cause internal bleeding and may eat a hole in the small intestine or stomach wall, which can lead to serious infection.
Ulcer scar tissue can also block the digestive tract.

Ten to 14 days of antibiotic treatment, often combined with acid reduction therapy, can rid someone of H. pylori.Surgery is an option for more severe cases.

Lactose Intolerance

Between 30 million and 50 million Americans are lactose intolerant, meaning they lack an enzyme needed to digest the main sugar in milk, and African-Americans, Asians, and American Indians are most likely to have the condition.

Doctors can test for lactose intolerance using a breath test, which detects heightened levels of hydrogen; a blood test, before which the patient drinks a lactose-containing beverage; or a test of stool acidity which undigested lactose helps generate.

If so, don't despair. Over-the-counter pills can replace the missing enzyme, called lactase, and some milk and milk substitutes are lactose-free.

Diverticulitis

By one estimate, 3 in 5 Americans older than 70 have the abnormal bulges called diverticula somewhere in the wall of their intestinal tract.

When diverticulitis does arise, it's very likely to make its presence known through abdominal pain-typically in the lower left quadrant in westerners, but often on the right side in Asians-and possibly fever; antibiotics can treat the condition.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

People with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, the two most common inflammatory bowel diseases, complain of abdominal pain and diarrhea and sometimes experience anemia, rectal bleeding, weight loss, or other symptoms.

Both disorders may arise from a wayward immune system that leads the body to attack the gastrointestinal tract.

Treating either disease requires beating back-and then continuously holding in check-the inappropriate inflammatory response.

Celiac Disease

About 1 percent of the U.S. population has celiac disease, an autoimmune and digestive disorder.

Sufferers are unable to eat gluten - a protein found in rye, barley, wheat, and more - without triggering an attack on their small intestine. Symptoms vary from person to person, but include: abdominal pain and bloating; chronic diarrhea; vomiting; constipation; and pale, foul-smelling, or fatty stool.

Doctors typically diagnose it with blood tests and stool samples.

While there's no cure, people can manage celiac disease by adopting a gluten-free diet.