Endocrine System
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7.14 Message – Good health begins on the inside. Diseases enter through the mouth. So look after your digestive system – eat healthy nutritious diet, do regular exercise and most importantly do not ignore indigestion symptoms.
Some Common Disorders of the Digestive System
7.15 The two most common disorders of the digestive system are constipation and diarrhoea. Other common problems are: –
7.16 Gastric Ulcers – During digestion, the stomach produces hydrochloric acid and enzyme pepsin (a digestive protein), which are powerful digestive juices. Normally, mucus secretions protect the body from harmful effects of these juices. But when a wrong or spicy food is eaten, or tobacco is used, or an overdose of aspirin etc is taken, then there is an overproduction of digestive juices, which break down stomach tissues resulting in an open sore, a gastric ulcer. If the sore creates damage to the blood vessels in the stomach wall, a bleeding ulcer can develop.
7.17 Stomachache – When a person complains of a stomachache, the pain is actually in the intestines. Consuming contaminated food and/or water can cause painful cramps in the intestines.
7.18 Growling and Heartburn – Our stomach starts growling at mealtimes. This sound is from the churning action of the stomach. If food is not eaten for a long time, the churning action becomes so intense that the acidic contents released from the stomach wall push upwards to damage the lining of the food pipe and produce a painful burning sensation, called heartburn, behind your breastbone and into the neck and throat. It has nothing to do with the heart! Normally, a circular valve-like muscle, called sphincter, separates the stomach and oesophagus (foodpipe), keeping the acidic content where it belongs. But if this valve becomes weak due to age or obesity, it loses its ability to stay closed. If your heartburn is bad enough, it can develop into Barrett’s oesophagus. This is a condition in which the body, in an effort to protect the oesophagus from too much stomach acid, replaces the cells, which line the oesophagus with new cells like those lining the intestines. However, this change increases your risk of cancer of the oesophagus by as much as 40 times. It starts near the heart and rises towards the throat. Sometimes, due to heartburn, the mouth gets filled with watery saliva. Heartburn may occur after drinking a hot or cold liquid. Or it may occur after eating, when a person is tense and tired, due to habitual overeating, overuse of spices, frequent use of painkillers, prolonged tension, excessive intake of tea, coffee or alcohol.
