Our digestive tract consists of stomach, liver, the gallbladder pancreas and the esophagus (food tube). Hence, the disorders that are linked to the digestive tract that is gastrointestinal (GI) tract are called digestive disorders or gastrointestinal diseases.
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Causes of Digestive Disorders
Digestive disorders have several causes. Though usually linked with the digestive tract at times they are also part of some other problem in the body. Some of the common causes of the digestive disorder are discussed below.
Unhealthy Diet:
One of the main and common causes of digestive disorders is the poor and unhealthy diet. Lack of fibre-containing foods and water along with excess of junk, fatty, sugary and oily foods make the metabolic process slow. This gives birth to various digestive diseases.
Unhealthy Lifestyle:
Lifestyle does not only influence your physical appearance but it plays an important role in the diseases you are facing. Smoking, alcohol, lack of sleep, extra work, taking a lot of stress and no exercise routine all these factors contribute to digestive disorders.
Allergies and Intolerance to Food:
Some people are allergic to certain foods and therefore show some prominent reactions immediately after taking them. Some common symptoms that show allergies are a throat infection, swelled lips and nausea. While in some severe it also becomes the cause of digestive disorders.
Genetic Causes:
In some cases of pancreatic cancer, Crohn’s disease, hypothyroidism, diabetes type 1, cystic fibrosis, liver diseases and coeliac disease the cause are considered genetic and passed on through a person’s mother or father.
Structural causes:
Sometimes in people facing diverticulosis, pouches are formed in the intestine such abnormality in gastrointestinal system can be a hinder to the normal working of the digestive system. Such as ulcer and cancerous tumor also become a hurdle for the functioning of digestive system.
Side Effects of Medication:
There are many medicines that can cause the side effects in the form of digestive disorder mostly due to their long-term use. For example, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories and some antibiotics affect the digestive system and cause ulceration, constipation, nausea and many other effects.
After Effects of the Surgery:
Some of the digestive diseases are caused by the post-surgical side effects as a result of the surgeries that influence the gastrointestinal tract anatomy.
Getting Old:
Aging is one of the most common causes of the digestive disorders. Getting old is a natural process and as the other parts of the body ages the digestive tract also. Everything that is linked to the digestive system that is our saliva, taste senses and reflux are affected and therefore develops various diseases.
Disorders due to Viral or Bacterial Diseases:
Certain bacteria, parasites, and viruses affect the digestive system. Hence, they affect the metabolic process of the digestive system. There are many causes of the diseases such as contaminated and infected foods, surfaces, and water.
Other causes may include systematic disorders, functional complications, and auto-immune diseases. A healthy lifestyle and proper therapy can reduce the probability of having a disease as well treating the digestive disorder.