Digestive System Disorders: Celiac Disease, Lactose Intolerance & More
Digestive System Disorders
Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is a permanent intolerance to gluten, a protein existing in wheat, barley, rye, and oats. It occurs in people genetically predisposed to gluten.
Lactose Intolerance
Lactose intolerance is an intolerance to milk sugar produced by a deficiency causing lactose. Lactose cannot be absorbed and therefore passes intact to the colon, presenting as diarrhea.
Regulation of Stomach Emptying
There are two mechanisms:
- Hormonal: Enterogastrin is released into the blood from the intestinal mucosa. It has an inhibitory effect on the stomach musculature, slowing the passage of chyme into the duodenum.
- Nervous Control: It is regulated by the autonomic nervous system, specifically by receptors in the duodenal mucosa that are sensitive to acidity.
Components of Pancreatic Juice and Their Functions
- Sodium bicarbonate: Neutralizes hydrochloric acid.
- Trypsinogen: Trypsin
- Chymotrypsinogen: Chymotrypsin; digests proteins into peptides and amino acids.
- Amylase: Digests food into maltose.
- Pancreatic lipase: Digests fat into fatty acids and glycerol.
Components of Bile Juice and Their Role
- Bile pigments: Excretions are products that are transported to the liver as a result of the destruction of red blood cells.
- Bile salts: Emulsify fats, helping in their digestion and absorption. They are formed by cholesterol and are then reabsorbed back to the liver.
Components of Intestinal Juice and Their Function
- Protease: Digests peptides into amino acids.
- Disaccharides: Digest carbohydrates.
- Intestinal lipase: Digests fats.
- Intestinal amylase: Digests carbohydrates.
Pathologies of the Digestive System
Esophageal Pathologies
- Esophagitis: Inflammation of the esophageal mucosa produced by gastroesophageal reflux, alcohol, and esophageal fungi.
- Tumors: Related to dysphagia, a symptom of alcohol and tobacco use.
Gastric Pathologies
- Gastritis: Swelling of the stomach mucosa.
- Acute gastritis: Transitory in nature, related to extrinsic factors such as alcohol, drugs, and smoking.
- Chronic gastritis: From multiple etiologies, it may be infectious, chemically irritating, immunological, or genetic.
- Ulcer: Gastric mucosal lesion that extends into the muscular layer, related to the presence of bacteria, mucosal exposure to gastric acid, and hydrochloric acid. Complications include gastric hemorrhage.
- Gastric carcinoma: Malignant tumor that occurs in the stomach. It has a higher incidence in men over 60 years old.
Bowel Diseases
- Diarrhea: Increased stool volume and consistency greater than normal due to alterations in the function of the digestive tract. It can be caused by viruses or bacteria.
- Constipation: Delay in the issuance of feces, which remain low in volume, hard, and difficult to remove due to decreased bowel motility.
- Intestinal tumors:
- Polyps: Common and benign.
- Colorectal carcinoma: Malignant. The genesis of these pathologies is due to dietary factors: low fiber intake, ingestion of a high amount of refined carbohydrates and meat, and low intake of vitamins.
Liver and Gallbladder Pathologies
- Hepatitis: Inflammation of the liver characterized by damage to liver tissue that produces a functional insufficiency. It is produced by viral infections, bacteria, alcohol, drugs, or immune diseases and is classified as A, B, C, or D.
- Hepatic cirrhosis: The final result of many chronic liver diseases. It leads to the loss of normal liver architecture and a progressive decrease in its functions. It is produced by alcohol abuse, chronic hepatitis, and biliary diseases.
- Gallstones or cholelithiasis: Formation of solid material composed of cholesterol found in the gallbladder. It produces cramps in the upper right abdomen, intolerance to fatty food, nausea, and vomiting.
Pancreas Pathologies
- Pancreatitis: Inflammation of the pancreas. It may be acute or chronic.
- Acute: Resolved with treatment due to alcohol consumption.
- Chronic: Persistent inflammation with damage caused by its destruction, caused by alcoholism.
- Diabetes: An illness characterized by high levels of blood glucose caused by defects in the production of insulin.
- Type 1: Develops when the body’s immune system destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. These individuals are dependent on the administration of insulin.
- Type 2: Starts in adulthood with insulin resistance; cells do not properly use insulin. The pancreas gradually loses the ability to make insulin. It can initially be controlled with diet, but eventually, oral agents and insulin injections may be necessary.
- Gestational diabetes: Glucose intolerance during pregnancy, usually disappearing after pregnancy.