What is irritable bowel syndrome?
Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS for short, is a bowel disorder that is associated with abdominal pain and changes in bowel habit. It is a functional bowel disorder meaning that there is no evident disease process but is rather associated with a disturbance in the normal functioning of the bowel. IBS is also known by another now outdated term – ‘spastic colon’. It is often confused with IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) which is another common yet less prevalent disorder that is due to actual disease processes affecting the bowels.
What is Inflammatory Bowel Disease?
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is chronic inflammation of the bowels, mainly the large intestine, due to an immune reaction. It should not be confused with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) which is a functional bowel condition of unknown cause. The bowels comprise the small intestine and large intestine which are jointly the largest parts of the alimentary tract. The large intestine is made up of the caecum, colon and rectum. IBD mainly affects the colon and often includes the rectum or ileum, which the last part of the small intestine. Rarely some types of IBD can affect any part of the alimentary tract including the mouth and stomach.
What is Gastritis?
Gastritis is inflammation of the stomach wall. This usually starts in the inner lining of the stomach known as the gastric mucosa and eventually penetrates deeper into the underlying layers. Most cases of gastritis are due to infection with the H.pylori (Helicobacter pylori) bacteria or the long term and excessive use of anti-inflammatory drugs. Other factors such as stress and spicy foods may exacerbate the symptoms but do not cause gastritis on its own. Gastritis typically presents with a gnawing pain in the upper abdomen.
Yellow fever is a viral infection spread by mosquitoes. The word “yellow” is a reference to the yellowing of the skin (jaundice) as a result of the damage to the liver. Yellow fever does not often receive much public attention due to the effectiveness of immunisation, however, the incidence has increased in recent years for various reasons. It is more frequently seen in Africa and South America and about half of all the severe cases will result in death without treatment.
Continue reading
Escherichia coli or E.coli is a group of bacteria that has a close relationship with humans. Several strains of E.coli naturally live in the bowels of humans and other animals and it is passed out in large amounts in the stool. Although harmless when its population is controlled in the bowel, E.coli has the potential for causing serious diseases. It may infect the bowels, urinary tract, lungs, brain lining (meninges) and just about any other site that it gains entry to. However, the vast majority of E.coli outbreaks involves inflammation of the small and large intestines leading to symptoms such as diarrhoea.
Anaemia is the medical term for a deficiency of hemoglobin, the compound in the red blood cells that bind to oxygen. It may be related to low numbers of red blood cells or lower than normal levels of haemoglobin although there is sufficient red blood cells. There are various types of anemia associated with normal or abnormal red blood cells. One of these is megaloblastic anaemia. It arises when there is a deficiency of vitamin B12 and folate (vitamin B9).
