Most people don’t like to talk about it, but having a gastrointestinal problem is common. There’s no need to suffer in silence, though. Here’s a top-to-bottom look at nine of the most prevalent digestive conditions, symptoms, and the most effective treatments available. If you suspect you have one of these issues, don't delay speaking with a healthcare professional.

1. DIGESTIVE HEALTH
9 Common Digestive Conditions From Top to
Bottom
Many digestive diseases have similar symptoms. Here’s how to recognize them and when to visit your doctor.
By Beth W. Orenstein Medically Reviewed by Kareem Sassi, MD
Last Updated: June 17, 2020
If you have pain in your abdomen or intestines, you may have one of these conditions. iStock
Most people don’t like to talk about it, but having a gastrointestinal problem is common.
There’s no need to su er in silence, though. Here’s a top-to-bottom look at nine of the
most prevalent digestive conditions, symptoms, and the most e ective treatments
available. If you suspect you have one of these issues, don't delay in speaking with a
healthcare professional.
1. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
When stomach acid backs up into your esophagus — a condition called acid re ux —
you may feel a burning pain in the middle of your chest. It often occurs after meals or at
night, says Neville Bamji, MD, a clinical instructor of medicine at the Icahn School of
Medicine at Mount Sinai and a gastroenterologist with New York Gastroenterology
Associates.
While it’s common for people to experience acid re ux and heartburn once in a while,
having symptoms that a ect your daily life or occur at least twice each week could be a
sign of GERD, a chronic digestive disease that a ects 20 percent of Americans,
according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
(NIDDK). If you experience persistent heartburn, bad breath, tooth erosion, nausea, pain
in your chest or upper part of your abdomen, or have trouble swallowing or breathing,
see your doctor.
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2. Most people nd relief by avoiding the foods and beverages that trigger their symptoms
and/or taking over-the-counter antacids or other medication that reduces stomach acid
production and in ammation of the esophagus. In addition, lifestyle changes like
elevating the head of the bed, not lying down after a meal, avoiding tight- tting clothing,
and quitting smoking can also help. However, some cases of GERD require stronger
treatment, such as medication or surgery.
RELATED: Managing GERD In An Era of Uncertainty
2. Gallstones
Gallstones are hard deposits that form in your gallbladder — a small, pear-shaped sac
that stores and secretes bile for digestion. Nearly one million Americans are found to
have gallstones every year, according to the American Gastroenterological Association.
Gallstones can form when there’s too much cholesterol or waste in your bile, or if your
gallbladder doesn’t empty properly.
When gallstones block the ducts leading from your gallbladder to your intestines, they
can cause sharp pain in your upper-right abdomen. Medication sometimes dissolves
gallstones, but if that doesn’t work, the next step is surgery to remove the gallbladder.
RELATED: Gallbladder Surgery: What to Expect
3. Celiac Disease
An estimated 1 in 133 Americans — about 1 percent of the population — has celiac
disease, according to Beyond Celiac (formerly the National Foundation for Celiac
Awareness). The group also estimates that more than 80 percent of people with celiac
disease don’t know they have it or have been misdiagnosed with a di erent condition.
Celiac disease is a serious sensitivity to gluten, which is a protein found in wheat, rye,
and barley. Eat gluten, and your immune system goes on the attack: It damages your
villi, the ngerlike protrusions in your small intestines that help you absorb nutrients
from the foods you eat. In children, symptoms may include abdominal pain and
bloating, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, and weight loss. Symptoms in adults can also
include anemia, fatigue, bone loss, depression, and seizures.
Yet some people may not have any symptoms. The only treatment for celiac disease is
to completely avoid eating gluten. Common alternatives to gluten include brown rice,
quinoa, lentils, soy our, corn our, and amaranth.
RELATED: Gluten-Free 101: A Complete Scienti c Guide
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4. Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease is part of a group of digestive conditions called in ammatory bowel
disease (IBD). Crohn’s can a ect any part of the GI tract but most commonly a ects the
terminal ileum, which connects the end of the small bowel and the beginning of the
colon. As many as 780,000 Americans may be a ected by Crohn’s, according to the
Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation (CCFA).
Doctors aren't sure what causes the disease, but it's thought that genetics and family
history may play a part. The most common Crohn's symptoms are abdominal pain,
diarrhea, rectal bleeding, weight loss, and fever. “Treatment depends on the symptoms
and can include topical pain relievers, immunosuppressants, and surgery,” Dr. Bamji
says. Avoiding trigger foods like dairy products, carbonated beverages, alcohol, co ee,
raw fruit and vegetables, red meat, and foods that are fatty, fried, spicy, or gas-
producing can also help prevent ares.
RELATED: 10 Complementary Therapies for Crohn's Disease
5. Ulcerative Colitis
Ulcerative colitis is another in ammatory bowel disease that may a ect as many as
907,000 Americans, according to the CCFA. The symptoms of ulcerative colitis are very
similar to those of Crohn's, but the part of the digestive tract a ected is solely the large
intestine, also known as the colon.
If your immune system mistakes food or other materials for invaders, sores or ulcers
develop in the colon’s lining. If you experience frequent and urgent bowel movements,
pain with diarrhea, blood in your stool, or abdominal cramps, visit your doctor.
Medication can suppress the in ammation, and eliminating foods that cause discomfort
may help as well. In severe cases, treatment for ulcerative colitis may involve surgery to
remove the colon.
RELATED: How Well Is Your Ulcerative Colitis Treatment Working?
6. Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Is your digestive tract irritable? Do you have stomach pain or discomfort at least three
times a month for several months? It could be irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), another
common digestive condition.
About 10 to 15 percent of people worldwide su er from IBS, and of that percentage, up
to 45 million people with IBS live in the United States, according to the International
Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. Signs of IBS can vary widely from
having hard, dry stools one day to loose, watery stools on another. Bloating is also a
symptom of IBS.
What causes IBS isn’t known, but treatment of symptoms centers largely on diet, such as
eating low-fat, high- ber meals and avoiding common trigger foods (dairy products,
alcohol, ca eine, arti cial sweeteners, and foods that produce gas). The low-FODMAP
diet, which involves eliminating foods that are high in certain carbohydrates called
FODMAPs (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols),
has also been shown to reduce IBS symptoms.
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4. Additionally, friendly bacteria, such as the probiotics found in live yogurt, may help you
feel better. Stress can trigger IBS symptoms, so some people nd cognitive behavioral
therapy or low-dose antidepressants to be useful treatments, as well.
RELATED: Mindfulness Meditation Reduces IBS Symptoms and Anxiety, Study Finds
7. Hemorrhoids
Bright red blood in the toilet bowl when you move your bowels could be a sign of
hemorrhoids, which is a very common condition. In fact, 75 percent of Americans over
age 45 have hemorrhoids, according to the NIDDK.
Hemorrhoids are an in ammation of the blood vessels at the end of your digestive tract
that can be painful and itchy. Causes include chronic constipation, diarrhea, straining
during bowel movements, and a lack of ber in your diet.
Treat hemorrhoids by eating more ber, drinking more water, and exercising. Over-the-
counter creams and suppositories may provide temporary relief of hemorrhoid
symptoms. See your doctor if at-home treatments don’t help; sometimes a
hemorrhoidectomy is needed to remove hemorrhoids surgically.
RELATED: 4 Signs Your Hemorrhoids Warrant a Doctor's Visit
8. Diverticulitis
Small pouches called diverticula can form anywhere there are weak spots in the lining of
your digestive system, but they are most commonly found in the colon. If you have
diverticula but no symptoms, the condition is called diverticulosis, which is quite
common among older adults and rarely causes problems. By age 50, about half of
people have diverticulosis, according to the American Gastroenterological Association.
But in about 5 percent of people, the pouches become in amed or infected, a condition
called diverticulitis. Symptoms include fever, chills, nausea, and abdominal pain. Obesity
is a major risk factor for diverticulitis.
Mild diverticulitis is treated with antibiotics and a clear liquid diet so your colon can heal.
A low- ber diet could be the cause of diverticulitis, so your doctor may direct you to eat
a diet high in ber — whole grains, legumes, vegetables — as part of your treatment.
If you have severe attacks that recur frequently, you may need surgery to remove the
diseased part of your colon.
RELATED: Diverticulitis Diet: Foods to Eat and Avoid for Prevention and Treatment
9. Anal Fissure
Anal ssures are tiny, oval-shaped tears in the lining of the very end of your digestive
tract called your anus. The symptoms are similar to those of hemorrhoids, such as
bleeding and pain after moving your bowels. Straining and hard bowel movements can
cause ssures, but so can soft stools and diarrhea.
A high- ber diet that makes your stool well formed and bulky is often the best treatment
for this common digestive condition. Medication to relax the anal sphincter muscles, as
well as topical anesthetics and sitz baths, can relieve pain; however, chronic ssures
may require surgery of the anal sphincter muscle.
Additional reporting by Ashley Welch
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