Digestive

Homeostasis
Disorders
• ANOREXIA NERVOSA - a
psychological condition where an individual
thinks they appear overweight and refuses to
eat.
• Weighs 85% or less than what is
developmentally expected for age and height
• Young girls do not begin to menstruate at the
appropriate age.
• Treatment: psychotherapy & dietary regulation
• GALLSTONES – an accumulation of hardened
cholesterol and/or calcium deposits in the gallbladder.
• Can either be “passed” or surgically removed.
• May be present in the gallbladder and give no
symptoms
• Small stones, referred to as gravel, are the ones that
enter the cystic duct and cause an obstruction with
excruciating pain.
• The danger of gallstones is obstruction of the bile
ducts, which causes inflammation.
• The stones consist principally of cholesterol, bilirubin, and calcium
when in excess. Certain factors tend to stimulate gallstone formation,
such as obesity and pregnancy (because of an increased cholesterol
level). The incidence of gallstones is higher in women.
• Dysphagia- is an esophageal disease .

• Difficulty in swallowing that may be

caused by inflammation, paralysis,
obstruction or trauma.
• HEART BURN– ACID from the stomach backs up into
the esophagus.
• Caused by failure of the lower esophageal
sphincter to close properly, so that the stomach
contents enter the inferior esophagus.
• ULCERS – erosion of the surface of the
alimentary canal generally associated with
some kind of irritant.

COMPLICATIONS:

Obstruction

Peritonitis

hemorrhage/shock
• Dysentery - is an acute inflammation of the
colon, a colitis.
• The major symptom of dysentery is diarrhea in
which the stools contain pus, blood, and mucus.
• Severe abdominal pain accompanies the
diarrhea. Bacteria, parasitic worms, and other
microorganisms can cause dysentery. The
protozoan Entamoeba histolytica, which is
transmitted in feces-contaminated food and
water, causes amoebic dysentery.
• DIARRHEA – a gastrointestinal disturbance
characterized by decreased water absorption
and increased peristaltic activity of the large
intestine.
• This results in increased, multiple, watery feces.
• This condition may result in severe dehydration,
especially in infants.
• CONSTIPATION – a condition in which the large
intestine is emptied with difficulty.
• too much water is reabsorbed

• and the solid waste hardens

• APPENDICITIS – an inflammation of the
appendix due to infection.
• Common treatment is removal of the appendix
via surgery.
• Hemorrhoids
• Enlarged (varicose) veins in the lining of the rectum near
the anus
• may be internal or external.
• Causes include heredity, poor dietary habits, inadequate
fiber, overuse of laxatives, and lack of exercise.
• Hemorrhoids frequently develop during pregnancy because
of pressure from an enlarged uterus.
• Treatment includes adding fiber and water to the diet and
stool softeners to reduce straining and subsequent
inflammation. Medicated suppositories and anorectal
creams provide pain relief and reduce inflammation.
TRIVIAS

Your stomach stretches when

you eat like a balloon being
filled with air.
TRIVIAS

We eat about 500kg of food

per year. 1.7 liters of saliva is
produced each day.
TRIVIAS
The human digestive tract is
about 30 feet (9 meters) long
when taken from a cadaver.
TRIVIAS
Our stomach usually takes about 2 to 4 hours
to empty it contents. High fat foods take the
longest time to empty from the stomach,
carbohydrate rich foods tend to empty much
faster. High protein foods empties slower
than carbohydrates and a little bit much faster
than fatty foods.
TRIVIAS

80 % of your immune system is located in

your digestive tract making a healthy gut a
major focal point if you want to achieve
optical health.
TRIVIAS

If stomachs did not have a lining of

mucus , your digestive would digest
itself.
TRIVIAS

Food drying up and hanging out in

the large intestine can last 18 hours
to 2 days!
TRIVIAS
In your lifetime, your digestive
system may handle about 50 tons!!
This is the same weight as 50 cars.
TRIVIAS

The surface area of the small

intestine is the size of the tennis
court.
TRIVIAS

Our liver can perform 500 different

functions.