Specific red flag symptoms that warrant immediate referral include problems swallowing, palpable lumps in the stomach and significant unintended weight loss over the last six to 12 months.
The most common symptoms of digestive disorders include bleeding, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, pain, nausea and vomiting.
Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms such as heartburn, indigestion/dyspepsia, bloating and constipation are common in the community. However, these symptoms may be misinterpreted and their impact and significance misunderstood both by health care providers and patients.
Gastric distress is a group of digestive disorders that are associated with lingering symptoms of constipation, bloating, reflux, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping. These gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms can be caused by infections, food intolerances, food allergies or autoimmune diseases.
Call your doctor if you have any of these digestive symptoms: Chronic or unusual abdominal pain. Persistent or severe heartburn. Difficulty swallowing.
Gastroenteritis is an illness triggered by the infection and inflammation of the digestive system. Typical symptoms include abdominal cramps, diarrhoea and vomiting. In many cases, the condition heals itself within a few days.
Abdominal pain is pain that you feel anywhere between your chest and groin. This is often referred to as the stomach region or belly. Since the abdominal area contains many different organs it is divided in smaller areas.
A flare-up is the return or worsening of your symptoms. With inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), like ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn's disease, specific symptoms will depend on which condition you have and the part of your gastrointestinal (GI) tract that's inflamed. This inflammation can lead to a symptom flare-up.
When to see a healthcare professional. Seek professional guidance if any change in bowel movements has persisted for more than a few days. Even minor changes, such as constipation or diarrhea, can indicate a health issue. If more severe symptoms occur, consult a healthcare professional immediately.
You should see a gastroenterologist if you have any symptoms of a digestive health disorder or if you need colon cancer screening. Often, seeing a gastroenterologist leads to more accurate detection of polyps and cancer, fewer complications from procedures and less time spent in the hospital.
Gastrointestinal function is particularly influenced by stress. Common gastrointestinal symptoms due to stress are heartburn, indigestion, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, constipation and associated lower abdominal pain. These symptoms and the alterations in intestinal function that cause them are becoming understood.
Gastritis tends to affect the lining of the stomach, whereas gastroenteritis affects the intestines. Gastritis is inflammation, or irritation, of the stomach lining. Gastroenteritis, on the other hand, is inflammation of the intestine, or the stomach and the bowel.
Gastroenteritis can be very unpleasant, but it usually clears up by itself within a week. You can normally look after yourself or your child at home until you're feeling better.
Gastroenteritis symptoms usually last for 1 to 2 days, but occasionally they may persist for as long as 10 days. CHECK YOUR SYMPTOMS — Use the diarrhoea and vomiting Symptom Checker and find out if you need to seek medical help.
Primary Gastrointestinal Visceral Pain Patterns. Visceral pain (internal organs) occurs in the midline because the digestive organs arise embryologically in the midline and receive sensory afferents from both sides of the spinal cord.