Symptoms & Causes

If you experience any gastrointestinal symptoms, which can include pain or discomfort in your digestive tract, or anything that is unusual for you, talk to one of the gastroenterologists at Mubadala Health Dubai.

Common gastrointestinal symptoms include:

• Abdominal pain with a bowel movement, such as cramps or bloating
• Anal pain, itching or swelling
• Bloating and increased passing of gas
• Blood or mucus in the stool
• Changes in the appearance or frequency of bowel movements
• Constipation
• Difficulty swallowing
• Feeling like the bowel has not been emptied after passing a stool
• Heartburn
• Light-colored stool
• Ongoing diarrhea
• Unexplained weight loss
• Yellowing of the skin or eyes.

What Causes Gastrointestinal Disorders?

There are two types of gastrointestinal diseases: functional and structural. In functional gastrointestinal conditions, the digestive tract appears normal under examination, but isn’t moving – or functioning – properly. Functional conditions most commonly affect the colon and rectum, and include conditions such as IBS, diarrhea and bloating.

In people with structural gastrointestinal diseases, the bowel isn’t functioning properly and also appears abnormal when examined. Structural gastrointestinal diseases include IBD, hemorrhoids and colon polyps.

As the digestive system includes many organs, gastrointestinal conditions can be caused by a number of things. Sometimes the cause is unknown, but genetics and lifestyle factors can play a role in affecting the motility of the gastrointestinal tract. Common causes of gastrointestinal conditions include:

• Anemia
• Eating large amounts of dairy products
• Lack of exercise
• Lack of fluids
• Poor diet including a lack of dietary fiber
• Ignoring the urge to use the bathroom or spending too long in the bathroom
• Irregularities in intestinal function
• Lifestyle changes such as pregnancy, aging or travel
• Medications (including iron tablets, certain pain medication and antidepressants)
• Misusing laxatives
• Pus-filled infection in an anal gland (abscess)
• Straining while going to the bathroom
• Stress
• Vomiting or nausea
• Weight loss or weight gain.