Mayo Clinic - Mayo Clinic on Digestive Health

Mayo Clinic on Digestive Health provides reliable, practical, easy-to-understand information on identifying and managing digestive signs and symptoms and conditions. Much of this information comes directly from the experience of gastroenterologists, hepatologists and other health care professionals at Mayo Clinic. This book is intended to supplement the advice of your personal physician, whom you should consult regarding individual medical conditions. Mayo Clinic on Digestive Health does not endorse any company or product. MAYO, MAYO CLINIC and the Mayo triple-shield logo are marks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

2011 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in review.

Address inquiries to: Mayo Clinic Health Information, Rights and Permissions, 200 First St. SW, Fifth Floor, Centerplace Building, Rochester, MN 55905.

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2010938898

Printed in the United States of America

Third Edition

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Stock photography from Getty Images. The individuals pictured are models, and the photos are used for illus-trative purposes only. Theres no correlation between the individuals portrayed and the conditions or subjects being discussed.

The endoscopic images on pages 117, 120, 143, 170 and 233 are courtesy of the American Registry of Pathology and the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Atlas of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy & Endoscopic Biopsies (2000).

Digestive problems are among the most common reasons people see their doctors. Theyre also a leading reason why people take medication. For example, next time you visit a pharmacy or grocery store, take note of the array of antacids and acid blockers on display for heartburn. Other common digestive complaints include indigestion, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, constipation and gas.

You may have come to accept these signs and symptoms as natural byproducts of digestion. Often, though, theyre your bodys way of telling you that something is wrong. The good news is that with early diagnosis, most digestive problems often can be successfully treated or managed.

Within these pages youll find solid, practical advice to help identify digestive problems before they become more serious. Youll also learn about simple changes you can make to your lifestyle that may reduce the risk of digestive disease. This book is based on the expertise of Mayo Clinic doctors and the advice they give day in and day out in caring for their patients.

Mayo Clinic is the first and largest integrated, not-for-profit group practice in the world. Doctors from every medical specialty work together to care for patients, joined by common systems and a philosophy that the needs of the patient come first. Over 3,600 physicians and scientists and 50,000 allied staff work at Mayo, which has sites in Rochester, Minn.; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz. Collectively, Mayo Clinic treats more than 500,000 patients a year.

For more than 100 years, millions of people from all walks of life have found answers at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic works with many insurance companies, does not require a physician referral in most cases and is an in-network provider for millions of people.

With its depth of medical knowledge, experience and expertise, Mayo Clinic occupies an unparalleled position as an award-winning health information resource.

Medical Editor - Stephen Crane Hauser, M.D.

Director, Health Information - Jay Maxwell

Senior Product Manager, Books and Newsletters - Christopher Frye

Managing Editor - Kevin Kaufman

Editorial Research Librarians - Anthony Cook, Amanda Golden, Deirdre Herman

Proofreading - Miranda Attlesey, Donna Hanson

Creative Director - Wes Weleczki

Art Director - Rick Resnick

Illustration - Michael King

Indexing - Steve Rath

Administrative Assistant - Beverly Steele, Terri Zanto Strausbauch

Contributing editors and reviewers

Cover design - Daryl Luepke

Stephen Crane Hauser, M.D.

Your digestive system may seem easy to understand. You put food in your mouth, and digestion breaks it down in your stomach so that all the nutritious parts are absorbed and waste is eliminated. Sounds simple, doesnt it?

In fact, your digestive system is incredibly complex part transportation system and part processing plant that requires the efficient function of many different organs to transform everything you eat and drink into a form that fuels your good health. Its easy to imagine the problems that might occur.

An obvious point that can be made about Mayo Clinic on Digestive Health is that theres information in this book that will be important to you. Its likely that youve experienced temporary discomfort from heartburn, diarrhea, constipation, nausea or excess gas. Everyone does at some point in life.

Its also possible that youre dealing with a common digestive condition, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, peptic ulcers or gallstones. You may be looking for help in managing a long-term condition, such as lactose intolerance or Crohns disease. This book addresses a wide range of digestive topics, providing a context for what it takes to keep your system healthy and what happens when something goes wrong.

Mayo Clinic on Digestive Health describes signs and symptoms, causes, diagnostic procedures, and treatment options for the most common digestive conditions, as well as preventive actions to consider. Too often, people wait too long before seeking help from their doctors. In general, the earlier you address a problem, the easier it is to prevent it from becoming serious.

Heres hoping that this book can help you enjoy a higher quality of life with fewer digestive concerns. And heres wishing you good digestion!

Stephen Crane Hauser, M.D.

Digestive health basics

Your digestive system

Recipe for healthy digestion

Gut feelings

Diagnostic tests

Digestive conditions

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

Ulcers and stomach pain

Irritable bowel syndrome

Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis

Celiac disease

Diverticular disease

Gallstones

Pancreatitis

Liver disease

Cancer