The gastrointestinal tract is a series of hollow organs joined in a long, twisting tube from the mouth to the anus. Organs that make up the digestive tract are the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine (colon), rectum, and anus. The GI tract is connected to the pancreas, liver as well as salivary glands.

Abdominal Pain: Abdominal pain is pain that you feel anywhere between your chest and groin. The severity of your pain does not always reflect the seriousness of the condition causing the pain. For example, you might feel severe abdominal pain if you have gas or stomach cramps due to a viral gastroenteritis. In contrast, sometimes, life-threatening conditions such as colon cancer or early appendicitis may only cause mild pain or no pain.

Other ways of describing pain in your abdomen include: A) Generalized pain felt in more than half of your belly. This is more typical for a stomach virus, indigestion, or gas. If the pain becomes more severe, it may be caused by a blockage of the intestines. B) Localized pain found in only one area of your belly. This type of pain is more likely to be a sign of a problem in an organ, such as the appendix, gallbladder, or stomach. C) Cramp-like pain is usually not serious, and is more likely to be due to gas and bloating and is often followed by diarrhea. More worrisome signs include pain that occurs more often, lasts than 24 hours, or occurs with a fever. D) Colicky pain comes in waves. It usually starts and ends suddenly, and is often severe. Kidney stones and gallstones are common causes of this type. A consultation with your gastroenterologist can help you identify the cause of and effectively treat your abdominal pain.

Cancer of the GI Tract: Cancer of the gastrointestinal tract is a malignancy of a portion of the gastrointestinal system. Diagnosis may require performance of procedures with biopsy. Sites may include: Colon, Stomach, Esophagus, Pancreas and Liver.

GI and Rectal Bleeding: GI Bleeding is bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract. Bleeding may be from any one of several locations and may require performance of procedures such as EGD or Colonoscopy for diagnosis. Rectal Bleeding is bleeding from the lower portion of the large intestine or rectum. It may have any one of a number of causes. Diagnosis of rectal bleeding may require x-rays or procedure such as Colonoscopy or Flexible Sigmoidoscopy.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a common disorder of the intestines that leads to pain associated with a change in bowel habits, gassiness or bloating. This syndrome also has been called colitis, spastic bowel, spastic colon, or functional bowel disease. However, colitis means inflammation of the bowel and IBS is not an inflammatory disease. Examination and testing is done to exclude other diseases.

Chronic Nausea and Vomiting: Nausea is the unpleasant urge to vomit. Vomiting is the forceful ejection of stomach contents through the mouth. This is generally a protective mechanism to remove harmful ingested substances, but can occur from many unrelated infectious and inflammatory conditions in the body. Dehydration and/or imbalance of the body’s electrolytes and minerals circulating in the blood can be problematic when vomiting is severe or prolonged. When symptoms are prolonged, weight loss or malnutrition may occur.

A consultation with your gastroenterologist may be necessary to identify the cause of chronic nausea and vomiting. If the diagnosis still remains unclear after a history and physical, the following tests may be used to provide your gastroenterologist with more information: A) Blood tests (blood count, measurement of chemical levels in the blood, liver and pancreatic enzymes); B) X-rays of the gastrointestinal tract, abdomen, or brain. These can include plain x-rays, barium x-rays or specialized scans such as CT scans or MRI scans; C) Endoscopy to look for abnormalities in the lining of these structures that might be causing the nausea and vomiting; D) Tests to assess the movement of food through the stomach and intestines, gastrointestinal motility testing.