Digestion
Learn about digestion
If you've ever had an upset stomach or a case of heartburn, you know how painful digestive problems can be. But the digestive system is made up of more than just the stomach. Other organs, like the small intestine and the colon, are also part of the digestive system. A problem with any of these organs can lead to pain or other serious problems. Our topics can help you deal with digestion problems and give you tips on how to keep your digestive system healthy.
Get the information you need in our digestion topics, such as:
-
Gas, Bloating, and Burping . -
Constipation . -
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) . -
Heartburn . -
Peptic Ulcers . -
Diverticulitis . -
Gallstones: Should I Have Gallbladder Surgery?
Abdominal Fullness or Bloating Abdominal Pain Causes Abdominal Pain, Age 11 and Younger Abdominal Pain, Age 12 and Older Acid-Reducing Medicines Acute Pancreatitis Adjustable Gastric Banding Surgery Anal Cancer Anal Fissure Anthrax Appendicitis Ascites and Liver Disease Asthma and GERD Belly (Abdominal) Gas in Babies Biliopancreatic Diversion With or Without a Duodenal Switch Bowel Movements in Babies Bowel Obstruction Bowel Resection Bowel Resection for Colorectal Cancer Campylobacteriosis Cancer: Home Treatment for Constipation Cancer: Home Treatment for Diarrhea Capsaicin Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats, and Blood Sugar Cardiac Cachexia Caregiving: Using a Bedside Commode (Toilet) Causes of Bleeding in the Gastrointestinal Tract Celiac Disease Cholecystitis Cholera Vaccine: What You Need to Know Chronic Constipation Chronic Pancreatitis Chronic Pancreatitis: Pain Management Cirrhosis Cirrhosis Complications: Encephalopathy Cirrhosis Complications: Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis Cirrhosis Complications: Variceal Bleeding Cirrhosis: Beta-Blockers for Portal Hypertension and Varices Cirrhosis: Surgical Shunts for Portal Hypertension Cirrhosis: Vasoconstrictor Medicines for Variceal Bleeding Cleaning Up Diarrhea Clostridioides Difficile (C. diff) Colitis Colic Colon Polyps Colorectal Cancer Colorectal Cancer Genetic Testing Colorectal Cancer Screening Colorectal Cancer, Metastatic or Recurrent Colostomy Common Types of Hernias Complications of Peptic Ulcer Constipation, Age 11 and Younger Constipation, Age 12 and Older Constipation: Keeping Your Bowels Healthy Crohn's Disease Crohn's Disease: When Surgery Is Needed Cryptosporidium Dengue Fever Diabetes and Constipation or Diarrhea Diabetes: How to Prepare for a Colonoscopy Diarrhea, Age 11 and Younger Diarrhea, Age 12 and Older Difficulty Swallowing (Dysphagia) Diverticular Bleeding Diverticulitis Diverticulosis Dyspepsia E. Coli Infection From Food or Water Endoscopic Treatment for Variceal Bleeding Environmental Illness Eosinophilic Esophagitis Esophageal Spasm Esophagitis Feeding Your Premature Infant Following a Low-Fiber Diet Food Poisoning and Safe Food Handling Food Poisoning: Clostridium Perfringens Fructose or Sorbitol Intolerance Full Liquid Diets Fulminant Hepatitis Fundoplication Surgery for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) Gallstone Symptoms: When Surgery Is Needed Gallstones Gas (Flatus) Gas, Bloating, and Burping Gas, Burping, or Bloating That Begins After Eating or Drinking Gastric Bypass Surgery Gastric Sleeve Surgery Gastritis Gastroenteritis in Adults and Older Children Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) Gastroesophageal Reflux in Babies and Children Gastroparesis GERD: Esophageal Erosion and Ulcers Getting Enough Fiber Giardiasis Groin Problems and Injuries Heartburn Heartburn During Pregnancy Heartburn: Changing Your Eating Habits Helicobacter Pylori Bacteria HELLP Syndrome Hemorrhoidectomy Hemorrhoids Hepatitis A Hepatitis A Vaccine: What You Need to Know Hepatitis B Hepatitis B Vaccine: What You Need to Know Hepatitis B: Postvaccination Test for Immunity Hepatitis C Hepatitis C in Pregnancy Hepatitis C: Your Risk for Cirrhosis Hepatitis D Hepatitis E Hiatal Hernia Hiccups Hidden Gluten Hirschsprung Disease Ileoanal Anastomosis for Ulcerative Colitis Incision of External Hemorrhoids Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Cancer Risk Infrared Photocoagulation for Hemorrhoids Inguinal Hernia Inguinal Hernia: Surgery in Adults Intraoperative Cholangiogram Intussusception Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Lactose Intolerance Laparoscopic Gallbladder Removal Surgery for Gallstones Laparoscopic Surgery Laxatives Liposuction Listeriosis Liver Resection Liver Transplant Liver Transplant in Children Living With an Ostomy Living With More Than One Health Problem Lung Transplant for Cystic Fibrosis Malabsorption Syndrome Marine Toxins Medicines or Vitamins That Can Cause Gas, Bloating, or Burping Medicines That Can Cause Pancreatitis MELD Score (Model for End-Stage Liver Disease) Motion Sickness Multi-Organ Transplants Nausea and Vomiting, Age 11 and Younger Necrotizing Enterocolitis Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) Nonprescription Antacids for Heartburn Noroviruses (Norwalk Viruses) Open Gallbladder Surgery for Gallstones Open Inguinal Hernia Repair (Herniorrhaphy, Hernioplasty) Organ Transplant Pain Management Pain Management Clinic Pancreas Transplant Pancreatic Cancer Pelvic Organ Prolapse Peptic Ulcer Disease Perforation Pinworms Postcholecystectomy Syndrome Postoperative Problems Pregnancy: Changes in Bowel Habits Pregnancy: Hemorrhoids and Constipation Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) Probiotics Proctocolectomy and Ileostomy for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Pushing a Rectal Prolapse Into Place Pyloric Stenosis Rectal Problems Rectal Problems Caused by Abuse Rectal Prolapse Refeeding Syndrome Repair of Rectocele or Enterocele Rotavirus Rotavirus Vaccine: What You Need to Know Rubber Band Ligation for Hemorrhoids Salmonellosis Scleroderma Shigellosis Spitting Up Staph Food Poisoning Stroke: Bladder and Bowel Problems Swallowed Air Swallowed or Inhaled Objects Tips for Swallowing Medicines Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS) Travel Health Traveler's Diarrhea Types of Peptic Ulcers Ulcerative Colitis Umbilical Hernia in Children Viral Hepatitis Vitamin B12 Deficiency Anemia Weaning Weight-Loss (Bariatric) Surgery Weight-Loss Medicines Whipple Surgery for Pancreatic Cancer
Abdominal Ultrasound Abdominal X-Ray Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) Test Alkaline Phosphatase Test Ammonia Test Amylase Test Antigen Tests for Giardiasis Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) Test Barium Enema Basic Metabolic Panel Bilirubin Test Bowel Transit Time Test Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) Test Celiac Disease Antibodies Test Chloride (Cl) Test Clostridioides Difficile (C. diff) Toxins Test Colonoscopy Comprehensive Metabolic Panel Computed Tomography (CT) Scan of the Body Digital Rectal Examination D-Xylose Absorption Test Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatogram (ERCP) Esophagus Tests Gastrin Test Helicobacter Pylori Tests Hepatitis A Virus Test Hepatitis B Virus Tests Hepatitis C Virus Tests Hepatitis Panel HIDA Scan Lactic Acid Dehydrogenase (LDH) Test Laparoscopy Lipase Blood Test Liver and Spleen Scan Liver Function Tests Magnetic Resonance Cholangiogram Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the Abdomen Needle Biopsy of the Liver Paracentesis Potassium (K) in Blood Test Potassium (K) in Urine Test Prealbumin Blood Test Sigmoidoscopy (Anoscopy, Proctoscopy) Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) Sodium (Na) in Blood Test Stool Analysis Stool Culture Stool Tests for Colorectal Cancer Technetium-Labeled Red Blood Cell Bleeding Scan Total Serum Protein Test Upper Gastrointestinal (UGI) Series Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Video Capsule Endoscopy Virtual Colonoscopy
Colorectal Cancer: Which Screening Test Should I Have? Gallstones: Should I Have Gallbladder Surgery? Inguinal Hernia: Should I Have Surgery Now, or Should I Wait? Pelvic Organ Prolapse: Should I Have Surgery? Ulcerative Colitis: Should I Have Surgery? Umbilical Hernia: Should I Have Surgery? Umbilical Hernia: Should My Child Have Surgery?
Bowel Disease: Caring for Your Ostomy Bowel Disease: Changing Your Diet Celiac Disease: Eating a Gluten-Free Diet GERD: Controlling Heartburn by Changing Your Habits Hepatitis B: How to Avoid Spreading the Virus Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Controlling Symptoms With Diet Tube Feeding: Living With a Feeding Tube
Current as of: October 19, 2023
Author:
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Ignite Healthwise, LLC, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the
To learn more about Ignite Healthwise, LLC, visit
© 2024 Ignite Healthwise, LLC. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Ignite Healthwise, LLC.
Page Footer
I want to...
Audiences
Secure Member Sites
The Cigna Group Information
Disclaimer
Individual and family medical and dental insurance plans are insured by Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company (CHLIC), Cigna HealthCare of Arizona, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of Illinois, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of Georgia, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of North Carolina, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of South Carolina, Inc., and Cigna HealthCare of Texas, Inc. Group health insurance and health benefit plans are insured or administered by CHLIC, Connecticut General Life Insurance Company (CGLIC), or their affiliates (see
All insurance policies and group benefit plans contain exclusions and limitations. For availability, costs and complete details of coverage, contact a licensed agent or Cigna sales representative. This website is not intended for residents of New Mexico.