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The Digestive System and How It Works

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The digestive system is a series of hollow organs joined in a long, twisting tube from the mouth to the anus(see the figure below) . Inside this tube is a lining called the mucosa. In the mouth, stomach, and small intestine, the mucosa contains tiny glands that produce juices to help digest food…..click & see

Two solid organs, the liver and the pancreas, produce digestive juices that reach the intestine through small tubes. In addition, parts of other organ systems (for instance, nerves and blood) play a major role in the digestive system.

Why is digestion important?

When we eat such things as bread, meat, and vegetables, they are not in a form that the body can use as nourishment. Our food and drink must be changed into smaller molecules of nutrients before they can be absorbed into the blood and carried to cells throughout the body. Digestion is the process by which food and drink are broken down into their smallest parts so that the body can use them to build and nourish cells and to provide energy.

How is food digested?

Digestion involves the mixing of food, its movement through the digestive tract, and the chemical breakdown of the large molecules of food into smaller molecules. Digestion begins in the mouth, when we chew and swallow, and is completed in the small intestine. The chemical process varies somewhat for different kinds of food.

Movement of Food Through the System

The large, hollow organs of the digestive system contain muscle that enables their walls to move. The movement of organ walls can propel food and liquid and also can mix the contents within each organ. Typical movement of the esophagus, stomach, and intestine is called peristalsis. The action of peristalsis looks like an ocean wave moving through the muscle. The muscle of the organ produces a narrowing and then propels the narrowed portion slowly down the length of the organ. These waves of narrowing push the food and fluid in front of them through each hollow organ.

click & see

The first major muscle movement occurs when food or liquid is swallowed. Although we are able to start swallowing by choice, once the swallow begins, it becomes involuntary and proceeds under the control of the nerves.

The esophagus is the organ into which the swallowed food is pushed. It connects the throat above with the stomach below. At the junction of the esophagus and stomach, there is a ringlike valve closing the passage between the two organs. However, as the food approaches the closed ring, the surrounding muscles relax and allow the food to pass.

The food then enters the stomach, which has three mechanical tasks to do. First, the stomach must store the swallowed food and liquid. This requires the muscle of the upper part of the stomach to relax and accept large volumes of swallowed material. The second job is to mix up the food, liquid, and digestive juice produced by the stomach. The lower part of the stomach mixes these materials by its muscle action. The third task of the stomach is to empty its contents slowly into the small intestine.

Several factors affect emptying of the stomach, including the nature of the food (mainly its fat and protein content) and the degree of muscle action of the emptying stomach and the next organ to receive the contents (the small intestine). As the food is digested in the small intestine and dissolved into the juices from the pancreas, liver, and intestine, the contents of the intestine are mixed and pushed forward to allow further digestion.

Finally, all of the digested nutrients are absorbed through the intestinal walls. The waste products of this process include undigested parts of the food, known as fiber, and older cells that have been shed from the mucosa. These materials are propelled into the colon, where they remain, usually for a day or two, until the feces are expelled by a bowel movement.

Production of Digestive Juices

The glands that act first are in the mouth—the salivary glands. Saliva produced by these glands contains an enzyme that begins to digest the starch from food into smaller molecules.

The next set of digestive glands is in the stomach lining. They produce stomach acid and an enzyme that digests protein. One of the unsolved puzzles of the digestive system is why the acid juice of the stomach does not dissolve the tissue of the stomach itself. In most people, the stomach mucosa is able to resist the juice, although food and other tissues of the body cannot.

After the stomach empties the food and juice mixture into the small intestine, the juices of two other digestive organs mix with the food to continue the process of digestion. One of these organs is the pancreas. It produces a juice that contains a wide array of enzymes to break down the carbohydrate, fat, and protein in food. Other enzymes that are active in the process come from glands in the wall of the intestine or even a part of that wall.

The liver produces yet another digestive juice—bile. The bile is stored between meals in the gallbladder. At mealtime, it is squeezed out of the gallbladder into the bile ducts to reach the intestine and mix with the fat in our food. The bile acids dissolve the fat into the watery contents of the intestine, much like detergents that dissolve grease from a frying pan. After the fat is dissolved, it is digested by enzymes from the pancreas and the lining of the intestine.

Absorption and Transport of Nutrients

Digested molecules of food, as well as water and minerals from the diet, are absorbed from the cavity of the upper small intestine. Most absorbed materials cross the mucosa into the blood and are carried off in the bloodstream to other parts of the body for storage or further chemical change. As already noted, this part of the process varies with different types of nutrients.

Carbohydrates. It is recommended that about 55 to 60 percent of total daily calories be from carbohydrates. Some of our most common foods contain mostly carbohydrates. Examples are bread, potatoes, legumes, rice, spaghetti, fruits, and vegetables. Many of these foods contain both starch and fiber.

The digestible carbohydrates are broken into simpler molecules by enzymes in the saliva, in juice produced by the pancreas, and in the lining of the small intestine. Starch is digested in two steps: First, an enzyme in the saliva and pancreatic juice breaks the starch into molecules called maltose; then an enzyme in the lining of the small intestine (maltase) splits the maltose into glucose molecules that can be absorbed into the blood. Glucose is carried through the bloodstream to the liver, where it is stored or used to provide energy for the work of the body.

Table sugar is another carbohydrate that must be digested to be useful. An enzyme in the lining of the small intestine digests table sugar into glucose and fructose, each of which can be absorbed from the intestinal cavity into the blood. Milk contains yet another type of sugar, lactose, which is changed into absorbable molecules by an enzyme called lactase, also found in the intestinal lining.

Protein. Foods such as meat, eggs, and beans consist of giant molecules of protein that must be digested by enzymes before they can be used to build and repair body tissues. An enzyme in the juice of the stomach starts the digestion of swallowed protein. Further digestion of the protein is completed in the small intestine. Here, several enzymes from the pancreatic juice and the lining of the intestine carry out the breakdown of huge protein molecules into small molecules called amino acids. These small molecules can be absorbed from the hollow of the small intestine into the blood and then be carried to all parts of the body to build the walls and other parts of cells.

Fats. Fat molecules are a rich source of energy for the body. The first step in digestion of a fat such as butter is to dissolve it into the watery content of the intestinal cavity. The bile acids produced by the liver act as natural detergents to dissolve fat in water and allow the enzymes to break the large fat molecules into smaller molecules, some of which are fatty acids and cholesterol. The bile acids combine with the fatty acids and cholesterol and help these molecules to move into the cells of the mucosa. In these cells the small molecules are formed back into large molecules, most of which pass into vessels (called lymphatics) near the intestine. These small vessels carry the reformed fat to the veins of the chest, and the blood carries the fat to storage depots in different parts of the body.

Vitamins. Another vital part of our food that is absorbed from the small intestine is the class of chemicals we call vitamins. The two different types of vitamins are classified by the fluid in which they can be dissolved: water-soluble vitamins (all the B vitamins and vitamin C) and fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, and K).

Water and salt. Most of the material absorbed from the cavity of the small intestine is water in which salt is dissolved. The salt and water come from the food and liquid we swallow and the juices secreted by the many digestive glands.

How is the digestive process controlled?

Hormone Regulators

A fascinating feature of the digestive system is that it contains its own regulators. The major hormones that control the functions of the digestive system are produced and released by cells in the mucosa of the stomach and small intestine. These hormones are released into the blood of the digestive tract, travel back to the heart and through the arteries, and return to the digestive system, where they stimulate digestive juices and cause organ movement.

The hormones that control digestion are gastrin, secretin, and cholecystokinin (CCK):

  • Gastrin causes the stomach to produce an acid for dissolving and digesting some foods. It is also necessary for the normal growth of the lining of the stomach, small intestine, and colon.
  • Secretin causes the pancreas to send out a digestive juice that is rich in bicarbonate. It stimulates the stomach to produce pepsin, an enzyme that digests protein, and it also stimulates the liver to produce bile.
  • CCK causes the pancreas to grow and to produce the enzymes of pancreatic juice, and it causes the gallbladder to empty.

Additional hormones in the digestive system regulate appetite:

  • Ghrelin is produced in the stomach and upper intestine in the absence of food in the digestive system and stimulates appetite.
  • Peptide YY is produced in the GI tract in response to a meal in the system and inhibits appetite.

Both of these hormones work on the brain to help regulate the intake of food for energy.

Nerve Regulators

Two types of nerves help to control the action of the digestive system. Extrinsic (outside) nerves come to the digestive organs from the unconscious part of the brain or from the spinal cord. They release a chemical called acetylcholine and another called adrenaline. Acetylcholine causes the muscle of the digestive organs to squeeze with more force and increase the “push” of food and juice through the digestive tract. Acetylcholine also causes the stomach and pancreas to produce more digestive juice. Adrenaline relaxes the muscle of the stomach and intestine and decreases the flow of blood to these organs.

Even more important, though, are the intrinsic (inside) nerves, which make up a very dense network embedded in the walls of the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and colon. The intrinsic nerves are triggered to act when the walls of the hollow organs are stretched by food. They release many different substances that speed up or delay the movement of food and the production of juices by the digestive organs.

National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse

2 Information Way
Bethesda, MD 20892–3570
Phone: 1–800–891–5389
Fax: 703–738–4929
Email: nddic@info.niddk.nih.gov
Internet: www.digestive.niddk.nih.gov

Sources:http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/yrdd/index.htm#fig

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Ailmemts & Remedies

Anatomic Problems of the Colon

The colon, or large intestine, is part of the digestive system, which is a series of organs from the mouth to the anus. When the shape of the colon or the way it connects to other organs is abnormal, digestive problems result. Some of these anatomic problems can occur during embryonic development of the fetus in the womb and are known as congenital abnormalities. Other problems develop with age.

Colon Anatomy and Development…click & see the pictures

The adult colon is about 5 feet long. It connects to the small bowel, which is also known as the small intestine. The major functions of the colon are to absorb water and salts from partially digested food that enters from the small bowel and then send waste out of the body through the anus. What remains after absorption is stool, which passes from the colon into the rectum and out through the anus when a person has a bowel movement.

The colon comprises several segments:

The colon is formed during the first 3 months of embryonic development. As the bowel lengthens, part of it passes into the umbilical cord, which connects the fetus to the mother. As the fetus grows and the abdominal cavity enlarges, the bowel returns to the abdomen and turns, or rotates, counterclockwise to its final position. The small bowel and colon are held in position by tissue known as the mesentery. The ascending colon and descending colon are fixed in place in the abdominal cavity. The cecum, transverse colon, and sigmoid colon are suspended from the back of the abdominal wall by the mesentery.
Anatomic Problems of the Colon:-

Malrotation and Volvulus....click & see

If the bowel does not rotate completely during embryonic development, problems can occur. This condition is called malrotation. Normally, the cecum is located in the lower right part of the abdomen. If the cecum is not positioned correctly, the bands of thin tissue that normally hold it in place may cross over and block part of the small bowel.

Also, if the small bowel and colon have not rotated properly, the mesentery may be only narrowly attached to the back of the abdominal cavity. This narrow attachment can lead to a mobile or floppy bowel that is prone to twisting, a disorder called volvulus. (See the section on volvulus.)

Malrotation is also associated with other gastrointestinal (GI) conditions, including Hirschsprung’s disease and bowel atresia.

Malrotation is usually identified in infants. About 60 percent of these cases are found in the first month of life. Malrotation affects both boys and girls, although boys are more often diagnosed in infancy.
The colon is held in place by the mesentery
In malrotation, the cecum is not positioned correctly. The tissue that normally holds it in place may cross over and block part of the small bowel.

In infants, the main symptom of malrotation is vomiting bile. Bile is a greenish-yellow digestive fluid made by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. Symptoms of malrotation with volvulus in older children include vomiting (but not necessarily vomiting bile), abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, bloody stools, rectal bleeding, or failure to thrive

Various imaging studies are used to diagnose malrotation:...click & see

  • x rays to determine whether there is a blockage. In malrotation, abdominal x rays commonly show that air, which normally passes through the entire digestive tract, has become trapped. The trapped air creates an enlarged, air-filled stomach and upper small bowel, with little or no air in the rest of the small bowel or the colon.
  • upper GI series to locate the point of intestinal obstruction. With this test, the patient swallows barium to coat the stomach and small bowel before x rays are taken. Barium makes the organs visible on x ray and indicates the point of the obstruction. This test cannot be done if the patient is vomiting.
  • lower GI series to determine the position of the colon. For this test, a barium enema is given while x rays are taken. The barium makes the colon visible so the position of the cecum can be determined.
  • computed tomography (CT) scan to help determine and locate the intestinal obstruction.

Malrotation in infants is a medical emergency that usually requires immediate surgery. Surgery may involve

Surgery to relieve the blockage of the small bowel is usually successful and allows the digestive system to function normally.

Small Bowel and Colonic Intussusception

Intussusception is a condition in which one section of the bowel tunnels into an adjoining section, like a collapsible telescope. Intussusception can occur in the colon, the small bowel, or between the small bowel and colon. The result is a blocked small bowel or colon.

Intussusception is rare in adults. Causes include

  • benign or malignant growths
  • adhesions (scarlike tissue)
  • surgical scars in the small bowel or colon
  • motility disorders (problems with the movement of food through the digestive tract)
  • long-term diarrhea

Some cases of intussusception have been associated with viral infections and in patients living with AIDS. It can also occur without any known cause (idiopathic).

In infants and children, intussusception involving the small bowel alone, or the small bowel and the colon, is one of the most common causes of intestinal obstruction. Malrotation is a risk factor. Intussusception affects boys more often than girls, with most cases happening at 5 months and at 3 years of age. Most cases in children have no known cause, but viral infections or a growth in the small bowel or colon may trigger the condition. In the past, cases of intussusception appeared to be associated with a childhood vaccine for rotavirus, a common cause of gastroenteritis (intestinal infection). That vaccine is no longer given.

In adults with intussusception, symptoms can last a long time (chronic symptoms) or they can come and go (intermittent symptoms). The symptoms will depend on the location of the intussusception. They may include

  • changes in bowel habits
  • urgency—needing to have a bowel movement immediately
  • rectal bleeding
  • chronic or intermittent crampy abdominal pain
  • pain in a specific area of the abdomen
  • abdominal distention
  • nausea and vomiting

Children with intussusception may experience

  • intermittent abdominal pain
  • bowel movements that are mixed with blood and mucus
  • abdominal distention or a lump in the abdomen
  • vomiting bile
  • diarrhea
  • fever
  • dehydration
  • lethargy
  • shock (low blood pressure, increased heart rate requiring immediate attention)

If intussusception is not diagnosed promptly, especially in children, it can cause serious damage to the portion of the bowel that is unable to get its normal blood supply. A range of diagnostic tests may be required. X rays of the abdomen may suggest a bowel obstruction (blockage). Upper and lower GI series will locate the intussusception and show the telescoping. CT scans can also help with the diagnosis. When intussusception is suspected, an air or barium enema can often help correct the problem by pushing the telescoped section of bowel into its proper position.

Both adults and children may require surgery to straighten or remove the involved section of bowel. The outcome of this surgery depends on the stage of the intussusception at diagnosis and the underlying cause. With early treatment, the outcome is generally excellent. In some cases, usually in children, intussusception may be temporary and reverse on its own. If no underlying cause is found in these cases, no specific treatment is required.

Fistulas….click & see

A fistula is an abnormal passageway between two areas of the digestive tract. An internal fistula occurs between two areas of intestine or an area of intestine and another organ. An external fistula occurs between the intestine and the outside of the body. Both internal and external fistulas may be characterized by abdominal pain and swelling. External fistulas may discharge pus or intestinal contents. Internal fistulas can be associated with diarrhea.

The most common types of fistulas develop around the anus, colon, and small bowel. These types are

  • ileosigmoid  occurs between the sigmoid colon and the end of the small bowel, which is also called the ileum....click & see
  • ileocecal occurs between the ileum and cecum…...click & see
  • anorectal occurs between the anal canal and the skin around the anus....click & see
  • anovaginal occurs between the rectum and vagina...click & see
  • colovesical occurs between the colon and bladder…....click & see
  • cutaneous occurs between the colon or small bowel and the outside of the body….click & see

Fistulas can occur at any age. Some fistulas are congenital, which means they occur during the development of a baby. They are seen in infants and are more common in boys. Other fistulas develop suddenly due to diseases or after trauma, surgery, or local infection. A fistula can form when diseased or damaged tissue comes into contact with other damaged or nondamaged tissue, as seen in Crohn’s disease (intestinal inflammation) and diverticulitis. Childbirth can lead to fistulas between the rectum and vagina in women.

External fistulas are found during a physical examination. Internal fistulas can be seen by colonoscopy, upper and lower GI series, or CT scan.

Fistulas may be treated by surgery to remove the portion of the intestine causing the fistula, along with antibiotics to treat any associated infection.

Colonic Atresia

Colonic atresia is a condition that occurs during embryonic development in which the normal tubular shape of the colon in the fetus is unexpectedly closed. This congenital abnormality may be caused by incomplete development of the colon or the loss of blood flow during its development. Colonic atresia is rare and may occur with the more common small bowel atresia.

Infants with colonic atresia have no bowel movements, increasing abdominal distention, and vomiting. X rays will show a dilated colon above the obstruction, which can then be located using a barium enema.

Surgery is necessary to open or remove the closed area and re-connect the normal sections of the colon.

Volvulus

Volvulus refers to the twisting of a portion of the intestine around itself or a stalk of mesentery tissue to cause an obstruction. Volvulus occurs most frequently in the colon, although the stomach and small bowel can also twist. The part of the digestive system above the volvulus continues to function and may swell as it fills with digested food, fluid, and gas. A condition called strangulation develops if the mesentery of the bowel is twisted so tightly that blood flow is cut off and the tissue dies. This condition is called gangrene. Volvulus is a surgical emergency because gangrene can develop quickly, cause a hole in the wall of the bowel (perforation), and become life-threatening.

In the colon, volvulus most often involves the cecum and sigmoid segment. Sigmoid volvulus is more common than cecal volvulus.

Sigmoid Volvulus
The sigmoid is the last section of the colon. Two anatomic differences can increase the risk of sigmoid volvulus. One is an elongated or movable sigmoid colon that is unattached to the left sidewall of the abdomen. Another is a narrow mesentery that allows twisting at its base. Sigmoid volvulus, however, can occur even without an anatomic abnormality.

Risk factors that can make a person more likely to have sigmoid volvulus are Hirschsprung’s disease, intestinal pseudo-obstructions, and megacolon (an enlarged colon). Adults, children, and infants can all have sigmoid volvulus. It is more common in men than in women, possibly because men have longer sigmoid colons. It is also more common in people over age 60, in African Americans, and in institutionalized individuals who are on medications for psychiatric disorders. In addition, children with malrotation are more likely to get sigmoid volvulus.

The symptoms can be acute (occur suddenly) and severe. They include a bowel obstruction (commonly seen in infants), nausea, vomiting, bloody stools, abdominal pain, constipation, and shock. Other symptoms can develop more slowly but increase over time, such as severe constipation, lack of passing gas, crampy abdominal pain, and abdominal distention. A doctor may also hear increased or decreased bowel sounds.

Several tests are used to diagnose sigmoid volvulus. X rays show a dilated colon above the volvulus. Upper and lower GI series help locate the point of obstruction and show whether malrotation of the rest of the colon is present. A CT scan may be used to show the degree of twisting and malrotation, and whether perforation has occurred.

In most instances, a sigmoidoscope, a tube used to look into the sigmoid colon and rectum, can be used to reach the site, untwist the colon, and release the obstruction. However, if the colon is found to be twisted very tightly or is twisted so tightly that blood flow is cut off and the tissue is dead, immediate surgery will be needed to correct the problem and, if possible, restore the blood supply. Dead tissue will be removed during surgery, and a portion of the colon may be removed as well—a procedure called a resection. Sigmoid volvulus can recur after untwisting with the sigmoidoscope, but resection eliminates the chance of recurrence. Prompt diagnosis of sigmoid volvulus and appropriate treatment generally lead to a good outcome.

Cecal Volvulus

Cecal volvulus is the twisting of the cecum and ascending segment of the colon. Normally, the cecum and ascending colon are fixed to the internal abdominal wall. If not, they can move and become twisted. The main symptoms of cecal volvulus are crampy abdominal pain and swelling that are sometimes associated with nausea and vomiting.

In testing, x rays will show the cecum out of its normal place and inflated with trapped air. The appendix may be filled with gas, but little or no gas is seen in other parts of the colon. Upper and lower GI series will locate the volvulus and the position of the colon. A CT scan may show how tightly the volvulus is twisted. A colonoscopy, which uses a small, flexible tube with a light and a lens on the end to see the inside of the colon, can sometimes be used to untwist the volvulus. If the cecum becomes gangrenous or holes develop in it, surgery will be needed.
……..In volvulus, a portion of the intestine twists around itself.

Imperforate Anus (Anal Atresia)

Imperforate anus or anal atresia is a congenital abnormality in which the anorectal region is abnormal or incompletely developed. In some cases, the rectum may end and not connect with the anus, or it may connect in the wrong spot. For example, it may connect to the urethra, bladder, or vagina. (See the section on fistulas). In other cases, the anus may be very narrow or missing altogether. The result is that stool cannot pass out of the colon. Imperforate anus occurs in about 1 in 5,000 infants.

Another malformation that results in absence of a functioning anus is congenital cloaca. In patients with this abnormality, the anal muscles and vagina fail to form and the result is a large, ill-defined opening that represents the rectum as well as the vagina and bladder, depending on the extent of the defect. Cloaca deformity of the anus usually requires a colostomy but may be correctable with a surgical procedure that transfers a muscle from another part of the body to create a functioning sphincter at the anus.

Symptoms of imperforate anus include

  • no bowel movement within 24 to 48 hours after birth
  • a missing or misplaced anal opening
  • stool that comes out of the vagina or urethra
  • abdominal swelling (distention)

Imperforate anus is usually found when the infant is first examined after birth. Imperforate anus is categorized on the basis of the location of the end of the rectum in relation to the muscles that support the rectum and other organs in the pelvis, called the levator ani muscles. These location categories are

  • high: the rectum ends above the muscles
  • intermediate: the rectum ends at the level of the muscles
  • low: the rectum ends below the muscles

In all cases of imperforate anus, surgery is necessary to reconstruct the anus. Low imperforate anus is corrected through a minor procedure just after birth. High imperforate anus may require surgery to separate the rectum from the other organs if the rectum is connected with them. The outcome is usually very good, but some infants may not develop good bowel control after surgery because the anal muscles may not form. A child with high imperforate anus often has other GI problems, such as malrotation and intestinal atresia

Factors that affect the outcome of treatment include the location of the abnormality, the patient’s sex, and the age at which the surgery is done. Surgery to correct low imperforate anus in boys usually has an excellent outcome. Correcting cloaca in girls requires a more difficult procedure and is more prone to complications.

Hope Through Research

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, through its Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition, supports basic and clinical research into GI diseases, including GI structure; the growth of GI cells in normal and disease states; tissue injury, repair, and regeneration; and Crohn’s disease. Research includes new methods that will help physicians and researchers see inside the body, thereby increasing the detection rate for anatomic problems of the colon.

POINTS TO REMEMBER:
1.Anatomic problems of the colon are caused by changes in the shape of the colon or the way it connects to other organs.

2.Anatomic problems may be congenital or develop with age.

3.Anatomic problems can block the passage of food through the digestive system. Some problems can become life-threatening.

4.Symptoms of anatomic problems include abdominal pain, abdominal distension, vomiting, and diarrhea or constipation.

5.Some anatomic problems may resolve over time; others may need to be corrected with surgery.

For More Information

Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA)
386 Park Avenue South, 17th Floor
New York, NY 10016–8804
Phone: 1–800–932–2423 or 212–685–3440
Fax: 212–779–4098
Email: info@ccfa.org
Internet: www.ccfa.org

International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD)
P.O. Box 170864
Milwaukee, WI 53217–8076
Phone: 1–888–964–2001 or 414–964–1799
Fax: 414–964–7176
Email: iffgd@iffgd.org
Internet: www.iffgd.org

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.This is purely for educational purpose.

Source:http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/anatomiccolon/index.htm#Volvulus

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Gas And Flatulence After Meals

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Avoid high-fat meals :
Eating a high-fat meal can generate a large amount of carbon dioxide, some of which is released as gas. That’s because carbon dioxide is produced in the small intestine when bicarbonate is released to neutralise stomach acid and fat during meals.
Eat smaller, more frequent meals instead of three large meals

1. Eat smaller, more frequent meals instead of three large meals.
2. Avoid high-fat meals.
3. Consult your doctor to rule out the possibility of fat malabsorption. Signs of fat malabsorption include loose and light-coloured stools.

Odorous Flatulence and Gas :
Gas that has a strong odour usually results from the metabolism of sulfur-containing proteins and amino acids in the intestines.
1. Chew meat and other protein foods carefully. Avoid excessive protein in your diet.
2. Taking activated charcoal tablets can help to remove the odour.

Eating Foods that Produce Gas:
Certain foods are inherently gas-producing. Gas-producing foods include beans, cabbage, onions, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, fluffy wheat products such as bread, apples, peaches, pears, prunes, corn, oats, potatoes, milk, ice cream, and soft cheese.

Foods that produce minimal gas include rice, bananas, citrus, grapes, hard cheese, meat, eggs, peanut butter, non-carbonated beverages, and yogurt made with live bacteria.

When someone has persisting bloating and flatulence, lab tests and x-rays are first conducted to exclude the presence of medical disease. Colorectal cancer often presents with the symptoms of abdomen discomfort and bloating. Celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease may have similar symptoms.
It’s important to remember that gas and bloating are vague symptoms that can be associated with many medical diseases, so consultation with your primary care provider should always be the first step.

Source: The Times Of India

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Herbs & Plants

Nux Vomica

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Botanical Name : Strychnos Nux-vomica (LINN.)
Family: Loganiaceae
Genus: Strychnos
Species: S. nux-vomica
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Gentianales

Synonyms: Poison Nut. Semen strychnos. Quaker Buttons.
Part Used: Dried ripe seeds.
Habitat: India, in the Malay Archipelago

The Strychnine tree (Strychnos nux-vomica) also known as Nux vomica, is an evergreen tree native to southeast Asia, a member of family Loganiaceae. It grows in open habitats, usually attaining a size about 25 meters tall.

It is a major source of the highly poisonous alkaloid strychnine, derived from the seeds inside the tree’s round, green to orange fruit. However, the tree’s bark also contains poisonous compounds, including brucine.

Description: A medium-sized tree with a short, crooked, thick trunk, the wood is white hard, close grained, durable and the root very bitter. Branches irregular, covered with a smooth ash-coloured bark; young shoots deep green, shiny; leaves opposite, short stalked, oval, shiny, smooth on both sides, about 4 inches long and 3 broad; flowers small, greeny-white, funnel shape, in small terminal cymes, blooming in the cold season and having a disagreeable smell. Fruit about the size of a large apple with a smooth hard rind or shell which when ripe is a lovely orange colour, filled with a soft white jelly-like pulp containing five seeds covered with a soft woolly-like substance, white and horny internally. The seeds are removed when ripe, cleansed, dried and sorted; they are exported from Cochin, Madras and other Indian ports. The seeds have the shape of flattened disks densely covered with closely appressed satiny hairs, radiating from the centre of the flattened sides and giving to the seeds a characteristic sheen; they are very hard, with a dark grey horny endosperm in which the small embryo is embedded; no odour but a very bitter taste.

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Constituents: -Nux Vomica contains the alkaloids, Strychnine and Brucine, also traces of strychnicine, and a glucoside Loganin, about 3 per cent fatty matter, caffeotannic acid and a trace of copper. The pulp of the fruit contains about 5 per cent of loganin together with the alkaloid strychnicine.

General use
Nux vomica is one of the most frequently used homeopathic remedies, especially for acute conditions. Homeopaths prescribe this polychrest for hangovers, back pain, digestive problems, headaches, allergies, colds, flu, emotional stress, constipation, menstrual problems, and hemorrhoids.

Nux vomica affects the nervous system. When taken by a healthy person the remedy causes muscle spasms and cramps, and even convulsions. It affects all five senses and bodily reflexes and causes extreme sensitivity to light, touch, noise, and smells.

Nux vomica is the homeopathic remedy that is created from the seeds of the strychnos nux vomica tree. Also known as poison nut or vomiting nut, this tree is an evergreen tree that is native to East India, Burma, Thailand, China, and Northern Australia.

The tree belongs to the Loganiaceae family and has small flowers and orange colored fruits that are the size of an apple or orange. Inside the fruit are five seeds surrounded by a jelly-like pulp. The ash gray seeds are round and measure 1 in (2.5 cm) in diameter and are .25 in (0.6 cm) thick. The seeds are coated with downy hairs that give them a satiny appearance.

Medicinal Action and Uses: The propertiesof Nux Vomica are substantially those of the alkaloid Strychnine. The powdered seeds are employed in atonic dyspepsia. The tincture of Nux Vomica is often used in mixtures – for its stimulant action on the gastro-intestinal tract. In the mouth it acts as a bitter, increasing appetite; it stimulates peristalsis, in chronic constipation due to atony of the bowel it is often combined with cascara and other laxatives with good effects. Strychnine, the chief alkaloid constituent of the seeds, also acts as a bitter, increasing the flow of gastric juice; it is rapidly absorbed as it reaches the intestines, after which it exerts its characteristic effects upon the central nervous system, the movements of respiration are deepened and quickened and the heart slowed through excitation of the vagal centre. The senses of smell, touch, hearing and vision are rendered more acute, it improves the pulse and raises blood pressure and is of great value as a tonic to the circulatory system in cardiac failure. Strychnine is excreted very slowly and its action is cumulative in any but small doses; it is much used as a gastric tonic in dyspepsia. The most direct symptom caused by strychnine is violent convulsions due to a simultaneous stimulation of the motor or sensory ganglia of the spinal cord; during the convulsion there is great rise in blood pressure; in some types of chronic lead poisoning it is of great value. In cases of surgical shock and cardiac failure large doses are given up to 1/10 grain by hypodermic injection; also used as an antidote in poisoning by chloral or chloroform. Brucine closely resembles strychnine in its action, but is slightly less poisonous, it paralyses the peripheral motor nerves. It is said that the convulsive action characteristic of strychnine is absent in brucine almost entirely. It is used in pruritis and as a local anodyne in inflammations of the external ear.

The main alkaloids in the seeds are strychnine and brucine. These alkaloids give the seeds their bitter taste. Strychnine by itself is extremely poisonous, but when given in small doses to humans it promotes appetite, aids digestion, and increases the frequency of urination. In the nineteenth century it was used as a central nervous stimulant. In larger doses, however, strychnine produces a loss of appetite, hypersensitivity, depression, anxiety, and rigidity and stiffness of arms and legs. Toxic doses may cause convulsions and death. Some historians think that Alexander the Great died from drinking wine poisoned by strychnine.

Medicinal use of the nut dates back to the middle of the sixteenth century, where it was written about extensively by Valerius Cordus. Germans used the nut as a treatment for worms, rabies, hysteria, rheumatism, gout, and as an antidote for the plague.

Uses in Homeopathy
In homeopathy, Nux-v. — as it is commonly abbreviated — is one of the most commonly prescribed remedies, used for patients who are competitive, ambitious, driven,and irritable.

Preparations
\The seeds of the tree are ground until powdered then mixed with milk sugar. This solution is then diluted and succussed to create the final preparation.

Nux vomica is available at health food and drug stores in various potencies in the form of tinctures, tablets, and pellets.

Precautions
If symptoms do not improve after the recommended time period, a homeopath or healthcare practitioner should be consulted.

The recommended dose should not be exceeded, as the strychnine in nux vomica is poisonous. People should be careful to use only preparations made by established manufacturers, as cases of accidental strychnine poisoning from non-homeopathic herbal preparations containing nux vomica have been reported.

Side effects
There are no known side effects at recommended dosages, but individual aggravations may occur.

Interactions
When taking any homeopathic remedy, use of peppermint products, coffee, or alcohol should be avoided. These products may cause the remedy to be ineffective.

Disclaimer:
The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider

Resources:
http://www.healthline.com

http://www.ayurvedakalamandiram.com/herbs.htm#kanchanara

http://botanical.com

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Ailmemts & Remedies

Haemoptysis

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Hemoptysis (US English) or haemoptysis (International English) is the expectoration (coughing up) of blood or of blood-stained sputum from the bronchi, larynx, trachea, or lungs (e.g. in tuberculosis or other respiratory infections).
It is not the same as hematemesis, which refers to vomiting up blood.

Causes
This can be due to bronchitis or pneumonia most commonly, but also to lung neoplasm (in smokers, when hemoptysis is persistent), aspergilloma, tuberculosis, bronchiectasis, coccidioidomycosis, pulmonary embolism, or pneumonic plague.

Rarer causes include hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT or Rendu-Osler-Weber syndrome), or Goodpasture’s syndrome and Wegener’s granulomatosis.

In children it is commonly due to a foreign body in the respiratory tract.

It can result from over-anticoagulation from treatment by drugs such as warfarin.

The origin of blood can be known by observing its colour. Bright red, foamy blood comes from the respiratory tract while dark red, coffee-colored blood comes from the gastrointestinal tract.

The primarily caus by such diseases may be as tuberculosis and cancer of the lungs. In Ayurveda it is included in the group of urdhvanga rakta pitta. The patient spits blood while coughing. Sometimes blood is accompanied with mucus..

Diagnostic workup….Diagnostic approach.
Modern Medical Treatment:

Treatment for hemoptysis depends on the cause and the quantity of blood. Infrequent, mild hemoptysis usually does not require specific, immediate treatment, but it should always be thoroughly investigated in case the underlying disorder is life threatening. There is no way to predict whether a patient with mild hemoptysis will experience massive, life-threatening hemoptysis, so it is very important that the underlying cause be determined and treated.

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Massive, or major, hemoptysis is a medical emergency. Death can result, usually from asphyxiation (impaired gas exchange in the lungs, leading to a lack of oxygen and excess of carbon dioxide in the body). In massive hemoptysis, steps are usually taken to localize the source of the bleeding, control the bleeding, and assure that the patient is able to breathe.

For mild or moderate hemoptysis in patients who have chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis, or tuberculosis, treatment usually involves antibiotics. For bronchogenic carcinoma, treatment depends on the stage of the cancer.

In the 20% to 30% of cases that do not have an indentifiable underlying cause, treatment should be fairly conservative and the hemoptysis carefully monitored for at least 2 or 3 years after the initial diagnosis. In 90% of patients who have a normal chest x-ray and bronchoscopy, the hemoptysis usually disappears within 6 months.

For chronic hemoptysis, the treatment is dependent on the symptoms and causes. Sometimes all that is necessary is switching antibiotics. In other instances, more aggressive treatment may be necessary.

Treatment in Ayurveda:

Vasaka is the drug of choice for the treatment of this condition. It is given to the patient in the form of juice in a dose of two teaspoonfuls four times a day. It is bitter in taste and is therefore, given to the patient mixed with honey.

Prawal Pishti, a preparation of coral, is the drug of choice for the treatment of this condition. It is given is a dose of one gm four time a day mixed with honey.

Healing Options in Ayurveda:
Ayurvedic Suppliments:1. Basant Malti Ras, 2. Prawal Pishti,3. Kasamrit Herbal

Diet: Hot and spicy things should be avoided and the patient should be given pomegranate, amlaki, cow’s milk and water. Old rice, soup of patola, moong, masur and meat can be given to the patient.

Lifestyle: The patient should not do any exercise, and take complete rest. He should avoid the sun.

Yoga : 1.The Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar) 2.Basic Breathing (Pranayama)

Homeopathic Treatment for Haemoptysis

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.

Source:Allayurveda.com,www.pulmonologychannel.com and en.wikipedia.org


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