The Most Common Gut Disorders

The nine most common digestive disorders:

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD): Reflux, which may be experienced as consistent heartburn, affects about 20% of Americans.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Approximately 45 million Americans experience some form of IBS which can present with varied symptoms of GI distress. There can be many factors involved from gut microbiome dysbiosis, fungal overgrowth, leaky gut syndrome and the Gut-Brain axis.

Irritable Bowel Disease: Crohn’s Disease is a form of autoimmune disease that can affect any part of the GI tract but is most typically active at the ileum junction where the small intestine joins the large intestine.

Irritable Bowel Disease: Ulcerative Colitis is similar to Crohn’s except that it only involves the innermost lining of the large intestine.

Hemorrhoids: Uncomfortable swollen veins located around the lower rectum affects 75% of people over age 45. Do your best to not linger on the toilet, get a good amount of fiber in your diet, hydrate and exercise can all help to prevent this common problem.

Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity: About 1% of the population has an immune reaction to gluten and this is called Celiac Disease. While up to 10% of the population can experience sensitivities and intolerance to gluten that can express itself in a variety of ways. Gluten is a protein mostly found in wheat, rye and barley although it is present in much smaller amounts in other grains.

Gallstones: Nearly 1 million Americans get hard deposits in their gallbladder where bile is secreted for digestion.

Diverticulitis: About 5% of people can get this condition where small pouches can become inflamed in the digestive tract.

Anal Fissure: About 250,000 cases happen annually where there are small tears that form in the lining of the anus.