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Quick answer: Diverticulosis is the presence of pouch-like bulges (diverticula) in the wall of the large intestine, and it usually causes no symptoms. If these become inflamed, it is called diverticulitis, which comes with pain in the lower left abdomen, fever

Quick answer: Digestive rehabilitation after surgery can be divided into three phases: the acute phase (the first month), the adaptation phase (1–2 years) and the maintenance phase.

Quick answer: Haemorrhoids are swollen venous cushions in the rectum that can cause itching, bleeding and pain. Similar complaints can be caused by an anal fissure, a fistula or an abscess

Quick answer: Gastroenterology diets are targeted dietary methods that relieve certain digestive complaints. The FODMAP diet reduces the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, the reflux diet the acid

Quick answer: Restoring the gut flora aims to rebalance the healthy bacteria living in the bowel. This can be achieved with a fibre-rich diet, pro- and prebiotics, and by treating the underlying cause.

Oesophageal diseases and swallowing disorders are conditions that make it harder for food to pass from the mouth to the stomach. The most common cause is reflux disease, but motility disorders, inflammation and

Short answer: Common digestive symptoms – bloating, chronic diarrhoea and constipation – can usually be traced back to harmless causes, such as dietary factors or

Quick summary: Gastrointestinal cancer screening aims to detect malignant changes and bowel polyps early, before any symptoms appear. Most bowel cancers develop over years from benign

Quick answer: Pancreatitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the pancreas, causing abdominal pain that radiates to the back like a belt. The chronic form can lead to a lack of digestive enzymes, which

Short summary: Gallstones (cholelithiasis) are solid deposits that form in the gallbladder or the bile ducts. In Western societies they affect about 10% of adults, and are twice as common in women.

Quick summary: Fatty liver (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, NAFLD) develops when more than 50% of liver cells become fatty. The most common underlying causes are obesity, diabetes

Quick answer: Helicobacter pylori infection is caused by a common stomach bacterium and affects about half of the world's population. Many people have no symptoms, but it can cause inflammation, ulcers and, rarely,

Quick answer: Gluten sensitivity and coeliac disease are both abnormal reactions to eating gluten, but they are not the same. Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease that damages the small intestine's

Quick answer: Food intolerances are digestive disorders in which the body cannot properly break down certain food components. The most common forms are lactose, fructose and

Short answer: Gastroscopy and colonoscopy (endoscopy of the stomach and the large bowel) are diagnostic procedures in which the doctor uses a thin, flexible video camera to look directly at the inside of the digestive

Quick summary: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) involve long-term inflammation of the digestive tract; their two main forms are Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Their typical symptoms

Short summary: SIBO (contaminated bowel syndrome) is an abnormal overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine. Its main symptoms are bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhoea and constipation. The small intestine

Quick answer: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic, functional bowel disorder characterised by recurrent abdominal pain, bloating and changes in bowel habits (diarrhoea or constipation).

In brief: Reflux develops when stomach acid flows back into the oesophagus, causing a burning sensation and acid regurgitation. The most common symptom is heartburn. The symptoms

Quick answer: The most important signs that you should see a gastroenterologist are persistent abdominal pain, bloody or black stools, unexplained weight loss, difficulty swallowing, recurrent vomiting, iron-deficiency anaemia, jaundice, chronic diarrhoea,

Quick answer: Probiotics do not work if we take the wrong strain, at the wrong time or for the wrong length of time. In addition, some digestive complaints are caused by an underlying disease

Quick answer: Stool colour is an important health signal. Normal brown indicates healthy digestion, while black, red, yellow or whitish shades

Quick answer: The microbiome and skin problems are closely linked. An imbalance of the gut flora (dysbiosis) can trigger inflammatory processes that may also appear on the skin –

In adults, coeliac disease can appear with a wide variety of symptoms – from classic digestive complaints to skin symptoms, neurological disorders and osteoporosis. In Hungary, the disease affects about

Quick answer: Haemorrhoids and anal fissure (fissura ani) are the two most common conditions of the anus, and they can cause similar complaints — bleeding, itching, discomfort. The main

Quick answer: Night-time excess stomach acid is one of the most common forms of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD). When you lie down, stomach acid flows back into the oesophagus more easily, causing a burning chest pain,

Quick answer: Excess stomach acid and reflux are treated mainly with proton pump inhibitor (PPI) medication, which should be taken 30–60 minutes before meals. With lifestyle changes – such as

Quick answer: Drinking lukewarm water in the morning on an empty stomach can help relieve constipation, because it stimulates bowel movements and softens the stool. On its own, this simple habit

Quick answer: A hiatus hernia is an anatomical abnormality in which part of the stomach slides through the diaphragm into the chest cavity. Treatment depends on the symptoms and the

Quick answer: Acute enteritis is a sudden inflammatory process in the bowel that can be caused by infections, autoimmune diseases or structural changes affecting the bowel wall. Its symptoms –

Quick answer: Contaminated small bowel syndrome (SIBO) is a condition in which bacteria multiply abnormally in the small intestine. Its symptoms – bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhoea or constipation

Quick answer: SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) is a condition in which bacteria multiply abnormally in the small intestine. Its most common symptoms are bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhoea or