Gastrointestinal Disorders Main Points What are the most

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Gastrointestinal Disorders
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Main Points

• What are the most common disorders?
• GERD
• IBS
• PUD
• Crohns disease
• Ulcerative Colitis
• How is Evolutionary Medicine related to these
  disorders?
• Conclusions

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What are the Most Common GI Disorders?

• Gastroesophogeal Reflux Disease (GERD)
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
• Peptic Ulcer Disease (PUD)
• Crohns disease
• Ulcerative Colitis

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Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

• (GERD)

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Causes

• Gastroesophogeal motility
• Complex process by which food and liquids are
  relocated from one anatomic region to another
  (esophagus to stomach)
• When the process happens in the reverse order,
  GERD symptoms can occur

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Symptoms

• Heartburn
• Caused by acid contents of stomach flowing back
  up into the esophagus as a result of inadequate
  esophageal sphincter pressure
• Waterbrash
• Regurgitation of bitter tasting fluids,
  experienced daily by about 10 of the general
  population
• Chest pain/discomfort
• Caused by excessive acid flow into the esophagus,
  which becomes irritated and painful
• Excessive belching
• Arises soon after meals, and worsens with eating

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome

• (IBS)

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Causes

• Realistically, there is no generally accepted
  cause of IBS
• Hypotheses
• Food allergies
• Stress
• Amount of fiber in diet
• Antibiotic use
• GI infection
• Chronic alcohol abuse
• Abnormalities in GI secretions

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Symptoms

• Abdominal Pain
• Dependent upon the strength of bowel contractions
• Bloating
• Prolonged contractions prevent a normal passage
  of air, triggering bloating and belching
• Constipation/Diarrhea
• These symptoms may alternate, or one of them may
  be prevalent in the patient.

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Peptic Ulcer Disease

• (PUD)

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Causes

• 70 of gastric ulcers and 90 of duodenal ulcers
  are related to helicobacter pylori
• These bacterium live underneath the protective
  mucous lining of the stomach
• They damage the lining of the stomach and
  duodenum causing inflammation and the secretion
  of more stomach acid
• Ingestion of
• Aspirin
• Ibuprofen
• Anti-arthritic medications
• Alcohol

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Symptoms

• Pain
• Often described as burning, gnawing
• Usually worst when stomach is empty of everything
  but acid
• Nausea/Vomiting
• Occurs most when ulcer is in pylorus, or narrow
  exit of the stomach, preventing food from leaving
  the stomach
• Loss of appetite
• Feeling bloated

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Crohns Disease
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Causes

• The cause of Crohns is also unknown
• Excluded
• Viral
• Bacterial
• Dietary
• Allergy
• Possible
• Emotions
• Environmental
• Immunological
• Genetic

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Symptoms

• Diarrhea
• Improper absorption of food
• Weight Loss
• Increased elimination of fat and other food
  stuffs
• Abdominal pain
• Often due to intestinal spasm
• Fever
• Battles inflammation
• Anemia
• Occurs from blood loss due to ulcerations of the
  intestine

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Causes

• Also unknown
• Excluded
• Pathological
• Stress
• Allergies
• Toxins
• Possible
• Auto immune disorder

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Symptoms

• Blood in the bowel movement
• Occurs in over 90 of patients
• Amount will vary
• Diarrhea
• Occurs in 80 of patients
• Abdominal Pain
• Result of diarrhea

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How are these disorders related to Darwinian
Medicine?
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Evolution

• Diseases of civilization
• Records exist of symptoms in the Mayan people of
  the Chiapas region of Mexico
• No records have been found predating this
• Stone age body, modern environment
• Ingestion of medications and toxins
• Alcohol
• Medications
• Aspirin
• Ibuprofen
• Antibiotic use
• Environment
• Stress
• Cleanliness
• Helicobacter pylori
• Effect of worms on Crohns disease

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Conclusions

• GI disorders are rather mysterious, and based
  more on theory, than scientific fact
• However, these disorders are more and more
  frequently occuring throughout the general
  population
• More research is necessary to remove some of the
  fog about these disorders
• What causes them?
• How are they explained from an evolutionary
  perspective?

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