Gastroenterology- The role of a gastroenterologist and their schooling
By: Shania Ali
Gastroenterology is the study of the normal function and diseases of the stomach, esophagus, small intestine, pancreas, gallbladder, bile ducts, and liver. It essentially focuses on the health of the digestive system. It involves the removal of waste from the system and also involves the digestion and absorption of nutrients into the body. Gastroenterology is also a subspeciality of internal medicine.
Now that Gastroenterology is defined, we can identify the role of gastroenterologists. Gastroenterologists can also be called “GI doctors” and they are medical professionals who specialize in diseases and conditions that affect the digestive organs and structures. They are also specialists that primarily diagnose and treat GI diseases in both women and men. They are doctors that are trained in internal medicine. Gastroenterologists study the digestive system. They mostly work in hospitals or clinics and even though they are doctors, they don’t perform surgery, but some might observe a GI surgeon. Most people see gastroenterologists when there are complaints about breathing, trouble swallowing, yellowing of the skin, and stomach pain. Gastroenterologists can treat any part of the GI system, which includes;
- Absorbs nutrients
- Digests and move food
- Removes waste from the body
- Small and large intestine
- Esophagus
- Stomach
- And many more
The training a Gastroenterologist has to go through includes:
- Earn a four year college degree
- Complete four years of medical school
- Complete three year training program (residency) in internal medicine
- Two-three year fellowship
- During this fellowship, students will learn from experts in their field, treat patients, learn how to take care of patients in a office or hospital, provide health and disease preventions recommendations, and receive more specialized training in this field
- They also get special training in endoscopy, sedation, and reading test results
- Pass a speciality certification exam for gastroenterologists
To summarize this topic, Gastroenterology is a specialized area of medicine that primarily focuses on the GI tract. Gastroenterologists are a big part of Gastroenterology and they become experts in how the digestive system works due to their rigorous and long journey of schooling. They can treat a wide range of gut-related conditions and also carry out certain medical procedures like colonoscopies and endoscopies.
Digestive System Disorders
By: Manisha Asrani
Gastroenterology is the branch of medicine focused on the digestive system and its disorders. Diseases affecting the gastrointestinal tract, which include the organs from mouth into anus, along the alimentary canal, are the focus of this speciality. In this article, we will go over common digestive system disorders, which physicians called gastroenterologists face.
Gastrointestinal diseases affect the gastrointestinal (GI) tract from the mouth to the anus. There are two types: functional and structural. Functional diseases are those in which the GI tract looks normal when examined, but doesn’t move properly. They are the most common problems affecting the GI tract (including the colon and rectum). Constipation, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), nausea, food poisoning, gas, bloating, GERD and diarrhea are common examples. Many factors may upset your GI tract and its motility (ability to keep moving), including eating a diet low in fiber, not getting enough exercise, traveling or other changes in routine, eating large amounts of dairy products, and stress. Structural gastrointestinal diseases are those where your bowel looks abnormal upon examination and also doesn’t work properly. Sometimes, the structural abnormality needs to be removed surgically. Common examples of structural GI diseases include strictures, stenosis, hemorrhoids, diverticular disease, colon polyps, colon cancer and inflammatory bowel disease.
Constipation, which is a functional problem, makes it hard for you to have a bowel movement (or pass stools), the stools are infrequent (less than three times a week), or incomplete. Constipation is usually caused by inadequate “roughage” or fiber in your diet, or a disruption of your regular routine or diet. Constipation causes you to strain during a bowel movement. It may cause small, hard stools and sometimes anal problems such as fissures and hemorrhoids.
Irritable bowel syndrome (also called spastic colon, irritable colon, IBS, or nervous stomach) is a functional condition where your colon muscle contracts more or less often than “normal.” Certain foods, medicines and emotional stress are some factors that can trigger IBS.
Symptoms of IBS include abdominal pain and cramps, excess gas, bloating, change in bowel habits such as harder, looser, or more urgent stools than normal, and alternating constipation and diarrhea. Treatment includes avoiding excessive caffeine, increasing fiber in your diet, monitoring which foods trigger your IBS (and avoiding these foods), and minimizing stress or learning different ways to cope with stress.
Hemorrhoids are dilated veins in the anal canal, structural disease. They’re swollen blood vessels that line your anal opening. They are caused by chronic excess pressure from straining during a bowel movement, persistent diarrhea, or pregnancy. There are two types of hemorrhoids: internal and external. Internal hemorrhoids are blood vessels on the inside of your anal opening. When they fall down into the anus as a result of straining, they become irritated and start to bleed. Ultimately, internal hemorrhoids can fall down enough to prolapse (sink or stick) out of the anus. External hemorrhoids are veins that lie just under the skin on the outside of the anus. Sometimes, after straining, the external hemorrhoidal veins burst and blood clots form under the skin. This very painful condition is called a “pile.” Treatment includes removing the clot and vein under local anesthesia and/or removing the hemorrhoid itself.
Overall, many disorders and surgical procedures are performed on the digestive tract. These include procedures done using endoscopy, laparoscopy, and open surgery. Organ transplants can be performed on the liver, pancreas, and small intestine. These are just a couple of disorders that the area of gastroenterology covers.
Works Cited
Gastroenterology- The role of a gastroenterologist and their schooling
Barrell, Amanda. “Gastroenterologists: What to Know.” Medical News Today, 9 Jan. 2020, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327441#summary.
“What Is a Gastroenterologist?” American College of Gastroenterology, 9 Sept. 2019, gi.org/patients/gi-health-and-disease/what-is-a-gastroenterologist/#:%7E:text=Gastroenterology%20is%20the%20study%20of,gallbladder%2C%20bile%20ducts%20and%20liver.
“What Is a Gastroenterologist? When to See, What to Expect and More.” MedicineNet, 12 Nov. 2019, www.medicinenet.com/whats_gastroenterologist/article.htm.
“What to Expect When You Go to the Gastroenterologist.” WebMD, 26 July 2019, www.webmd.com/ibd-crohns-disease/crohns-disease/what-is-a-gastroenterologist.
https://www.healthline.com/find-care/articles/gastroenterologists/what-is-a-gastroenterologist
Digestive System Disorders
Orenstein, Beth W., et al. “9 Common Digestive Conditions From Top to Bottom: Everyday Health.” EverydayHealth.com, http://www.everydayhealth.com/digestive-health/common-digestive-conditions-from-top-bottom/.
Person. “Gastrointestinal Disorders: Types, Symptoms & Treatment: Imaware™.” RSS, Imaware™, 27 Jan. 2021, http://www.imaware.health/blog/most-common-gastrointestinal-conditions.
Medical Wonders 