With the increasing use of ecstasy (MDMA) as a recreational drug, overdosing is fairly common. Ecstasy is an illicit drug, often used in combination with other drugs, which greatly increases the risk of toxicity. There is no such thing as a safe dose of the drug and even a minimum amount can produce toxicity and death. It >> Read More ...
Sweating or perspiring is a skin response aimed at cooling down the body. It is one of several mechanisms to regulate the body temperature. Heat is generated internally by the body’s metabolic activity and dissipated from the skin surface. The evaporation of sweat from the skin surface assists with the cooling >> Read More ...
The normal pattern for bowel movements varies among individuals. For some it is a daily occurrence, and often even several times in the day. For others it is less frequent and possibly not even daily. Normally bowel movements occur at least 3 or more times a week. Ideally it should occur at least once daily but if more >> Read More ...
The human liver is a somewhat triangular-shaped organ that is located mainly in the upper right part of the abdomen, just under the base of the right lung separated by the muscular diaphragm. It is difficult to completely classify the liver under a specific system due to it versatility. Although it is largely associated >> Read More ...
The abdominal cavity is largely occupied by the digestive tract. This includes the alimentary tract that runs from the mouth to the anus, and other organs associated with digestion like the liver, gallbladder and pancreas. Most cases of abdominal pain is associated with the digestive tract, particularly the part of the >> Read More ...
The esophagus is the part of the alimentary tract that connects the throat to the stomach. A bolus of food is propelled down the esophagus and enters the stomach when it pushes past the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). The one-way flow mechanism largely controlled by the LES and mouth-to-anus direction of peristaltic >> Read More ...
From the time food passes into the throat, the alimentary tract takes over the process of moving the bolus (ball of food) or its digested remnants through the gut. The walls of the alimentary tract has muscular layers which contract and relax in a synchronized manner to achieve this transit. This process is known as >> Read More ...
Stomach pain is a common term to describe upper abdominal pain, particularly pain or discomfort on the left side and center (epigastrium). The abdominal cavity contains many structures and organs, most of which are part of the digestive tract. It is lies next to the thoracic cavity which houses the heart and great blood >> Read More ...
The small intestine, also referred to as the small bowel, extends from the stomach to the large intestine. It is the longest portion of the human alimentary tract and measures approximately 6 meters (20 feet). The small intestine is an important site of both digestion and absorption of nutrients. It has three parts – >> Read More ...
Gastritis is the term for inflammation of the stomach. As a hollow sac, it is the walls of the stomach that are inflamed to varying degrees. This may sometimes be isolated to the superficial inner lining of the stomach (mucosa) or it can extend through the entire wall of the stomach. Persistent inflammation leads to >> Read More ...
