What are the taste buds? The taste buds are the functional unit of the sense of taste. It is stimulated by certain chemicals in food and relays signals to the brain where it is perceived as the five taste sensations – sweet, salty, sour, bitter and . Odor (smell) and the texture of food can also alter the sense of >> Read More ...
The human tongue is a muscular organ that is covered by a thin mucous membrane. It lies partly in the mouth cavity and partly in the oropharynx. It is highly mobile and can be shifted into a number of different positions and also assume various shapes. The tongue’s primary function is often seen as that of being the >> Read More ...
The three pairs of major salivary glands (parotid, submandibular and sublingual) are located on either side of the mouth. All of these glands produce saliva and secrete it into the mouth cavity via the salivary gland. This accounts for the majority of the saliva in the mouth. Many smaller accessory glands in the lining of >> Read More ...
Excessive gas in the stomach or intestines may present with a number of signs and symptoms. Some of these symptoms arise as a result of a higher than normal gas content in the gut and other symptoms occur due to the causes of excessive gas. The gut contains about 200 milliliters of gas. Most of the gas in the upper gut is >> Read More ...
Spleen pain is difficult to identify due to its close proximity to other abdominal structures like the stomach, left kidney, left colonic flexure and abdominal wall. Pain in the left upper abdomen or back may be related to these surrounding organs and not due to the spleen itself. The most notable features of spleen pain >> Read More ...
What is a Sour Stomach? The term “sour stomach” is commonly used to describe a range of symptoms associated with upper gastrointestinal disturbances. The most notable symptoms attributed to a sour stomach include regurgitation, nausea, stomach bloating and excessive belching. These symptoms are often related to >> Read More ...
What is the spleen? The spleen is a spongy oval-shaped organ and is roughly the size of a person’s fist. It is located in the left upper quadrant (hypochondrium) of the abdomen, just under the left ribcage. The spleen has many important functions in the body involving the storage of blood and immune activity but it >> Read More ...
Stomach reflux is the regurgitation of the stomach contents into the esophagus. It is also known as acid reflux and gastroesophageal reflux. The regurgitated contents are a combination of stomach secretions (acid + digestive enzymes + water + mucus) and recently ingested food and drink. In the chronic setting, stomach >> Read More ...
What is acid reflux? Acid reflux is the backward flow of the acidic stomach contents (food + acid + other secretions) up into the esophagus. It is not uncommon for every healthy person to experience acid reflux occasionally but in certain cases, this retrograde flow may become persistent or recurrent. Prolonged exposure to >> Read More ...
