Digestive System - Pathologies Flashcards
What is the difference between a disease and a syndrome?
Disease:
When we have a very CLEARLY DEFINED DISEASE PROCESS. We have an idea of the cause and the pathophysiology around it.
Syndrome:
Presents with a COLLECTIVE GROUP OF SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS.
For example a patient with abdominal pain alleviated by passing a stool. Many patients may present with IBS symptoms such as this but the cause will be different.
Oral Pathologies:
Define Oral Thrush. What are the causes?
A fungal infection of the mouth which is a sign of low immunity. Driven by a candida fungus, generally Candida Albicans.
Causes: It is estimated that 60% of us have candida in our body but it thrives with:
- COMPROMISED IMMUNITY
- BROAD SPECTRUM ANTIBIOTICS destroying healthy flora
- NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES - iron, zinc, B12
Oral Pathologies:
What are the signs and symptoms of oral thrush. What are the potential complications?
- WHITE PATCHES ON THE ORAL MUCOSA (looks like a cottage cheese consistency) that can be wiped/brushed off
- Red/raw appearance to the underlying tissue
- Loss of taste or unpleasant taste
Can turn into SYSTEMIC CANDIDIASIS when it spreads to the organs. This is unusual.
Can lead to leaky gut
Oral Pathologies:
How is oral thrush treated?
Allopathically with anti fungals which can be harmful and toxic.
Naturally with:
ANTI-FUNGALS - coconut oil, oregano oil, garlic, apple cider vinegar, grapefruit seed extract
Probiotics
Diet - eliminate refined and simple sugars
Name antifungal treatments that we might use in natural medicine
coconut oil
oregano oil
garlic
apple cider vinegar
grapefruit seed extract
Oral Pathologies:
What is a Mouth Ulcer and what causes it?
How do we treat it?
Areas of ulceration within the oral cavity that are general painful. (loss of mucosal layer)
Caused by:
- TRAUMA eg: bite cheek, hot liquids
- NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES - Iron, Zinc, B9 (folate) , B12
- STRESS - fight or flight causes poor mucosal blood flow
- If regular mouth ulcers may indicate underlying disease) . For example GIT pathologies such as CROHN’S DISEASE
Oral Pathologies:
How do we treat a mouth ulcer?
Treat the cause:
correct nutritional status
improve immunity
probiotics
homeopathy
Oral Pathologies:
Define a cold sore and what causes it.
A VIRAL INFECTION that lies DORMANT IN SENSORY GANGLION (nerves) and activates when IMMUNITY IS LOW.
The virus is HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS - normally Type 1
It is triggered by stress, steroid use, trauma, local infections, sunlight exposure
Oral Pathologies:
What are the signs and symptoms of a cold sore and how do we treat it?
TINGLING, ITCHING, BURNING sensation around the mouth.
Then SMALL FLUID FILLED SORES appear most commonly on the lower lip.
Treated with antiviral creams allopathically.
Naturally:
Antivirals: lemon balm, elderberry, colloidal silver, propolis, L-Lysine
Immune Support: Vit C, Zinc, Echinacea
Homeopathy
Acupuncture
Name antiviral treatments we might use in natural medicine.
lemon balm
elderberry
colloidal silver
propolis
L-Lysine
Oral Pathologies:
What is an abscess; signs and symptoms and treatment?
A localised pocket of pus surrounded by inflammation that can occur anywhere.
Signs and Symptoms:
PAIN, REDNESS, LOCAL SWELLING
Fever; malaise
Treated with antibiotics allopathically.
Treatment depends on where it is.
- Antimicrobial herbs and nutrients - Echinacea, golden seal, liquorice
- Nutrients: Zinc, Vit C
- Immune support with herbs, homeopathy
- Colloidal silver
Oral Pathologies:
What is gingivitis and how does it relate to periodontal disease?
Gingivitis is a bacterial infection of the gums that may progress to periodontal disease if left untreated.
It presents as bleeding and/or receding gums.
It is caused by:
POOR NUTRITION
Plaque build up due to poor dental hygiene
Long term steroid use
Diabetes Mellitus
Smoking
Oral Pathologies:
What is Angular Stomatis and what causes it?
Fissuring and dry scaling of the surface of the lips and angles of the mouth.
Causes:
VITAMIN B DEFICIENCIES - (Riboflavin) B2 and B9
IRON DEFICIENCY
Candida Albicans and staphylococcus.
Oral Pathologies:
What is the condition that leads to a lack of saliva in the mouth.
What causes it?
Xerostomia - Dry mouth
DRY MOUTH, BURNING SENSATION AND HALITOSIS, speech and swallowing interference.
Complications occur because saliva is there to lubricate the oral cavity, break down foods , for taste , for immunity and more. Therefore lack of saliva leads to complications such as candidiasis, gingivitis, tonsilitis and pharyngitis.
Causes by
DRUGS - antidepressants
SJOGREN SYNDROME - autoimmune attack on exocrine glands including mouth, eyes, vagina - a general lack of secretions. Associated with RA
STRESS - Sympathetic dominance affecting saliva release.
MENOPAUSE - oestrogen loss affects salivation
Suck ginger to encourage salivation
Oral Pathologies:
What is cleft lip and palate?
Cleft means gap.
Cleft lip is a gap (complete or incomplete) in the lip causing a malformation. It can unilateral or bilateral.
Cleft palate is an opening in the roof of the mouth causing malformation and difficulty SPEAKING, FEEDING or HEARING.
Oral Pathologies:
What causes cleft lip and palate?
Both are embryological meaning that they have developed due to a default acquired in the first 8 weeks.
Can be GENETIC DEFECTS.
More commonly ENVIRONMENTAL due to TERATOGENS.
TERATOGENS are something that cause embryonic malformation - so the first 8 weeks.
Chemotherapy, radiation, alcohol, excess Vit A, anticonvulsant medicine, smoking. substance abuse
Oral Pathologies:
What is Oral Cancer and the causes. symptoms and treatment?
Carcinoma of the oral mucosa, lip or toungue.
Causes:
- SMOKING including chewing of tobacco
- alcohol
- HPV INFECTION
Signs and Symptoms:
- RED OR WHITE PATCHES on oral mucosa or toungue
- Difficulty eating and breathing
TREATMENT
Allopathic - chemo, radio or surgery
Natural: Herbs, nutritional supplements, plant based and antioxidant rich diet, alkalising diet
Oral Pathologies:
What is Salivary Calculi and the causes. symptoms and treatment?
Stones of calcium formed in the salivary glands due to metabolic imbalance affecting mineral concentration. The stones try to pass through the ducts and cause inflammation, fibrosis (scaring) and blockage.
Causes: Usually a few things going on at the same time
- DEHYDRATION
- Abnormal calcium metabolism meaning they are very high
Signs and Symptoms:
- INTERMITTENT PAIN AND SWELLING OF THE AFFECTED GLAND, particularly when eating as it activates the saliva gland.
- Most commonly the submandibular gland under the jaw but can be the sublingual gland under the tongue or the Parotic gland on the side of the face near the ears.
TREATMENT
Allopathic - chemo, radio or surgery
Natural: Herbs, nutritional supplements, plant based and antioxidant rich diet, alkalising diet
Oral Pathologies:
What is Tonsilitis and the causes, symptoms and treatment?
Inflammation of the tonsils. Complications can lead to middle ear infections and an ABSCESS
Causes: can be related to virus or bacterial but ultimately it is because the immune system has allowed it
Signs and Symptoms:
- RED, SORE and PAINFUL TONSILS
- pus
- Fever of 38, headache, muscle aches, coughing
TREATMENT
Allopathic - Rest and hydrate, antibiotics, tonsillectomy
Natural: Herbs and nutrition (antimicrobial and immune promoting), gargles, homeopathy and acupuncture, colloidal silver
Oesophageal Pathologies:
What does GORD stand and what are the signs and symptoms?
Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux Disease
The lower oesophageal sphincter relaxes and acid enter the oesophagus from the stomach.
It presents as
- HEARTBURN - RETROSTERNAL PAIN.
- Aggravated by lying down
- Belching
Complications include:
- It can damage the oesophageal mucus increasing the risk of ULCERS
- BARRETT’S OESOPHAGUS can lead to pre-cancerous cell changes and CANCER
Oesophageal Pathologies:
What causes GORD and how is it treated?
Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux Disease
Causes:
- OBESITY and PREGNANCY due to high intra-abdominal pressure
- HIATUS HERNIA
- TRIGGER FOODS - spicy or fatty, alcohol, caffeine, carbonated drinks, onions, chocolate
- STRESS
Allopathic treatment is antacids (some contain ALUMINIUM)
Natural treatments to treat the cause:
- BAKING SODA with one teaspoon of water (not a long term solution)
- Eating smaller meals but more often, weight loss
- Avoid trigger foods. Consume steamed veg, salads, herbal teas, water
- Aloe vera, centuary, slippery elm which has a thick sludgy consistency to coat the mucosa barrier.
Stomach/Gastric Pathologies:
What is Hiatus Hernia and what are the signs and symptoms?
Part of the stomach protrudes (herniates) into the thoracic cavity through an opening in the diaphragm.
Often it has no symptoms or it can present like GORD.
It can cause GORD
Stomach/Gastric Pathologies:
What causes Hiatus Hernia and how is it treated?
INCREASED ABDOMINAL PRESSURE which can be from any number of things - heavy lifting, hard coughing/sneezing, violent vomiting, pregnancy/childbirth, straining with constipation, heredity, smoking, drug abuse, stress
To treat it:
- Manual therapy to physically manipulate the stomach and reposition it
- Avoid lying down for 3 hours after eating
- Eat smaller, more frequently ,avoid trigger foods that exacerbate the symptoms
Oesophageal Pathologies:
What is Oesophageal cancer and the causes, symptoms and treatment?
A common aggressive tumour with a poor prognosis
Diagnosed late because 75% of the circumference of the tube can be blocked before there is trouble swallowing.
Signs and symptoms:
- DYSPHAGIA ( difficulty swallowing) - A RED FLAG SYMPTOM
- Anorexia (not because unwilling to eat)
- Melaena - black stools (this suggests a problem in the oesophagus or the stomach).
Causes and risks:
- Chronic irritation, alcohol, smoking
- GORD and BARRETT@S OESOPHAGUS
- Obesity, low fruit and veg diet, age
Natural Treatment:
Herbs, nutritional supplements - antioxidants, plant based diet, alkalising the body
Stomach/Gastric Pathologies:
What is Acute Gastritis?
Acute (sudden and short) inflammation of the stomach mucosa causing breakdown of the stomach lining. Insufficient mucus production means a loss of balance between stomach acid (up) and mucus (down). this creates inflammation.
A blood test would show a high neutrophil count as these are the first responder white blood cells.
Stomach/Gastric Pathologies:
What are the causes, symptoms and treatment for Acute Gastritis?
Causes:
- HELICOBACTER PYLORI - Perhaps enters the stomach when stomach acid is low and embeds in the mucosal lining
- NSAIDS - lower prostaglandin levels leads to reduced gastric mucosal barrier.
- Alcohol, food poisoning, stress
Symptoms:
- EPIGASTRIC PAIN USUALLY WORSE WITH FOOD INTAKE
- Nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite
Treatment:
Treat cause
Stomach/Gastric Pathologies:
Describe chronic gastritis
Chronic stomach mucosal inflammation for more than 4-6 weeks.
Whereas with acute gastritis we see a surge in neutrophils as the first responders, with chronic gastritis we LYMPHOCYTES and MACROPHAGES in THE LAMINA PROPRIA.
Over time low grade inflammation can lead to fibrosis (scarring) of the stomachs mucosal lining and subsequent loss of elasticity and peristalsis
Stomach/Gastric Pathologies:
Describe the potential complications of chronic gastritis and why they occur
- ANAEMIA: megaloblastic, iron, pernicious
For B12 to be absorbed in the small intestine it must first bind to Intrinsic Factor (IF) that it picks up in the stomach.
IF is produced by parietal cells in the stomach. If the stomach is inflamed, parietal cells can be damaged and not able to produce IF.
Less IF - less Absorption leading to megaloblastic anaemia
- GASTRIC CARCINOMA
Chronic inflammation increases risk of mutations in the gastric area.
Stomach/Gastric Pathologies:
What causes chronic gastritis?
A : AUTOIMMUNE - Associated with pernicious anaemia
B: BACTERIAL - Helicobacter Pylori
C: CHRONIC IRRITATION - eg: long term NSAIDS
Stomach/Gastric Pathologies:
What are signs and symptoms of chronic gastritis and how do we treat it?
Signs and Symptoms are vague.
- DISCOMFORT WITH HEAVY MEALS
- EPIGASTRIC DISCOMFORT
- Nausea and poor appetite
Treatment
- Treat the underlying cause
- Support immunity
- Herbs such as slippery elm and aloe vera
-Antimicrobial herbs is an infection
- Avoid irritants
Stomach/Gastric Pathologies:
What is a peptic ulcer and what are the signs and symptoms?
A Peptic Ulcer is an ulcer of the GI mucosa. It is a category that covers duodenal and gastric ulcers. It is an erosion of the superficial lining of the membrane.
If the erosion is bad enough it could penetrate to the submucosa or muscularis leading to a perforation where the contents of the stomach spill out into the peritoneum.
Signs and Symptoms:
- Gastric: EPIGASTRIC PAIN, 30-60 MINUTES AFTER EATING, less often at night
- Duodenal: EPIGASTRIC PAIN 2-3 HOURS AFTER EATING, and at night (when stomach is empty)
- Pain may be amplified by irritating foods such as alcohol, coffee, spicy food, fatty/fried food
- Burping, nausea
Stomach/Gastric Pathologies:
What causes a peptic ulcer and what are the treatments?
Causes:
- 80% of cases HELICOBACTER PYLORI which wreaks havoc in the stomach
- 10% of cases NSAIDS because they disrupt the mucus barrier, lower mucus production which leads to an imbalance with acid
- STRESS - Sympathetic nervous system dominance can reduce blood flow and impacts on tissue repair
- Chronic gastritis
Treatment:
Diet - avoid allergens and milk, spicy foods and bring in green veg and plenty of fibre. Cabbage
Herbs - Slippery Elm, liquorice
Aloe Vera, Vit A, E and zinc
Stomach/Gastric Pathologies:
What is Dumping Syndrome and what causes it?
Dumping syndrome is a group of symptoms, such as diarrhea, nausea, and feeling light-headed or tired after a meal, that are caused by rapid gastric emptying. Rapid gastric emptying is a condition in which food moves too quickly from your stomach to your duodenum.
Causes:
Loss of stomach effectiveness due to BARATRIC SURGERY and other GI surgeries such as gastric bypass, removal of gallbladder, gastrectomy means the stomach can’t process food and so it goes into the duodenum UNDIGESTED and quickly. Because of this water is drawn into the bolus causing sudden and urgent diarrhoea.
The body senses carbs are going in and releases insulin from the pancreas in preparation. However the insulin is not used so there is excess insulin . This lowers blood sugar even further leading to REACTIVE HYPOGLYCAEMIA.
