Constipation is a condition in which a person has uncomfortable or infrequent bowel movements. Generally, a person is considered to be constipated when bowel movements result in passage of small amounts of hard, dry stool.

Detailed information on diarrhea, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment

Detailed information on gallstones, including symptoms, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment

Although indigestion may be the result of a disease or an ulcer in the digestive tract, most often it is caused by eating too much, eating too quickly, eating high-fat foods, or eating during stressful situations.

Detailed information on kidney stones, including types, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment

Detailed information on diverticular disease, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment

Detailed information on lactose intolerance, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment

A person with IBS has a colon that is more sensitive and reactive than usual, so it responds strongly to stimuli that would not affect other people.

Detailed information on gastritis, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment

Diarrhea is defined either as watery stool or increased frequency of stool—or both—when compared with a normal amount. It is a common problem that may last a few days and disappear on its own.

Foodborne illness develops when certain harmful bacteria get into the food supply and cause disease. Millions of cases of foodborne illness occur each year, and most cases can be prevented.

Gastroesophageal reflux is the return of acidic stomach juices, or food and fluids, back up into the esophagus.

Pinworms are a common parasite that affect mostly children. Pinworms are spread from person to person -- usually from child to child.

Vomiting in children is common and usually is not cause for concern if it occurs infrequently. It is important to give enough fluids and lots of tender loving care until your child's stomach settles down.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is eating disorder that is a form of self-starvation. A person with AN has abnormally low body weight, a distorted body image, and an intense fear of gaining weight.

Bulimia nervosa is defined as uncontrolled episodes of overeating (bingeing) usually followed by self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, enemas, or medications in an attempt to control weight.

Binge eating disorder is an illness that resembles bulimia nervosa and is characterized by episodes of uncontrolled eating or bingeing. It differs from bulimia because its sufferers do not purge their bodies of the excess food.

A peptic ulcer is a term used to describe an irritation or sore in the lining of the stomach (a gastric ulcer) or in the upper part of the small intestine, the duodenum (a duodenal ulcer). Left untreated, an ulcer can be a very serious problem.

We all dread diarrhea. But when the patient is your infant or toddler, diarrhea can range from a minor annoyance to a medical emergency.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is not a disease; it is a disorder that interferes with the normal function of the large intestine (colon) and is characterized by cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, constipation and diarrhea.

The flu shows up each fall, and misconceptions come with it. Test your savvy about influenza by taking this quiz.

Gallstones are rocklike substances that form inside the gallbladder, a sac-shaped organ that is on your right side, just under the liver.

Those who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome rarely talk about it. Yet it affects more than 15 percent of Americans, most of them women.

A growing number are children, usually girls, aren't overweight but believe they are. Says a California pediatrician: Magazines and TV shows that worship ultra-thin models and pop stars fuel the trend.

Boys and men have eating disorders, too. Males make up 5 to 15 percent of patients with anorexia or bulimia and 35 percent of those with binge-eating disorder.

A food allergy is not the same as food intolerance, although some of the symptoms are the same.

Sixty million Americans suffer heartburn. Almost half have it every day. If you're among them, do you have all the facts?

Flu and pneumonia are respiratory illnesses that should not be taken lightly. In the United States, pneumonia and the flu combined are the sixth leading cause of death. Older adults are at greater risk than younger adults for contracting pneumococcal pneumonia, the most common bacterial form of the disease.

Celiac disease, or celiac sprue, is a digestive disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food.

Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia have risen steadily to affect nearly 10 million women (and 1 million men).

Although nausea and vomiting can make you feel miserable, it's important to remember that these are not diseases, but rather symptoms of many illnesses.

Viruses are familiar from the common diseases they cause: colds and flu, for instance. But what are they, and how do they cause sickness?

Detailed information on helicobacter pylori, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment

Detailed information on stomach ulcers, duodenal ulcers, and peptic ulcers

Detailed information on pancreatitis, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment

Detailed information on appendicitis, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment

Detailed information on Crohn's disease, including symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment

Detailed information on stomach cancer, including symptoms, causes, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment

Detailed information on ulcerative colitis, including symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment

Gastroparesis is a stomach disorder that can affect people with diabetes. It occurs when nerve damage keeps the stomach from emptying normally.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a digestive disorder in which the stomach’s juices flow backward, or reflux, into the esophagus.