Digestive & Stomach

Passing gas (belching, wind or flatulence) is normal — 10-20 times a day. It becomes a problem when there's too much, when it smells strongly, or when it's painful.

Diarrhoea is loose or watery stools 3 or more times a day. Most acute diarrhoea is from a virus or contaminated food/water and settles in a few days.

Constipation means infrequent, hard, or difficult-to-pass stools. There's no magic number — passing stool 3 times a day or 3 times a week can both be normal for that person.

Haemorrhoids (piles) are swollen blood vessels in and around the anus. They are extremely common — most Indian adults have some degree at some point.

Jaundice is yellowing of the eyes, skin and sometimes nails and mouth, from a build-up of bilirubin — a yellow pigment made when old red cells are broken down. It is a symptom, not a disease — the important question is why the bilirubin is rising.

The liver is the body's chemical factory and filter — making proteins, clotting factors, and bile; storing energy; processing medicines, alcohol, and toxins; clearing infections and old cells. Liver disease is common, often silent in early stages, and can be caused by viruses, alcohol, obesity, medicines, or genetic disorders.

A hernia is a bulge where an organ or tissue (often a loop of intestine) pushes through a weak spot in the muscle wall that normally holds it in. Most hernias are in the abdominal wall and groin.

Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix — a small finger-shaped pouch off the large intestine. Without treatment, it can rupture, causing a serious infection in the belly.

A peptic ulcer is a break in the lining of the stomach (gastric ulcer) or the first part of the small intestine (duodenal ulcer). Most are caused by Helicobacter pylori infection or by long-term use of NSAID painkillers.

Gastritis is inflammation of the stomach lining. It can come on suddenly (acute) or develop slowly over time (chronic).

Cirrhosis is late-stage scarring of the liver. Repeated liver injury replaces healthy tissue with scar tissue, and the liver slowly loses function.

GERD (gastro-oesophageal reflux disease) is when stomach acid regularly backs up into the oesophagus (food pipe), causing heartburn and other symptoms. Occasional heartburn is normal; GERD is when symptoms are frequent (more than twice a week) or start to affect life.