By  Rebecca Charlotte Reynolds , UNSW Australia .

Conditions affecting the gastrointestinal tract are common in modern humans and many are on the rise. The gastrointestinal tract extends from the mouth to the anus, via the stomach and the bowels, which include the small intestine and the large intestine (colon).

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Around one in five Australians suffers symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) at some point in their life. Around one in 70 have coeliac disease (though many don’t know they have it). Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which usually manifests as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, is less common, affecting three in 10,000 Australians.

Coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition in which the body reacts abnormally to gluten, which is found in wheat, oats, rye and barley. (An easy way to remember this is the acronym WORB.) This abnormal reaction to gluten causes damage and inflammation to the small intestine.

Coeliac disease is not a food allergy or intolerance. Some people can be sensitive to gluten, but not have coeliac disease. This is called non-coeliac gluten sensitivity.

In inflammatory bowel disease, the gastrointestinal tract becomes swollen and red from inflammation. Abscesses and cracks can develop in any part of the tract in Crohn’s, while open sores called ulcers usually affect the large intestine in ulcerative colitis.

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The causes of these gastrointestinal conditions are not well-understood, but may include a combination of genetic and environmental factors, such as infection, psychological stress and diet. Researchers have reported associations, for instance, between higher intakes of total fat and meat and an increased risk of developing Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Symptoms

Symptoms of these gastrointestinal tract conditions include bloating, cramps, abdominal pain, excessive wind, diarrhoea, constipation, nausea, fatigue, mucus or blood in stools, body aches, weight loss and nutrient deficiencies.

Suffering from a gastrointestinal condition can be very stressful. Imagine being in constant abdominal pain and your toilet habits alternating between diarrhoea and constipation. Or your gut becoming so inflamed you have to go to hospital.

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See your doctor if you suffer from these symptoms, particularly if you’ve had them for weeks or months; don’t wait years. Due to similarities in the symptoms of these gastrointestinal conditions, diagnosis often takes some time. It may also be necessary to investigate bowel cancer as a possibility.

It’s best not to self-diagnose or self-treat. If you remove gluten from your diet and feel better, for instance, that doesn’t automatically mean that you have coeliac disease and need to carefully avoid gluten for life.

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Treatment

Many gastrointestinal afflictions cannot be cured, but can be managed with combinations of medication, diet and psychological treatment.

Thankfully, irritable bowel syndrome can sometimes resolve over time and leave no long-term damage in the gastrointestinal tract. A 2015 review found that for the management of IBS symptoms, an individual’s diet, lifestyle and medical and behavioural factors must be taken into account. Because of a link between IBS and stress, psychological therapy has also been shown to reduce symptom severity and improve quality of life. (Post continues after gallery.)

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FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols. These nutrients are poorly digested and absorbed in the small intestine, and therefore reach the large intestine, where they are fermented by bacteria. A low FODMAP diet and certain probiotics may also help ease IBS symptoms, although the long-term benefits of a low FODMAP diet are unclear.

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In comparison, coeliac disease cannot be cured and must be managed with a strict, lifelong gluten-free diet to prevent small intestinal damage. And I mean strict. Even the gluten in a wheat bread crumb can cause bowel injury.

Conversely, symptoms associated with non-coeliac gluten sensitivity may indeed be due t