Digestive System
What is the digestive system?
The digestive system is a system made consisting of a complex series of organs with the primary function of helping the body process the food (breaking it down to smaller molecules so that the body may absorb the food) as well as excrete any unwanted waste materials. In the human body, the digestive tract is primarily composed of the: mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and the anus, in the order of start to finish respectively.
The digestive system is a system made consisting of a complex series of organs with the primary function of helping the body process the food (breaking it down to smaller molecules so that the body may absorb the food) as well as excrete any unwanted waste materials. In the human body, the digestive tract is primarily composed of the: mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and the anus, in the order of start to finish respectively.
Although Alexander Disease does not affect the digestive system, there still are symptoms caused by Alexander Disease which may have a negative impact upon the digestive system. Amongst these, the major problem which Alexander Disease causes is vomiting.
Vomiting
Vomiting refers to the expulsion of the contents in one’s stomach via the mouth (or occasionally through the nose) and essentially is the reverse of the regular flow of the digestive system. The feeling prior to vomiting is known as nausea and patients suffering from Alexander Disease are often subject to regular instances of nausea shortly followed by vomiting. Although irregular instances of vomiting are generally common and do not create a serious negative impact upon the body, regular instances may lead to more serious conditions due to the corrosive nature of gastric acids.
Vomiting may also induce other negative effects including: dehydration, anemia (decreased red blood cell count), and internal damages due to the gastric acid travelling up the digestive system. Although common cases of vomiting may be treated via simple prescription drugs, regular instances of vomiting due to the damages in the nervous system (which in this case is caused by Alexander Disease) are often times much harder to treat. One universally effective method of treatment however is to reduce the time in which the food stays in your stomach, so that when the patient attempts to vomit, little to no substance will be subject to expulsion. (11)
Vomiting may also induce other negative effects including: dehydration, anemia (decreased red blood cell count), and internal damages due to the gastric acid travelling up the digestive system. Although common cases of vomiting may be treated via simple prescription drugs, regular instances of vomiting due to the damages in the nervous system (which in this case is caused by Alexander Disease) are often times much harder to treat. One universally effective method of treatment however is to reduce the time in which the food stays in your stomach, so that when the patient attempts to vomit, little to no substance will be subject to expulsion. (11)