Your esophagus is the tube that carries food from your mouth to your stomach. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) happens when a muscle at the end of your esophagus does not close properly. This allows stomach contents to leak back, or reflux, into the esophagus and irritate it.

You may feel a burning in the chest or throat called heartburn. Sometimes, you can taste stomach fluid in the back of the mouth. If you have these symptoms more than twice a week, you may have GERD. You can also have GERD without having heartburn. Your symptoms could include a dry cough, asthma symptoms, or trouble swallowing.

Anyone, including infants and children, can have GERD. If not treated, it can lead to more serious health problems. In some cases, you might need medicines or surgery. However, many people can improve their symptoms by:

• Avoiding alcohol and spicy, fatty or acidic foods that trigger heartburn

• Eating smaller meals

• Not eating close to bedtime

• Losing weight if needed

• Wearing loose-fitting clothes

CHRONIC DIARRHOEA CAUSES. A wide range of problems can cause chronic diarrhea; some of the most common causes include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis), malabsorption syndromes in which food cannot be digested and absorbed, and chronic infections.

Chronic constipation is infrequent bowel movements or difficult passage of stools that persists for several weeks or longer. Constipation is generally described as having fewer than three bowel movements a week.

COMMON CAUSES

Constipation can have causes that aren't due to underlying disease. Examples include dehydration, lack of dietary fibre, physical inactivity or medication side effects.

Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in your lower rectum. Internal hemorrhoids are usually painless, but tend to bleed. External hemorrhoids may cause pain. Hemorrhoids (HEM-uh-roids), also called piles, are swollen veins in your anus and lower rectum, similar to varicose veins.

Swollen and inflamed veins in the rectum and anus that cause discomfort and bleeding.

Haemorrhoids are usually caused by straining during bowel movements, obesity or pregnancy.

Discomfort is a common symptom, especially during bowel movements or when sitting. Other symptoms include itching and bleeding.

A high-fibre diet can be effective, along with stool softeners. 

Discomfort is a common symptom, especially during bowel movements or when sitting. Other symptoms include itching and bleeding.

Overview

An anal fissure is a small tear in the thin, moist tissue (mucosa) that lines the anus. An anal fissure may occur when you pass hard or large stools during a bowel movement. Anal fissures typically cause pain and bleeding with bowel movements. You also may experience spasms in the ring of muscle at the end of your anus (anal sphincter).

Anal fissures are very common in young infants but can affect people of any age. Most anal fissures get better with simple treatments, such as increased fiber intake. Some people with anal fissures may need medication or, occasionally, surgery.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of an anal fissure include:

• Pain, sometimes severe, during bowel movements

• Pain after bowel movements that can last up to several hours

• Bright red blood on the stool or toilet paper after a bowel movement

• A visible crack in the skin around the anus

• A small lump or skin tag on the skin near the anal fissure

When to see a doctor

See your doctor if you have pain during bowel movements or notice blood on stools or toilet paper after a bowel movement.

An infected tunnel between the skin and the anus.

An anal fistula is an infected tunnel between the skin and the anus, the muscular opening at the end of the digestive tract. Most anal fistulas are the result of an infection in an anal gland that spreads to the skin.

Symptoms include pain, swelling and discharge of blood or pus from the anus.

What causes an anal fistula?

The leading causes of an anal fistula are clogged anal glands and anal abscesses. Other, much less common, conditions that can cause an anal fistula include:

• Crohn’s disease (an inflammatory disease of the intestine)

• Radiation (treatment for cancer)

• Trauma

• Sexually transmitted diseases

• Tuberculosis

• Diverticulitis (a disease in which small pouches form in the large intestine and become inflamed)

• Cancer

What are the symptoms of an anal fistula?

The signs and symptoms of an anal fistula include:

• Frequent anal abscesses

• Pain and swelling around the anus

• Bloody or foul-smelling drainage (pus) from an opening around the anus. The pain may decrease after the fistula drains.

• Irritation of the skin around the anus from drainage

• Pain with bowel movements

• Bleeding

• Fever, chills and a general feeling of fatigue