Summary

Praise for the previous edition:
"...recommended."—American Reference Books Annual

"Highly recommended."—Choice

"...timely...[the] readable, accessible style should appeal to all...authoritative...helpful...Recommended for consumer health collections, particularly in public libraries."—Library Journal

According to the National Commission on Digestive Diseases, at least 60 to 70 million Americans suffer from digestive diseases each year, and as many as 10 to 15 percent of all inpatient hospitalizations are due to digestive diseases and disorders. The annual medical cost associated with digestive disease is estimated to be more than $100 billion.

The Encyclopedia of the Digestive System and Digestive Disorders, Second Edition is a one-stop guide to the gastrointestinal system and everything that can go wrong with it. Entries explain the organs of the digestive system and how they work, the digestive process, disorders and infectious diseases of the digestive system, and how to maintain good digestive health. This edition has been updated and expanded to include new techniques and technology used for diagnosing and treating digestive diseases, emerging issues in digestive medicine, and recent breakthroughs in understanding digestion and digestive diseases. Appendixes provide body mass index charts and directories of helpful agencies, associations, organizations, and Web sites.

Key topics include:

• Cancers of the digestive system
• Children and digestive diseases
• Common digestive ailments
• Diverticulitis
• Crohn's disease
• Diagnostic tests
• Food-borne illnesses
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Medications and treatments.

Specifications

Index. Appendixes. Bibliography. Cross-references.

About the Author(s)

Anil Minocha, M.D., is an internationally recognized expert in digestive diseases. He currently serves veterans as the professor of medicine and chief of gastroenterology at the VA Medical Center in Shreveport, Louisiana. In addition to his membership in various professional organizations, he is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, American College of Gastroenterology, and American Gastroenterological Association. Minocha has written several books, most recently How to Stop Heartburn: Simple Ways to Heal Acid Reflux, Minocha's Guide to Digestive Diseases, and The Gastroenterology Resident Pocket Survival Guide. He has authored more than 90 publications for peer-reviewed journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, Gastroenterology, American Journal of Gastroenterology, the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, and Digestive Diseases and Sciences. He lives in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Christine Adamec is a medical writer with more than 24 books and numerous medical articles to her credit. She has ghostwritten six medical self-help books for physicians on topics such as arthritis, back pain, and migraines. Her books for Facts On File include The Encyclopedia of Addictions and Addictive Behaviors; The Encyclopedia of Adoption, Third Edition; The Encyclopedia of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse; The Encyclopedia of Child Abuse, Third Edition; and The Encyclopedia of Drug Abuse, all in the Facts On File Library of Health and Living series. Adamec is a member of the American Medical Writers Association and the American Society of Journalists and Authors. She lives in Florida.