Diarrhea -Normally, the food we eat remains in liquid form during most of the digestive process. When food passes through our colon, most of the fluids are absorbed and what remains is a semisolid stool. In diarrhea, food and fluids we've ingested and secreted pass too quickly or in too large an amount — or both — through our colon. The fluids aren't sufficiently absorbed, and the result is a watery bowel movement. Also, the lining of our colon may be inflamed or diseased, making it less able to absorb fluids.

The most common causes of diarrhea include viruses, bacteria and parasites, and lactose. Diarrhea can also be a side effect of many medications, particularly antibiotics. In addition, some artificial sweeteners that are found in sugar-free chewing gum can cause diarrhea.

Diverticulitis - It's common for people older than age 60 to have small, bulging pouches (diverticula) in their digestive tracts — a condition known as diverticulosis. Although diverticula can form anywhere, including in your esophagus, stomach and small intestine, most occur in our large intestine. Because these pouches seldom cause any problems, you may never know you have them.

Sometimes, however, one or more pouches becomes inflamed or infected, causing severe abdominal pain, fever, nausea and a marked change in our bowel habits. When diverticula become infected, the condition is called diverticulitis. Mild cases of diverticulitis can be treated with rest, changes in your diet and antibiotics. But serious cases may require surgery to remove the diseased portion of your colon.

Constipation- is a condition of the digestive system in which a person experiences hard feces that are difficult to expel. This usually happens because the colon absorbs too much water from the food. If the food moves through the gastro-intestinal tract too slowly, the colon may absorb too much water, resulting in feces that are dry and hard. Defecation may be extremely painful, and in sever cases lead to symptoms of bowel obstruction. The term obstipation is used for severe constipation that prevents passage of both stools and gas. Causes of constipation may be dietary, hormonal, anatomical, a side effect of medications (e.g. some painkillers), or an illness or disorder. Treatments consist of changes in dietary and exercise habits, the use of laxatives, and other medical interventions depending on the underlying cause.

Crohn's disease – it is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes persistent or recurring inflammation of one or more parts of the intestine. Crohn's disease can affect any part of the gastrointestinal system, from the mouth to the anus. The disease was named after Dr. Burrill Crohn, who was one of the first to describe the disease in medical literature.

There is no known cure for Crohn's disease and the causes are unclear. Even though this disease is common, it has not been talked about until recently. Inflammatory bowel disease can occur at any age, but usually begins in the late teens or early adulthood. It is sometimes associated with medical problems outside of the intestine, including arthritis, cancer, gallstones, kidney stones, and skin conditions.

Crohn's disease symptoms include cramp abdominal pains, diarrhea, and weight loss. Pain is most often felt around the navel or the lower right part of the abdomen. The pains may occur during eating or soon after a meal. Steady dull aches of the abdomen may also be felt and may be worsen with activities like jogging and sports. Other Crohn's disease symptoms that patients have noted are suffering from fatigue and poor appetite.

Cirrhosis - a group of chronic liver diseases in which normal liver cells are damaged and replaced by scar tissue, decreasing the amount of normal liver tissue. Cirrhosis and other liver diseases take the lives of over 25,000 Americans each year and rank eighth as a cause of death in the United States.

Colitis- is a chronic digestive disease characterized by inflammation of the colon. Colitis is one of a group of conditions which are inflammatory and auto-immune, affecting the tissue that lines the gastrointestinal system (the large and small intestine). It is classed as an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), not to be confused with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Symptoms of colitis include pain, tenderness in the abdomen, depression, rapid weight loss, aches and pains within the joints, fatigue, increased frequency in bowel habits, fever, swelling of the colon tissue, redness of the surface of the colon, ulcers on the colon (in ulcerative colitis) which can bleed, mucus in the stool, blood in stool and rectal bleeding. Diarrhea may present itself, although some forms of colitis are constipation so the stool and bowel movements can appear normal. Other symptoms may include: gas, bloating, indigestion, heartburn, reflux disease, cramps, urgency and many other uncomfortable aches in the gastrointestinal system.

Common tests which reveal these signs include X-rays of the colon, testing the stool for blood and pus, sigmoidoscopy, and colonoscopy. Additional tests include stool cultures and blood tests.

Treatment of colitis may include the administration of antibiotics and general non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDS) medications. Surgery is required only when the patient suffers from regular or permanent flare ups. Surgery usually entails removing the colon and bowel and creating a "pouch" with a portion of the small intestine, which in time adopts the characteristics of the colon.