Diverticulitis - It's common for people older than age 60 to have small, bulging pouches in their digestive tracts — a condition known as diverticulosis. Although the pouches 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 a pouch becomes 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.

Dysphagia – It is a condition in which a person has occasional or persistent difficulty in swallowing.

Occasional difficulty swallowing usually isn't cause for concern, and may simply occur when you eat too fast or don't chew your food well enough. But persistent difficulty swallowing may indicate a serious medical condition requiring treatment.

Difficulty swallowing may mean it takes more time and effort to move food or liquid from your mouth to your stomach. It also may be associated with pain and in some cases, you may not be able to swallow at all.

Difficulty swallowing can occur at any age, but is most common in older adults. The causes of swallowing difficulties vary, and treatments depend upon the cause. In many cases, the condition can be partially or completely corrected.

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.