A healthy digestive system can keep things churning smoothly, while improperly functioning tubes can ruin anyone's day. There are a number of ways a person can recognize whether or not his or her system is acting appropriately. A few of the many signs are regularity, absence of pain, and a normal appetite.
Regularity can mean a lot of things, but only under the contexts of our bowels does this refer to the act of excretion. When a person consumes food, the body breaks down the meal in order to use its components for vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and energy all in the name of survival. What is left over is a condensed mass of unusable matter that is mixed with bodily fluids and other substances of our intestines. This becomes feces.
The average person does not realize that he or she should be passing a movement multiple times a day. Everybody is different, and there is contradicting evidence regarding what it means to be regular, but most people are more constipated than they realize. Constipation is a state of minimal bowel movements. The opposite of constipation is diarrhea, and it characterized by a softness and unusual frequency of the bowels.
Keeping a healthy digestive system is difficult. Another symptom of an unhealthy ailment is pain. Pain can be an indicator of many things; however, pain at rest in the region of the bowels or pain during the passing of a movement are both bad signs. The issue of pain is best dealt with by a medical professional trained to address issues of this nature.
The digestive system is responsible for acquiring nutrients and other necessities from food, so the fact that the rest of a person's body is functioning normally usually means the digestive tract is OK as well. There are certain diseases like alcoholism or genetic conditions that can prevent nutrient absorption. A discoloration of the skin, hair, or nails can sometimes be a more visual sign of inadequate nutrition, which could perhaps be a fault of the digestive system.
A healthy digestive system is important, and so people should take care of themselves and make a healthy digestive system a priority. Just because no negative symptoms are present does not necessarily mean the system is functioning at its highest level. A healthy digestive system takes dedication and regular checkups, even if nothing seems to be wrong. Doing all of these things and remaining aware of possible problems can help anyone stay healthy.