Signs and Symptoms of Digestive Diseases

The signs and symptoms listed below can indicate the presence of a gastrointestinal or liver disease. I am an expert in the investigation and management of such problems.

Gastrointestinal-related symptoms or signs:

• Diarrhoea and constipation

• Abdominal pain or discomfort

• Abdominal bloating

• Faecal urgency, incontinence and sense of incomplete emptying

• Difficult swallowing (dysphagia) or painful swallowing (odynophagia)

• Gastrointestinal bleeding

  • Vomiting blood or coffee-ground material (haematemesis)

  • Black, tarry stools (melaena)

  • Rectal bleeding

• Iron deficiency and/or anaemia, positive bowel cancer screening test (faecal occult blood test) or abnormal imaging of the digestive tract

• Family history of bowel cancer or polyposis syndrome

Liver-related symptoms or signs:

• Abnormal imaging of the liver (i.e. liver lesion, fatty liver, signs of chronic liver disease or cirrhosis etc.)

• Abnormal blood tests (i.e. liver enzymes or the markers of liver function)

• Abdominal pain

• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes) and associated symptoms such as itch, dark urine and pale stools

• Other signs of liver failure such as abdominal swelling due to fluid accumulation (ascites), confusion (hepatic encephalopathy) and acute gastrointestinal bleeding (variceal haemorrhage)

Pancreas and biliary related symptoms or signs:

• Abnormal imaging of the pancreas or biliary tree

• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes) and associated symptoms such as itch, dark urine and pale stools

• Abnormal liver function tests, pancreas enzymes, markers of pancreatic function (faecal elastase) or tumour-markers (CA19.9)

• Diarrhoea, unintentional weight loss or steatorrhea (fatty, greasy stools)

• Unexplained diabetes (can be a sign of pancreatic disease)