Pain - Digestive and Urinary Systems

The digestive and urinary systems, that are independent yet connected systems, are responsible for converting food and liquid into energy and for getting rid of waste materials from the body. The organs work hard and continuously during their life of a living being and are frequently abused, overloaded, and overworked.

The digestive and urinary systems are made up of a large series of organs from the mouth right down to the groin.

These organs often suffer abuse when people do not adequately regulate their intake of food and drink.

The organs in these internal systems are not well supplied with nerve endings and it can be difficult to identify and treat any pain and other problems that manifest in these organs.

The Digestive System

From the mouth to the abdomen, food and drink take the route outlined in the diagram above and are broken down and digested in a number of processes by the various organs. These organs are also responsible for the disposal of the body's waste materials, such as expired tissue cells, and of toxins i.e. materials which the body cannot use.

The digestive system is resilient and extremely hardworking. However, a lot of commonly experienced pain and disease occurs in this digestive tract. Largely this stems from two causes:

1) the digestive process itself needs energy to complete and so often our lifestyle prevents us from giving it time to function smoothly. Indigestion and irritable bowel syndrome often flow from this, coupled with stress.

2) people suffer with eating disorders, such as anorexia or bulimia, or simply eat or drink toxins such as alcohol or caffeine that actually damage the organs when consumed in large quantities.

One problem of the digestive organs which some times causes acute pain is the formation of stones. Some organs, including the gallbladder and kidney, will generate stones if the balance of material passing through them is upset. Gallstones are produced by a crystallisation of cholesterol if the liver and gallbladder cannot deal with an over-consumption of fat.

The appendix in the human body seems to be a vestigial organ which we no longer need. Stray food particles or bacteria may become lodged there causing appendicitis. This can be hard to diagnose as the pain is not localised and may be mistaken for another digestive or urinary tract disorder.

The Urinary System

The urinary system is made up of the kidneys, ureter, bladder and urethra. Our kidneys filter the blood and remove toxins and other harmful materials, while also maintaining the body's correct balance of water, salts and hormones.

Any damage to the kidneys is very serious and sometimes it is irreparable. Urine passes down from the kidneys, the ureter into the bladder, and from there is expelled via a thin tube called the urethra.

The lower urinary tract is prone to infections, such as cystitis, when bacteria, often from the gut, enter via the urethra and may cause very painful and irritable inflammations, especially in women.

What is Pain - How We Feel Pain
Pain & Musculosketal System - Pain & Nervous System - Pain & Digestive System