Gastrointestinal symptoms at a glance
Gastrointestinal symptoms involve any upset to your gastrointestinal system—your esophagus, stomach, intestines, rectum, or anus, plus your liver, gallbladder and pancreas. These symptoms include nausea, heartburn, mucositisinflammation and ulceration of the mucous membranes lining the digestive tract, usually as an adverse effect of chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment for cancer, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, bloating, gas, and pain. These symptoms can be caused or triggered by cancer, by cancer treatments, by some medications and other medical conditions, and by other symptoms such as anxiety, depression, stress, or pain.
Managing gastrointestinal symptoms can greatly improve your quality of life and also your overall health by affecting your body weight and your ability to complete cancer treatment.
Top practices and therapies for managing gastrointestinal symptoms
The effects of these practices and therapies are described on What approaches can help you manage gastrointestinal symptoms? ›
Therapies and practices we have reviewed
Constipation
Diarrhea
Complementary therapies
Heartburn/reflux or esophagitis
Complementary therapies
Liver effects
Nausea and vomiting
Further therapies
Therapies recommended in clinical practice guidelines; see guidelines ›
Chinese herbal blends
Ginger
Hypnosis
Mind-body modalities (without mentioning specific therapies)
Music therapy