What they are
Your small intestine does most of the work of digesting what you eat. In a malabsorption syndrome, it can't absorb nutrients from food.
Causes
- celiac disease;
- lactose intolerance;
- short bowel syndrome, after surgery to remove half or more of the small intestine — surgery you might need because of a disease, injury or birth defect of the small intestine;
- Whipple disease, a rare bacterial infection;
- genetic diseases;
- certain medicines.
Symptoms
They vary between syndromes, but often include chronic diarrhea, abnormal stools, weight loss and gas.
Diagnosis and treatment
Your doctor may use lab, imaging or other tests to make a diagnosis. Treatment depends on the cause.
Sources
Based on "Malabsorption Syndromes," MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine; a work of the United States government in the public domain.
语言English
许可协议： CC0 1.0（公有领域） · 改编自 medlineplus.gov
1
0
0
0
留言
