Gastroenterologist (Digestion)
A gastroenterologist specializes in gastroenterology, a branch of medicine concerned with digestive diseases. The digestive system includes the organs in the body that break down and absorb food. Organs that make up the digestive system are the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus. Organs that help with digestion but are not part of the digestive tract are the tongue, glands in the mouth that make saliva, pancreas, liver, and gallbladder. Signs and symptoms of gastroenterological diseases include constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and abdominal pain. Gastroenterologists and surgeons will often perform “scopes” to look for diseases of the digestive system. There are two types of scopes. One is a colonoscopy, in which a patient is given sedation and a camera is inserted into his or her rectum so that the large intestine can be visualized. The second is commonly called an upper endoscopy. In this procedure, the camer is placed in the patient’s mouth and down his or her esophagus, stomach, and part of the small intestine.Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastroenterologist