Digestive System Diseases Lesson for Kids

Instructor: Rebecca Gillaspy


Sometimes problems happen in our digestive systems. In this lesson, you'll learn about some of these problems and diseases, including indigestion, heartburn, lactose intolerance and a few more.

Your Digestive System

Your digestive system is your body's demolition team. Its job is to break down the foods you eat into pieces that are small enough to be absorbed by your body. Your teeth grind the food, and your stomach mixes the food bits with acids to turn them into a mushy soup of nutrients, which give us energy and help our bodies grow. This soupy mixture moves into your intestines where the nutrients can pass out of your digestive system and into your blood. This system usually works great, but sometimes things go wrong.

Digestive System
digestive system

Digestive System Problems

Stomachaches and Indigestion

Did you ever have a stomachache? A stomachache or belly ache can feel very uncomfortable, but it doesn't always mean something is wrong with your stomach. There are a lot of things that can cause pain in your belly. One example is indigestion. Sometimes medical terms include the letters 'in' before a word to mean not. So indigestion is a condition in which you are not digesting your food correctly. If you eat too much or eat something spicy or greasy, the food might be hard to digest, which can make your stomach upset and cause pain.


Heartburn can also happen when you eat something that irritates your stomach. Heartburn doesn't affect your heart, but it does cause a burning feeling in your chest. This feeling happens because acids from your stomach get pushed backward and travel up the esophagus, which is the tube that carries food to your stomach.

Lactose Intolerance

Lactose intolerance is another condition that can make your stomach upset. Some kids and adults have trouble digesting milk or foods made from milk, like cheese and ice cream. Lactose intolerance makes your belly feel full and uncomfortable. It also gives you gas and might make you run to the bathroom because you have to move your bowels or poop.

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