Home Health Common Stomach Complications and How to Treat Them

Common Stomach Complications and How to Treat Them

Common Stomach Complications and How to Treat Them
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

Your gut plays a large role in maintaining your overall health. This intricate system is responsible for digesting your food, distributing nutrients, storing waste, and removing it. As such, there is a lot that can go wrong during this process. These aren’t serious issues; however, some common stomach complications can cause you discomfort. 

There is no doubt that you will have experienced at least one of these common stomach complications before, so let’s look at what you can do to treat them.

Acid Reflux

Acid reflux is a nasty, burning feeling that can cause you to experience pain in the stomach and chest area. It is mainly caused by eating too many fatty or acidic foods and occurs when your oesophageal valve has relaxed. In other words, your stomach acid has a free passage to travel back up your esophagus. 

fried and spicy food
Image by Tresia Hoban from Pixabay

Acid reflux is quite common, and many of you will have experienced it in varying degrees of discomfort. One way to avoid this complication is by staying away from fatty or acidic foods. However, a cool glass of milk can act as an alkali solution to soothe the rising acid. If you find that your acid reflux persists at an alarming level, then it is best to seek medical advice from your doctor.

Constipation

Beyond your stomach lies your large intestine and sphincter. These are the two organs responsible for removing waste from your body. Unfortunately, these organs can become clogged from waste that isn’t moving quickly enough through your tract. This is called constipation.

There are many causes of constipation. Some people struggle with a lack of fiber in their diet, while others can trigger it with stress. Being constipated can only increase these stress levels creating an infinite loop of discomfort. There are plenty of over-the-counter solutions for constipation, but you may also find it helps to add more fiber to your diet and drink more water.

Diarrhea

If constipation is defined as trouble releasing stool, then diarrhea is the opposite. It is a completely normal occurrence, and many of us will experience diarrhea a few times in our lives. One main cause of this issue is a bacterial infection in the body. Your body reacts this way as a means to expel the foreign bacteria. In this instance, it is best to wait it out and stay hydrated until it has passed. Any medication designed to stop diarrhea may only serve to make things worse in this scenario, so always consult a doctor if your diarrhea worsens.

However, diarrhea can also be a sign of lactose intolerance. This illness occurs when the individual cannot break down dairy products properly, causing an irrational response in the gut. If you find that your diarrhea lasts more than a week, it is a good idea to seek advice from a medical professional. 

Gastritis

Your body has several ways to heal you without you even realizing it. One of these methods is inflammation, which is known as gastritis in the gut area. This phenomenon is fairly painful, but it is your body’s way of signaling that it needs time to heal. Gastritis is nothing too worrisome and is often caused by too many spicy foods or alcohol. It is best to listen to your body and wait out this problem or have a drink. 

What can you drink to reduce inflammation? There are a lot of solutions to this problem, many of which can be found in Dr. Ruscio’s guide. These include things like water, green tea, and even juice. It is worth looking at if you have frequent issues with inflammation.

IBS

Irritable bowel syndrome doesn’t affect everyone in the population, but it is still a serious issue related to your gut. Many of the causes of IBS are still unknown, but the leading theory states that it starts with unfriendly bacteria in the stomach. 

Symptoms of IBS can include loose stools, constipation, diarrhea, acid reflux, and stomach cramps. Every individual will experience IBS differently, which makes narrowing down a treatment difficult. Many sufferers choose to keep a food diary to identify foods that trigger their symptoms. That way, they can avoid them in the future. Furthermore, over-the-counter medicines can treat the individual symptoms depending on how your IBS manifests itself.

Conclusion

The human body is a hugely intricate set of organs, and, surprisingly, things do not go wrong more often. Fortunately, you are programmed to know when something isn’t working correctly, which often manifests in discomfort in your gut. At least now you know what each minor stomach issue is and how you should proceed with each one. As always, if you have any further questions or concerns, you should seek advice from your doctor.

Featured Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels