If you find that you're having stomach problems often, this could be due to several factors. If you're eating foods that are difficult to digest, have food allergies or intolerances or suffer from irregularity, your stomach pain could be an indicator that it's time to change your diet. Whether you're looking for remedies to get rid of cramps and bloating or want to know how to constipation, here are some useful tips that you may find helpful.
Drink More Water
Stomach pain can sometimes be a result of dehydration. If there isn't enough water in your colon, the stool will stay there for longer than it should. When water enters the digestive system it pushes impurities out of the colon and could ease cramps, gas and bloating. You should also eat more clear liquids besides water. Juices and sodas often make stomach pain and constipation worse because they contain sugar and not enough water, which can make stomach pain worse.
In addition to drinking water, you can also soak in a warm bath to soothe the stomach muscles and promote healthy digestion. Or, use a hot water bottle on your stomach to ease the discomfort and prompt the colon to move impacted waste further along your digestive system.
Change What You Drink
If you're having stomach pain often, you may want to reduce your coffee, tea or alcohol intake. All of these beverages can dehydrate the body and can make stomach pain worse. Substituting one of these drinks for water can prove helpful. If you're refraining from eating until your stomach pain subsides, don't drink these beverages right away. Start with drinking water and light foods like toast, crackers or a banana. These foods are easier on the digestive system and can keep you from feeling stomach discomfort again.
Get Rid of Constipation
The foods you're eating or not eating is often the most common cause of stomach and abdominal pain. If you're regularly having bowel movements after meals or if you only having a bowel movement once every three days or less, you likely have constipation. When food becomes impacted in your colon for extended periods of time, you may feel tightness and cramps in the stomach area or experience hard stool that is hard to pass. Drinking plenty of water can help with this problem, and you can also try these 5 foods to help ease constipation: prunes, apples, green leafy vegetables, figs and kiwi.
Prunes are dried plums and contain high amounts of cellulose or insoluble fiber. This fiber increases water content in the stool to add bulk and promote bowel movements. Apples and green leafy vegetables are high in fiber as well, and most of the insoluble fiber in apples comes from pectin. Pectin ferments in the gut to form short-chain fatty acids, which make it easier to pass digested food through the colon. Figs can eliminate stomach discomfort and kiwi contains an enzyme called actinidin that promotes gut motility.
Visit Your Doctor
Your stomach pain could be a sign of a serious health condition. If your stomach discomfort doesn't subside within a few days, talk to your doctor about possible treatment options. Your physician may recommend a rectal exam to see if there is hidden blood or other health issues. Or, you may need a blood test to check for liver enzymes, as well as heart and pancreas enzymes, to see which of your internal organs aren't functioning properly. A colon examination may also be necessary to see whether you're suffering from polyps in the colon or other factors that are keeping your digestive system from working at its best.
By Paisley Hansen
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