Do you often feel upper abdominal discomfort and unable to get rid of the condition? Are you not able to eat your favorite food because whenever you eat anything, your stomach gets upset, and you feel pain and discomfort? Today, we will tell you all about the upset stomach and abdominal discomfort(its causes, symptoms and how to treat them). Moreover, We will also discuss various and effective home remedies for upset stomach to treat the condition before becoming worse. Let’s start with this, shall we?
Table of Contents
What are the signs of Indigestion and its causes? How to treat them naturally at home?
To begin with, we will answer all the above-asked questions one by one in this article. Let us start with the definition of Upper abdominal discomfort and its symptoms.
Definition:-
Upper abdominal discomfort or Dyspepsia is a feeling of burning sensation in your chest due to Indigestion. Heartburn, Bloating, gasiness, abdominal pain, nausea, stomach feels full too quickly after eating are the main symptoms of an Upset stomach.
Causes:-
The main reason for an Upset stomach is Indigestion. If your food is not digested properly, it can lead to an upset stomach. Another term for Indigestion is “Dyspepsia”. Thus, Dyspepsia is a medical term to describe the “discomfort in your upper abdomen”.An important point to note here is that Dyspepsia is not a disease and is curable at home using some home remedies or medication.
Moreover, Dyspepsia is a result of too much consumption of food, alcohol etc. Whenever you eat too much or consume some complex food products which your stomach is not able to digest, then this food gets mixed with acid in the stomach and leads to Indigestion and upsets the stomach. Indigestion also occurs due to food intolerance, taking medicine or pills on an empty stomach, or continuing eating while you are full.
Symptoms or Signs:-
If you are suspicious that you have Dyspepsia, check out the various symptoms below and then decide in order to seek professional help:-
- Pain in the upper abdomen
- A burning sensation in the chest(probably heartburn every time you eat)
- Feeling full even before eating
- Bloating or gastric problem
- Sour Burps
- Growling and gurgling in the stomach
- Nausea
The above-shared symptoms are not very serious and need no professional care. If you wish, you may go to a doctor, or they can be self-treated at home! How? Let me share the details.
Self-treatment for Dyspepsia includes:-
- The use of Antacids help ease an upset stomach
- Eating smaller meals helps to avoid heartburn
- Chewing food properly and thoroughly is the key
- Controlling weight is important
- Avoid food such as fatty foods and sugary drinks, which triggers Dyspepsia.
The above given are self-treatments and are very helpful to cure the Dyspepsia symptoms at home and provides you relief.
However, if you have serious symptoms, we advise you to visit a doctor instantly and do not perform the above steps as it may worsen your condition. Let us take a look at some serious symptoms when you should take professional help immediately:-
- Tar-like(black) stools.
- Bloody puke
- Shortness of breath and unbearable chest pain
- Loss of Appetite
- Loss of weight unintentionally
- Difficulty in swallowing food
- Please make a doctor’s appointment if the symptoms last more than two weeks before the matter goes out of hands.
Before discussing the home remedies for Upset stomach, let us take a look at the causes of Upset stomach:-
- Drinking too much alcohol
- Consumption of coffee or products containing caffeine
- Carbonated drinks
- Overeating
- Fatty and greasy food has complex substances which are not easily digestible.
- Over-Consumption of food with too much acid content, such as tomatoes and oranges.
- Stressful lifestyle or depression
- Smoking etc.
Do you know, certain antibiotics may also lead to Indigestion?
Let me share the name of the antibiotics which may lead to Indigestion:-
- Antibiotics that may remove bacteria
- Anti-inflammatory drugs
Below is the list of several health issues and gastrointestinal tract diseases that can result in Indigestion:-
- Acidity (GER and GERD)
- Anxiety and stress
- Inflammation in Gallbladder
- Gastric acid
- Partial paralysis of the stomach
- Campylobacter Pylori infection
- Irritable bowel movements
- Inability to digest lactose or dairy products
- Gastric Ulcer
- Stomach or gastric cancer
Home remedies for Upset Stomach(Dyspepsia):-
Now, in this last topic of the article, we will discuss the home remedies to treat Dyspepsia. However, according to the researchers, the main cause or scientific explanation about Dyspepsia is unknown. Let us check the home remedies for the upset stomach are:-
1.Drinking Lots and Lots of Water:-
Staying hydrated is the key mantra to stay fit and healthy. Doctors always advise us to drink lots of water as it promotes digestion and helps in absorbing nutrients from food and beverages. Thus, our Health and Medicine Division(HMD) recommends average adult men should consume about 3.7 litres( which is equal to 14-15 glasses of water), and for the adult female, water consumption should be around 2.7 litres(which is equal to 11 cups of water). Now, you will ask how we can drink this much water in a day? Well, it is possible! Let me explain how!
You need not consume 15 or 11 glasses of water in a day because 20% of this water quantity gets fulfilled from foods and beverages like tea or coffee as they have water too. Moreover, the remaining 7-8 glasses of water is what you need to drink every day in order to remain healthy as it aids in digestion and helps to avoid an upset stomach.
2.Mind your postures after eating:-
You often hear your parents or grandparents advising you not to lie down just after eating. Did you ever think about it? Did you ask them about the reason they do not let you lie down? NO? Let me put some limelight here.So, when you eat your food, it reaches your upper abdomen first, and then the digestion begins. During the process, the inner lining of the abdomen releases HCL acid and other juices to help the body digest the food. When you lie down, and your body is horizontal, this acid starts moving up and down. Then, the process continues, and when this acid reaches the chest, it causes heartburn. Thus, to avoid heartburn and an upset stomach, do not forget to sit straight or, rather, walk straight to digest your food.
3. Ginger:-
Ginger has been an important part of our kitchen and plays a major role in curing several stomach related diseases, including upset stomach. It is a boon for Indigestion. You can put the ginger in your food or can consume it in our tea. It adds flavour to your food and also speeds up the digestion process. Furthermore, the chemicals in ginger (gingerols and shogaols) make your stomach muscles contract fast, resulting in food digestion. Moreover, ginger is also helpful to reduce nausea, diarrhoea and Vomiting.
4. Mint:-
Mint is very delicious and is known to provide a cool and refreshing breath. But, do you know? Mint has several other advantages too! The element in mint “Menthol” is widely used for treating Indigestion, gas and diarrhoea in Iran, Pakistan and India. It also helps us to prevent Vomiting,muscle spasms in the intestines and Pain relief. All you need to do is to suck on Mints(available in various health stores and supermarkets etc.) and get rid of the abdomen conditions.
5.BRAT Diet:-
You must be hearing this for the first time, but trust me, this will change your life. If you stick to a BRAT diet, your stomach will remain healthy. What is the BRAT diet? BRAT stands for Banana, Rice, Applesauce and Toast. These foods contain starch and are very useful to bind the stomach and help to avoid stools. Also, the BRAT diet is very useful to treat an upset stomach as these foods are bland and thus, they do not harm or irritate our stomach in any way.
6. DO not smoke and consume alcohol:-
Nowadays, the number of people smoking and drinking is in millions and more are rising. Most of the diseases occur due to drug-abusing. Also, smoking can cause irritation in the throat as it increases the formation of mucus in the body. Moreover, too much smoking can irritate your stomach because of the production of gas in the body. Moreover, alcohol absorbs all the water from the body, leaving it dehydrated and is very difficult for the body to digest, resulting in food poisoning or an Upset stomach. Thus, smoking and drinking is a big NO!
7. Avoid eating Complex foods:-
Fried and fatty foods, Sweet beverages, rich and creamy foods and salted and heavily preserved food etc., are examples of Complex food. Thus, these foods enter the stomach and reduce the body metabolism as the whole body energy gets involved in digesting the complex food. Due to this, the human body becomes weak, and the stomach gets upset. Thus, it would be best to avoid such foods.
8.Further, lets us now make a list of home remedies that can help in avoiding upset stomach:-
- Cinnamon( contains several antioxidants that aid in digestion)
- A mixture of Lime Or Lemon Juice, Baking Soda, and water produces carbonic acid that soothes the stomach.
- Cloves:- Taking 1 or 2 ground or powdered cloves with one tablespoon of honey once a day before bedtime can help relieve gas and gastric pains.
- Cumin:– Acts as Antimicrobial. Always include 1-2 ground or powdered cumin in your meals as it helps avoid upset stomach and promotes digestion.
- Figs:– Contains laxatives that help to ease constipation and encourage healthy bowel movements. Also, You can either consume a whole fig fruit 1-2 times a day or can brew a tea with fig leaves and see if the symptoms improve.
Conclusion:– In the end, the above article gives you all the necessary information about Dyspepsia. Also, it suggests some effective home remedies for an upset stomach. I hope this article will help you to prevent upset stomach.You can try the home remedies for the bets results. Take care of yourself and good luck!
