Feeling discomfort or cramping in the stomach? You may probably be going through a digestive disorder, which is caused by a number of reasons. One of the most common things linked to the different types of digestive issues is poor eating habits.
The digestive system plays a very crucial role when it comes to the proper functioning of the human body. It breaks down food and allows your body to retrieve essential nutrients and vitamins from it while removing all the waste.
In this article, we are going to talk about the most common digestive problems and the best treatments for them. So, without further ado, let’s begin!
Know More About Common Digestive Problems
Before we talk about some popular treatments for different types of gastrointestinal issues, we’ll first take a quick look at the most common digestive problems.
Constipation
If you face constipation problems, you are not alone. In the US, around 16% of the population suffers from it, which makes it one of the most common digestive problems in the entire country. Aged and elderly people, especially the ones who are older than 60 years are more susceptible to constipation.
The most commonly occurring symptoms of constipation include hard and dry bowel movements, which result in passing stool even less than three times per week, which is often a painful experience.
Gastric Trouble
The process of digestion in your body can also be disturbed when your gastrointestinal system starts collecting more gas than usual in the digestive tract. It happens when your body breaks down food. Gas may also be collected in your body through the process of swallowing air when you eat and drink.
There’s a combination of nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and methane found in the human body. In some cases, gastric trouble can cause pain and may be an unpleasant experience. You can adjust your diet and exercise to reduce gastric pain and discomfort.
Diarrhea
Diarrhea is one of the most troublesome digestive conditions because it has severe symptoms. If you are suffering from diarrhea, you may feel the urge to go to the toilet multiple times a day and experience loose and watery bowel movements.
Diarrhea can intensify if you don’t control your diet and take the necessary medications to cure your condition. If it lasts for more than two days, then this gastrointestinal issue turns into acute diarrhea, which even results in vomiting that’ll make you feel weak and dizzy.
Nausea and Vomiting
Nausea and vomiting are not health conditions themselves. In fact, they are the reactions as well as common signs and symptoms of many different types of health problems. You can take them as indicators for infections and diseases that attack our bodies.
Along with illnesses, there are many pharmaceutical drugs and medications that can result in nausea and vomiting. Take anesthesia for example, which is given to patients to make them unconscious for surgeries.
Making a few changes in your eating habits may be effective to cure nausea and vomiting. Consume more ginger and bananas, which are among the best foods that help with nausea.
Heartburn (Acid Reflux)
People often use Heartburn and Acid Reflux interchangeably, thinking that they are different names of the same medical condition, which is wrong. They actually differ in severity. Acid reflux is a common digestive problem that can range from mild to serious in terms of severity. On the other hand, heartburn is a reaction to acid reflux.
Well, “heartburn” is misleading terminology as this medical condition has nothing to do with the heart. It is related to your digestion and often results in chest pains.
Intestinal Cramps
If you are feeling discomfort in your digestive system, abdominal pain, or cramping, you may be suffering from a gastrointestinal problem like diarrhea. Some reasons that are widely associated with intestinal cramps are infections caused by bacteria, viruses, and food sensitivity. They also often occurred due to a stressful or any other type of chronic mental condition.
Abdominal pain and intestinal cramps that are harmless usually go away within a couple of hours. Try to avoid fried items and sugary foods when you’re sick.
Best Treatments for Digestive Disorders
The different types of digestion problems and gastrointestinal conditions that we have discussed above can be cured by the following simple and easy treatments, mainly revolving around your diet. Take a look!
Go for Mini Meals
Focus on eating mini-meals more frequently. It will naturally help boost metabolism, keeping you from the habit of overeating, which is one of the major causes of digestion issues. Upon eating a big meal, you usually get your gastrointestinal system overloaded, which means it has to break down and process more food than it can actually handle.
This can lead to various health conditions, the most common ones among them include heartburn caused by acid reflux. You should be aiming for a daily diet that is based on five to six small meals. It is very significant if you want to boost your overall digestive health. Try to eat foods rich in essential nutrients like protein and carbs as well as heart-healthy fats.
Eat More Fiber-rich Foods
When it comes to taking care of your digestive health, the natural qualities of fiber can’t be undermined. Owing to its amazing health benefits, it is usually a part of almost every other diet plan. If you are consuming a more fiber-rich diet, it would help your internal system fight against many different types of digestive problems.
Wondering how you can get enough fiber in your daily diet? Well, all you have to do is to go to your kitchen, it might be filled with fiber-rich foods such as vegetables, fruits, beans, legumes, and whole. Fiber is also very good for weight loss and heart health.
Drink More Water and Healthy Fluids
Water boosts your digestive health in a number of ways. It helps your body to cleanse the entire digestive system. Of course, it is specifically helpful when it comes to preventing constipation by softening your stools and helping them flow easily.
Moreover, water also aids your gastrointestinal system to absorb the different types of nutrients in a more efficient manner while breaking down food. Make it a habit to drink at least eight glasses of water and healthy fluids a day while avoiding sugary drinks.
When to See a Doctor
If the aforementioned tweaks in your dietary habits and lifestyle can’t make your digestive problems go away, then you should definitely see a doctor and get your condition diagnosed for proper medical treatment.
Now you know about the most common digestive problems and some of the best treatments related to them. We hope this knowledge will help you take better care of your gastrointestinal system.
