Is stomach pain giving you sleepless nights? If yes, then it’s time to find out the how, what, when and why of it. Read this HealthHearty article to know all about it.
Stomach pain is often caused due to a multitude of reasons. In fact, frequently, any abdominal pain is blamed on our poor stomach! However, stomach pain (which is often due to dyspepsia) accompanied by bloating (excessive production of gas) is a common complaint seen in many patients. This condition often aggravates after eating. Thus, it is not a disease but a symptom in itself, which may in fact be an indicator of an underlying disease.
Causes
Dyspepsia
It refers to indigestion. Due to various reasons, indigestion in any part of the stomach or the alimentary canal could lead to stomach pain and bloating.
Excessive Ingestion of Protein Rich Food
Certain food groups, while being digested, result in the production of gases as byproducts in the intestines and colon. They include beans (including kidney beans, lima beans, black beans), legumes, broccoli, and soy products. Although these are very good for your health due to the high-protein content, they should be eaten in moderation.
Sudden Excessive Ingestion of Fiber
Young women who are on a dieting spree tend to ingest excessive fiber rich foods in a bid to lose weight, while maintaining a high-protein diet. This may lead to stomach pain.
Lactose Intolerance
Certain people lack the enzyme lactase, which makes them lactose intolerant. Thus, if they ingest milk or any other dairy product, they end up experiencing severe flatulence and bloating.
Other Underlying Diseases
Severe stomach pain may be a symptom of some other underlying disease such as irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, or even colorectal cancer. Normally, lower abdominal pain and bloating is a sign seen in intestinal inflammation or intestinal obstruction.
Stress
Too much stress may take a toll on your digestive system and impair normal functioning of the alimentary canal, thus leading to stomach ache.
Treatment
Moderate Exercise
A little bit of exercise goes a long way in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Infrequent bouts of stomach pain can be mitigated or possibly even eliminated by daily exercising.
Change in Diet
People complaining of excessive bloating while on a protein diet need to cut down on protein rich products for a while, till the alimentary tract can get conditioned to the change in diet. People suffering from rare bloating and mild indigestion or stomach aches can try detox diets like the ‘General Motors’ diet or the lemon water diet to eliminate any toxins that may be present in the body.
Avoid Milk Products
For all those lactose intolerant people, ingesting milk products could fill you up with enough gas to render you air borne! So try to avoid pure milk products. Try substituting milk products with soy products.
Reduce Ingested Air
As unusual as it may sound, certain activities lead to extra ingestion of air, like smoking, chewing on gum, gorging on sweets and candies, and drinking carbonated drinks. For a patient with a constant complaint of stomach pain and bloating, all these things are a complete no-no.
Visiting the Doctor
If there is constant and severe stomach pain to such an extent that it disrupts daily activities, then it’s advisable to go and see a doctor and get the necessary tests done, so as to pinpoint the exact cause of the problem, because as stated earlier, these are mere symptoms which could be pointers towards a serious underlying disease.
Disclaimer: This HealthHearty article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.