A pain in the Gut - your stomach and figuring out what’s wrong
Your stomach is a strongly muscular sac that acts to mix food with digestive juices and churn it – mechanical digestion - so that it partially breaks down. Because the stomach secretes strong hydrochloric acid to break down food, it has to protect itself. It has certain cells that do this by producing an alkaline mucous layer. Did you know that a sedentary lifestyle can often cause stomach problems, as the stomach requires physical movement also to remain strong, just like any muscle?
Here are just some of the things that can go wrong in your stomach:
• Dyspepsia: characterised by a feeling of fullness, often discomfort centrally (under the ribs) and sometimes nausea.
• GERD: Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (or “heartburn”). Incredibly common, and commonly ignored as a sign of food intolerance. Common trigger foods are: wine, coffee, spicy food, chocolate (40%), peppers, tomatoes, and the most oft-ignored one…gluten.
• Peptic ulcers: Caused when the protective mucous layer of the stomach is exposed and hydrochloric acid damages the stomach wall. Quite a dangerous situation, and you will often get pain with this.
• Hypochlorhydria: (basically under-acidity of the stomach). This is very common today, and can present with some of the following symptoms: bloating, burping, flatulence, sense of fullness across central abdomen, nausea, weak or cracked fingernails, acne, iron deficiency, undigested food and chronic candida.
Medications commonly taken for stomach conditions:
Many people use medications to mask gut health disturbances: antacids and proton pump inhibitors, like omeprazole (losec). It’s understandable, as the symptoms of stomach conditions can be very uncomfortable, and these medications can be essential, to help prevent dangerous ulcers, however they are also designed as a temporary solution, while you address the cause of the problem. That’s where we come in. We help you work out your stomach acidity issues, help you with easy nutrition solutions and plans if needed, and gentle support for your gut lining to help it heal.
We have an assessment process that involves a simple consultation and questionnaire - would you like help with your stomach?
ask@healhealth.co.nz
