Limit Coffee Alcohol And Smoking
The caffeine found in coffee does not directly cause stomach pain if you consume it in moderation. However, if you have too much caffeine by drinking coffee in excess, it can lead to dizziness, anxiety, irritability, and problems sleeping. Ultimately, these side effects also cause nausea and stomach pain.
Dont rely on coffee to keep you awake or functional throughout your day. If you want to indulge in coffee, try to limit yourself to one cup per day. Coffee is a diuretic, so it causes you to urinate more frequently. Make sure you drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration, which leads to nausea and stomach aches.
Smoking is detrimental to your health, but it also causes stomach pain. Tobacco, nicotine, and smoke damage your vital internal organs. These digestive organs can have a problem processing the food you consume, which leads to inflammation in your stomach lining.
If you have an ulcer in your stomach, smoking will irritate it and could prevent it from healing properly. Stomach ulcers are extremely painful and can cause serious damage if they dont heal. Just like smoke, caffeine also irritates stomach ulcers.
Drinking alcohol in excess will cause stomach problems. The long-term effects of alcohol abuse damage your liver and kidneys, which cause stomach pain and other problems in your body.
What About Activated Charcoal
Dr. Lam gives activated charcoal the nod as a home remedy to relieve gas and bloating, as it “absorbs toxins and gas, and takes them along when excreted from the body.”
But according to the National Library of Medicine, there’s not enough evidence to prove that activated charcoal is an effective gas remedy, nor that it helps with indigestion.
If you choose to take it, do so only in small amounts, and be aware that side effects can include constipation and black stools. And be sure to check with your doctor if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.
How To Fix An Upset Stomach
This article was co-authored by Muhammad Khan, MD, MPH. Dr. Muhammad Khan is a Gastroenterologist, with over 10 years of experience. Dr. Khan specializes in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, and has a special focus in Therapeutic Endoscopy. He received his Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate of Medicine degrees from The University of Utah. Dr. Khan completed his residency training at Eastern Virginia Medical School, where he was inducted into the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha honor society. He then completed his fellowship training at Lucile Packard Childrens Hospital at Stanford University. He is a Fellow of both the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition .There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 100% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 478,236 times.
There are many reasons why your stomach might be upset. Sometimes it seems silly to go to a doctor if it’s just something that’s not sitting well with you. Here are some ideas to keep the nausea at bay.
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Who Is More Likely To Experience Nausea And Vomiting
Nausea and vomiting can occur in both children and adults. People who are undergoing cancer treatments, such as radiation therapy or chemotherapy, have an increased risk of nausea and vomiting. Pregnant women in their first trimester may also experience nausea and vomiting, commonly referred to as “morning sickness.” It is estimated that 50 to 90 percent of pregnant women experience nausea, while 25 to 55 percent experience vomiting.
Diagnosis For Nausea After Eating
Your doctor will ask you to describe your symptoms, including when you feel nauseated, how long the feeling lasts, and what seems to trigger it.
Consider keeping a food diary if you commonly experience nausea after eating and arent sure of the cause.
In addition to what you ate, note the symptoms you experienced, how long they lasted, and how soon after eating they started. Keeping a diary of what you eat and how you feel afterward can help your doctor make a diagnosis.
Depending on what condition your doctor suspects, you might need tests, like:
- blood or urine tests
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Can Anything Make An Upset Stomach Feel Better
There are few things in this world that are worse than an upset stomachespecially when it’s accompanied by nausea and vomiting. And whether it’s due to a stomach bug or food poisoning, you have one main goal: to feel better ASAP.
Unfortunately, there’s no real cure for either stomach issuemost docs will tell you the best treatment is to just wait for your symptoms to run their course. But some foods can make you feel a bit better while you’re on the road to recovery. Here, doctors recommend TK foods to help soothe your upset stomach so you can finally get back to normal.
Got An Unsettled Stomachlets See If Milk Will Calm It Down
Soothing an upset stomach can be tricky. Eat or drink the wrong thing thinking it could help and you could upset your stomach even more.
For instance, acid-provoking caffeine products like coffee or chocolate as well as spicy and fatty foods can further upset your stomach.
So, can drinking milk ease the symptoms of an upset tummy? Theanswer depends on why your stomach is aching.
If it’s an excess of acid that’s causing inflammation in the oesophagus or stomach, then milk may help. Thats because milk coats the lining and buffers the acid inside your stomach.
Milk can also help to quell the burning sensation of spicy foods like chilli. The chemicals in spicy foods like capsaicin or piperine activate pain receptors that send signals to your brain, allowing you to interpret the spicy sensation of chilli.
Therefore, spice not only affects the taste buds but also certain exposed membranes like your nose, under your fingernails or the surface of your eyes. Thats when milk can help, by slowing down the chemicals and allowing the receptors to go back to normal.
Long before antacids came on the market, people would drink milk to treat stomach pain and its still useful advice in some cases. The important thing to remember is what it was that upset your stomach. If you just ate something that disagreed with you, perhaps something too fatty or sugary or acid, then milk might help.
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Foods To Eat When You Have Diarrhea
When you have diarrhea, the foods that you eat and the foods that you avoid can be critical to helping you recover quicker. This is where BRAT foods come in.
BRAT stands for bananas, rice, apples, toast. These foods are bland, so they wont aggravate the digestive system. Theyre also binding, so they help firm up stool.
Other foods that are included in the BRAT diet include:
- cooked cereal, like Cream of Wheat or farina
- soda crackers
How To Help Prevent Upset Stomach In Dogs
To help your dog maintain a healthy gut, consider giving them a prebiotic and probiotic, Dr. Aronson says. There are both prebiotics and probiotics that are made specifically for dogs, some of which are available over the counter. Be sure to ask your veterinarian if they have a particular brand recommendation.
Always talk to your veterinarian first to find out the best course of action.
Featured Image: Shutterstock/Igor Normann
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How Does It Work
Some people believe that following the BRAT diet can provide several benefits for those with an upset stomach and diarrhea. The apparent benefits include:
- Firmer stools. The foods in the diet are starchy and low in fiber, which may cause loose and runny stools to bind more easily.
- Gentle on the stomach. The foods are low in fat and protein, meaning that they are unlikely to irritate the stomach and put stress on the digestive system.
- Reduced nausea. Due to their bland flavor and lack of strong smells, BRAT foods do not tend to cause nausea or vomiting.
However, these foods do not have varied enough nutrients to warrant the long-term use of this diet.
What Meat Is Easiest On Dogs Stomach
An effective meal should be a piece of beef, pork, lamb, or salmon because they are easy to locate and are quite common in commercial dog food. Making sure that you include the protein in your diet is also a good idea. This meat can also be used to determine which dog is sensitive to it by adding a small amount to its meals.
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Baking Soda And Lemon Drink
It is an easy and the best option for indigestion. You can mix lemon juice in water with a pinch of baking soda that may help to relieve digestive complaints. The drink produces carbonic acid in the stomach, causing the reduction of indigestion and gas. The acid in lemon also reduces the acid secretion in your stomach.
What Causes Nausea Or Vomiting
The causes of nausea and vomiting are quite similar. Many things can bring on nausea. Some common causes are:
- Seasickness and other motion sicknesses
- Early pregnancy
- Various viruses
- Certain smells or odors
The causes of vomiting differ according to age. For adults, vomiting is commonly a result of a viral infection and food poisoning, and occasionally a result of motion sickness and illnesses in which the person has a high fever. For children, it is common for vomiting to occur because of a viral infection, food poisoning, motion sickness, overeating or feeding, coughing, and illnesses in which the child has a high fever. Although rare, blocked intestines can cause vomiting, most typically in early infancy.
Usually vomiting is harmless, but it can be a sign of a more serious illness. Some examples of serious conditions that may bring on nausea or vomiting include:
- Concussions
- Migraine headaches
- Brain tumors
Another concern with vomiting is dehydration. Adults have a lower risk of becoming dehydrated because they can usually detect the symptoms of dehydration . Children have a greater risk of becoming dehydrated, especially if the vomiting occurs with diarrhea, because young children may often be unable to tell an adult about symptoms of dehydration. Adults caring for sick children need to be aware of these visible signs of dehydration:
- Dry lips and mouth
- Sunken eyes
- Rapid breathing or pulse
In infants, parents should look for decreased urination, and a sunken fontanelle .
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Is Stomach Flu Contagious
Yes! Usually a virus causes the stomach flu. Symptoms appear one to three days after exposure, so you are contagious before you begin to develop symptoms.
And even after youve recovered from your symptoms, you can remain contagious for up to two weeks. Children can remain contagious for an even longer period afterward.
To decrease the risk of passing it onto others, do not go to work or school with symptoms. If you have a fever, wait until its gone for 24 hours before returning to your routine.
If It’s Acid Reflux: Try Baking Soda In Water
Got acid indigestion and you’ve run out of antacids? Try mixing ½ teaspoon of baking soda with 4 ounces of water for a homemade antacid tonic that should help neutralize acid reflux within minutes. Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, chemically reacts to acids on contact, neutralizing them and producing carbon dioxide as a byproduct. Antacids don’t stop acid reflux per se, but they help make sure that the pH of the reflux is non-acid, which should make it a whole lot less painful.
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Preventing Cat Stomach Issues
Once the serious issues are ruled out, you can work on helping to avoid future cat stomach issues.
The three things that you can do to promote good digestive health in cats are placing them on monthly prevention that deworms them for intestinal parasites, feeding them a balanced diet , and taking them to the veterinarian at least yearly, says Dr. Arguelles. As long as your cat is healthy, if you are feeding a high-quality diet, your cats digestive health will be good.
Calm Indigestion The Natural Way*
Indigestion is uncomfortable, but you dont have to stay in discomfort. Whatever the cause of your upset stomach, turn to the natural remedies we shared in this article to get the indigestion relief you need to get back to enjoying life.*
To aid healthy digestion, take Gaia Herbs Sweetish Bitters before your meal and eat slowly and mindfully.* You can also focus on small lifestyle changes, such as exercising and drinking water at the right times of day as well as reducing stress.
And, of course, turn to herbs that support digestive health, like Gaia Herbs Ginger Root.* With the right care, you can keep your digestion on track and indigestion and upset stomach at bay or to a minimum.
REFERENCES:
1. Mayo Clinic Staff, Indigestion, Mayo Clinic, accessed on March 29 2021, .
2. John P. Cunha, Indigestion Causes and Treatments, Emedicinehealth, August 30, 2019, .
3. What Causes Heartburn? College of Naturopathic Medicine, accessed on March 29, 2021, .
4. Feeling Bloated and Gassy? College of Naturopathic Medicine, accessed on March 29, 2021, .
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Peppermint May Relieve Symptoms Of Irritable Bowel Syndrome
For some people, upset stomach is caused by irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS. IBS is a chronic gut disorder that can cause stomach pain, bloating, constipation and diarrhea.
While IBS can be difficult to manage, studies show that peppermint may help reduce these uncomfortable symptoms.
Taking peppermint oil capsules daily for at least two weeks can significantly reduce stomach pain, gas and diarrhea in adults with IBS (
19 ).
While the research is promising, additional studies need to determine whether peppermint leaf or peppermint tea have the same therapeutic effects .
Peppermint is safe for most people, but caution is advised for those with severe reflux, hiatal hernias, kidney stones or liver and gallbladder disorders, as it may worsen these conditions .
Summary Peppermint, especially when consumed as peppermint oil, may help reduce stomach pain, bloating, gas and diarrhea for those with irritable bowel syndrome.
The 12 Best Foods For An Upset Stomach
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Almost everyone gets an upset stomach from time to time.
Common symptoms include nausea, indigestion, vomiting, bloating, diarrhea or constipation.
There are many potential reasons for an upset stomach and treatments vary depending on the underlying cause.
Thankfully, a variety of foods can settle an upset stomach and help you feel better, faster.
Here are the 12 best foods for an upset stomach.
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Food Allergies And Intolerances
Certain foods, like shellfish, nuts, or eggs, can fool your immune system into identifying them as harmful foreign invaders. If you have a food allergy, your immune system launches a series of events that leads to the release of histamine and other chemicals when you eat one of these trigger foods.
These chemicals produce allergy symptoms, ranging from hives and mouth swelling to nausea. Other common food allergies include milk, wheat, soy, fish.
Food intolerances, unlike food allergies, are not life-threatening. But they can still cause uncomfortable symptoms like nausea, diarrhea, bloating, and other symptoms.
As much as of the population may be affected by food intolerances. People commonly experience food sensitivities to dairy, gluten, food additives, and specific types of carbohydrates known as fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols .
Home Remedies For Upset Stomach:
Water Drinking plenty of water will help to flush your childs digestive system and speed their healing. Filling your belly with water when you have an upset stomach is counter-intuitive, but it works. Keep them drinking water until everything comes out the other end
Fennel seeds Mostly used as a culinary herb, fennel seeds can be chewed up or brewed as tea to calm an upset stomach.
Peppermint tea Strong peppermint tea is a tried and true remedy for what ails the stomach. Hot or cold, sweeten it with a little honey and sip it periodically until symptoms disappear.
Chamomile tea Chamomile does double duty, soothing the stomach and relaxing the body so they can sleep.
Lemon tea Hot lemon tea, made with the juice of half a lemon and sweetened with honey or agave nectar, is one of natures best medicines.
Ginger tea Grate fresh ginger root into hot water, steep for 5 to 10 minutes, strain and drink. Ginger is a powerful anti-nausea remedy. Kids may not like it, so be forewarned. Tell them its exotic Chinese medicine
Licorice root tea Hot tea made from licorice root needs no sweetener and soothes a raw stomach.
Bergamot tea Both bergamot and bee balm make an excellent digestive tonic.
Cardamom Stir a small amount of ground cardamom into tea or warm milk to relieve stomach pain.
Yogurt Plain yogurt helps to restore intestinal flora to healthy levels. It is easy to digest for most, and soy yogurt is a good choice for kids allergic to dairy.
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The 12 Best Natural Remedies For An Upset Stomach
Just about everyone gets an upset stomach from time to time, and while it’s usually nothing to be concerned about, it can be a real pain. Fortunately, there are a number of natural remedies for an upset stomach that may help.
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But keep in mind that the term “upset stomach” can mean different things to different people, says , a board-certified gastroenterologist at Middlesex Digestive Health & Endoscopy Center in Acton, Massachusetts. And a variety of causes can lead to that feeling of an unsettled tummy, like acid reflux, infection, overeating or gas and bloating.
Plus, everyone’s body is different. That’s why you may want to try a few different remedies to see what works best for you.
Below are 12 home remedies for an upset stomach recommended by doctors, and four that you should probably skip.