Check With Your Pediatrician
When a child develops a pattern of physical symptoms before school, or other potentially stressful moments, experts recommend that you visit your doctor to rule out medical concerns. But if the child gets a clean bill of health, the next step is to help the child make the connection between their worries and their physical symptoms.
We help them understand in a very child-friendly way that sometimes our body can actually give us clues into what were feeling, explains Ms. Greenspan.
Parents can start by validating their childs experience and reframing it in a more helpful way. Instead of telling kids theres nothing wrong with them, the goal is to tell them that what theyre feeling is worry.
We give it a name, adds Dr. Domingues. We help them connect it to an emotion and label it. And after some practice kids are able to identify it, she adds. Yes, my stomach hurts and, oh yeah, I remember thats because Im feeling worried. And after learning some skills to help them calm down, I think they feel a sense of control. And that helps.
How To Get Rid Of Gas Conventionally
When gas pains are severe and reoccur frequently, a trip to the doctor is in order. It is important to receive a proper diagnosis for the cause of the gas pain as some potentially serious conditions can present with bloating and pain.
In addition to a medical history and physical examination to check for distension, your physician will review your diet and perhaps order tests. Commonly requested tests include: blood tests, lactose intolerance tests, fructose malabsorption tests, colon cancer screening and, in some cases, an upper GI series of X-rays.
If persistent gas pain is determined to be caused by an underlying health condition, successful treatment of the condition should help to relieve symptoms. In other cases, your physician will often recommended dietary changes, lifestyle modifications and over-the-counter medications.
Medications recommended may include:
- Beano: Made from a sugar digesting enzyme, this medication may be recommended to help you digest the sugar in vegetables and beans.
- Lactase Supplements: A supplement made from lactase, the digestive enzyme that helps to breakdown lactose.
- Bisumth Subsalicylate : A medication that generally reduces the odor of flatus. This medication should not be taken long-term or if you have an allergy to aspirin.
- Simethicone Antacids : Medications that help to break up the bubbles in the gas, making it easier to expel.
- Antibiotics: In you have SIBO or another infection.
How To Calm An Anxious Stomach
Is stress upsetting your stomach? With a worldwide pandemic causing massive disruption to our normal way of life , its not surprising that stress-induced anxiety levels are higher than ever. In order to help you combat unwanted gastric side effects, weve gathered several tips for how to relax an upset stomach when stress is inevitable, and how to know when you should consult a gastroenterologist.
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How To Develop A New Stress Response
Many of us respond to stress in a dysfunctional way, Dr. Roizen notes. We hope the problem, or stressor, will go away, then treat ourselves to ice cream, simple sugars and carbs, or red meat, he says. But sweet foods or foods with lecithin, cholines and carnitine will change good gut bacteria to bad, increasing your gut distress and causing a vicious cycle response, he says.
Or maybe you deal with stress in other dysfunctional ways, like shopping, drinking or gambling in order to soothe yourself. Then you have a bigger stress response afterward.
Handling stress in a functional way begins with the awareness that youre under stress. Then you can deal with stress in a few different ways, says Dr. Roizen.
1. Solve the problem
If financial problems are stressing you out, you can set up a budget that helps you make ends meet. Or you can cut up that problem credit card. Then arrange to have your 401K contribution auto-deducted from your paycheck.
If a relationship is difficult but necessary, figure out how to ease the tension. Seek counseling if necessary, for a marriage or family member. Or if its a coworker, maybe learn ways to go along with a joke . Or include a third colleague or friend in your encounters. If the relationship is personal, find a passion you both share to enjoy.
2. Refocus your mind
When a stressful situation is unavoidable , you can breathe deeply or meditate through it.
3. Eliminate the stressor
Pros And Cons Of Stomach Sleeping
We wish we could tell you there were tons of pros and cons to sleeping on your stomach. Sadly, we must humbly report that sleeping on your stomach is mostly bad for you.
Sleeping on your stomach is also called the prone position. When you slumber in prone, you could experience:
- Back strain. The most common complaint of people who sleep on their bellies is back pain. Because most people hold the majority of their weight in their core, sleeping prone causes your middle to sink and your back to arch uncomfortably all night.
- Nerve pain. Your spine is basically nerve central to your body. Causing any sort of distress or pinching along your spinal column could lead to referred pain in almost any part of your body.
- Wrinkles. This one is a bit vain, but hey, we all care about our faces. Sleeping on your side and stomach can have the unwanted side effect of creating more wrinkles on your face. If youre not into starting Botox early , you may want to sleep on your back instead.
On the positive side, Hennepin Healthcare points out that sleeping on your stomach could be good for people who have sleep apnea or snoring. Laying on your stomach keeps your airways open the same cant be said for laying on your back.
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How Chiropractic Care Can Help
Our chiropractic experts can help those who suffer from a nervous stomach by recommending specific treatments for every individual. There are various chiropractic benefits to your digestive system.
Your digestive and nervous systems are all connected, meaning that the nerves located in your spine can affect your digestion. Our chiropractors can reduce the need for medication and reduce digestive issues by guiding your spinal vertebrae into the correct places. By doing this, your chiropractor is easing your digestive issues as well as other pains.
Can Anxiety Give You Diarrhea
Absolutely. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America says that when a person experiences extreme anxiety, the body responds by releasing certain hormones and chemicals in response. These can disrupt the delicate balance of the gut microbiome, leading to diarrhea. In addition, anxiety changes how the brain reacts to signals from the GI tract, causing the brain to misinterpret anxiety as an indication that digestion is moving too slowly. This causes the brain to send signals to speed up digestion, leading to a churning feeling in the stomach and intestines and resulting in loose stools.
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Food Intolerance And Bloating
Food intolerance can lead to bloating when:
- your bowel does not empty properly
- the food causes gas to be trapped
- too much gas is produced as a reaction to the food
The most common foods to cause problems are wheat or gluten and dairy products.
The best approach if you have a food intolerance is to eat less of the problem food or cut it out completely.
Keep a food diary for a couple of weeks, noting everything that you eat and drink and when bloating troubles you most. But do not get rid of food groups long-term without advice from your GP.
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You Feel Pain Almost Everyday At The Same Time
You might wake up every morning and feel anxiety before you go to work because your boss really stresses you out, or maybe you only feel anxious when you come home for the night because you live alone and feel uncomfortable being with your own thoughts.
If you are feeling anticipatory anxiety at the same time every day, Dr. Zarnegar says, chances are that there is something in your daily life that is triggering a lot of emotional distress.
âAdopt a non-judgmental attitude about your pain and develop a compassionate stance for your suffering,â she says. Basically don’t shame yourself because you have this pain. A kind attitude to yourself is the first step to long-term solutions.
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Using Apple Cider Vinegar As A Stomachache Cure
Another paradoxical-sounding remedy is using acidic drinks to relieve pain from gastric reflux. Since gastric reflux can result in stomach acid leaking out into places its not wanted, your stomachs acidity can end up lower than is optimal for digesting food.
Drinking apple cider vinegar can help improve the levels and ease an upset stomach. This assumes that youre able to, well, stomach the drink in the first place. While apple cider vinegar does its work best if taken raw, you may find mixing it with water, a teaspoon of honey, and sipping slowly to be the more tolerable option.
- Add one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to one cup of warm water.
- Mix in one tablespoon of honey.
- Drink this remedy every three hours until pain is gone.
Tips For Better Stomach Sleeping Form
We dont mean to completely turn you away from stomach sleeping. Its not all bad news. If prone is truly the most comfortable position for you, you arent destined for a life of morning back pain and ibuprofen popping.
Here are some tips for how to sleep on your stomach without the aches and pains that often accompany this position.
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How To Reduce Stomach Pain
If you find yourself suffering from stomach pain, you have several different options when it comes to remedies.
- Heat Putting a hot water bottle on your tummy can help the muscles to relax, thereby reducing tummy pain
- Apple cider vinegar this popular remedy is believed to help with digestive issues. Make sure to dilute it with water and drink through a straw to avoid the acid damaging your teeth
- Medication Over-the-counter remedies can help alleviate the effects of stomach pain. Always read the label first.
- Herbal tea calming teas may help your stomach to get back to normal. Try ginger, chamomile or peppermint.
What You Can Do To Relieve Anxiety
When it comes to relieving anxiety, its important to be realistic with what you have control over. You cant change your job, relationships, friends, financial situation, society, etc. every day because its stressful, Dr. Farhadi says. Changing the things outside of us is doable, but not practical. The practical thing is how we manage stress.
So, if youre caught in a stressful moment, like youre scheduled for an important interview or big presentation, there are some in-the-moment tips Marcum suggests trying to manage the stress. Engage in long, slow breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth, she says. This can be challenging during the mindset of anxiety, but breathing this way will help reduce your heart rate and blood pressure. Additionally, she recommends focusing on reality and not overthinking things.
Anxiety can build up over time, so Marcum suggests incorporating these tips daily to help decrease the symptoms of anxiety:
- Eat balanced meals.
- Aim for the same bedtime every night.
- Integrate relaxation exercises into your daily routine.
- Schedule cardiovascular exercises to help flush the stress hormone out of your system.
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Signs Your Stomach Problems May Be From Mental Health Issues
There is little worse than having habitual stomach pain, especially if you arenât totally sure what causes it. And while you might have been to a doctor and even tried all kinds of common treatments from probiotic foods to Pepto Bismal, if your belly just continues aching, it could be a sign your stomach issues and mental health are related. And while that might seem strange or even nerve-wracking, rest assured that oftentimes what is going on mentally or emotionally for us ends up manifesting itself in the body through physical symptoms. There are definitely ways to both recognize this is whatâs going on, and ways to treat the issue, too!
As counselor Travis McNulty tells Bustle, stomach issues can often be considered your bodyâs alarm system when it comes to whatâs going on with your mental health. âYour stomach is saying, âIâm going to manifest your anxiety in a physical symptom,’â McNulty says. âThen you start producing excessive stomach acid since your body is tired and uncomfortable.â
You can think of the pain as your body communicating to you, McNulty says. Then you have the opportunity to listen to your body and identify what might be causing some emotional and psychological suffering.
If this feels like it might ring true for you, consider some of the signs below that might indicate your stomach issues are a sign something deeper is going on.
Should I See A Doctor If I Get Stomach Pains When I Am Stressed
You should be seeing your primary care physician at least once a year, and you should tell them if you often have stomach pain or GI discomfort.
If your primary care physician identifies symptoms of a chronic GI condition or other warning signs, they may refer you to a gastroenterologist like myself. A gastroenterologist can help determine if your stomach pain or GI symptoms are related to stress, or due to another condition that requires different treatment.
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Identifying And Easing Anxiety
It’s possible to become so fixated on the physical effects from your anxious state that you don’t even realize you were anxious to begin with, says Dr. Barsky. So, how do you know if anxiety is causing your symptoms? And if it is, how can you feel better? Dr. Barsky offers some tips to help you interrupt this cycle.
Stop and assess. “The first step is to pause for a second and observe what’s going on with your body,” says Dr. Barsky. Think about what you are experiencing and whether it relates to a feeling of emotional upset or a reaction to something alarming or stressful. If your symptoms followed a stressful event or period of time, it’s possible these emotions triggered your symptoms. Also, be alert to signs that you are tensing your muscles, which can also indicate a stress reaction.
Relax your body or work it. To relieve stress, try some deep breathing or relaxation exercises. There are numerous online resources and smartphone apps that can help guide you through relaxation techniques. Physical activity can also help you relieve tension. Try to squeeze in a daily walk or a run.
Reassure yourself. If you believe your symptoms are being caused by anxiety, reassure yourself that what you are experiencing is not harmful or fatal. “They’re not serious, and they don’t signal an impending medical disaster,” says Dr. Barsky. The symptoms will pass when the anxiety eases.
Minimize Daily Stressors Assertively
Its a simple fact that youre more likely to worry and feel anxious if youre stressed. And that means that youre more likely to stay stuck in the cycle of waking up with anxiety if youre chronically stressed.
Now, most people struggle with chronic stress because of one big mistake:
They try to manage their stress instead of managing their stressors.
Stress is how you feel after being exposed to a stressor. The key to having less stress in your lifeand minimizing the morning anxiety that comes with itis to manage your stressors so that they dont lead you to getting stressed out in the first place.
For example:
- Getting stressed about having to do extra work on the weekends isnt the real problem. The real problem is that your manager keeps assigning you work and youre too afraid to set boundaries and say no.
- Feeling resentful and stressed out because your spouse is not being more affectionate isnt the real problem. The real problem is that youre afraid to ask for what you want directly.
When youre chronically stressed, youre much more vulnerable to waking up with anxiety. But managing your stress is just a Band-Aid. To really be less stressed, you need to manage your stressorsthe things causing the stress in the first place. And to do that, you need to be more assertive.
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Why Does Stress Cause Stomach Pain Or Gi Discomfort
We know through research there is a strong connection between our brain and our gut through the central nervous system. The enteric nervous system an out-branching of the central nervous system serves the GI tract, making a direct connection between our brain and gastrointestinal system. That connection can cause normal physiologic processes to be interpreted as painful under stressful or anxiety-provoking situations.
When were stressed, hormones and neurotransmitters are released in the body. This can negatively impact gut motility, or the way our intestines and stomach squeeze and move waste through the body. Also, stress can affect the delicate balance of bacteria in our gut, causing GI discomfort.
People experiencing chronic stress may also eat more or eat unhealthy foods with a higher amount of natural and artificial sugar that is poorly digested and causes GI distress. People may also smoke and drink more alcohol or caffeine than normal which can cause symptoms.