There are plenty of circumstances that encourage development of a sore stomach, most of them food related. But there are some little-known facts that may help you avoid those stomach rumbling times and an upset gut.
Not sure what’s causing those tummy troubles? Here are five things that can be giving your problems around the stomach area.
Sugarless Gum
Sorbitol, an artificial sweetener, is a non-digestible carbohydrate that gives sugarless gum its sweetness. But in large doses, it can cause GI problems. Something like a rock, the piece of gum will tumble through the intestines until it encounters acid that will break it down, unfortunately creating gas, diarrhea and cramps as the sugar is broken down to its components.
"Sorbitol works the same way. There is individual tolerance, but if I have a patient who is having a difficult time with excessive gas, I will ask to look in her purse," notes Dr. Bell, who is a gastroenterologist in private practice in Virginia Beach, Va. “Every now and then I'll find it full of gum."
Clothing
Pressure on the abdominal and stomach area can cause acid reflux because of the clothing you may be wearing. Intragastric pressure or intra-abdominal pressure could force stomach acid up toward the esophagus and stomach juncture.
It is not just a middle-aged ailment. About 37 percent of 20- to 30-year olds experience acid reflux. So wear clothes that fit, especially at the waistline and loosen those belts for real comfort.
Foods
Carbonated drinks, enhanced juices, acidic drinks like lemonade or Orange Julius, all could cause stomach pain due to the level of acid in them. Add to that “buttered” popcorn and acidic cola from the movie you just viewed, and there it is, a stomachache.
Foods to avoid because they can cause upset stomachs include spicy foods which stimulate the digestive system. Tomato sauce and fatty foods also stimulate contractions in the GI tract. This slows digestion down and causes constipation, or speed things up and cause diarrhea, depending on whichever you are more susceptible. Fried foods, which are low in fiber, take longer to digest.
Alcohol has no good qualities. It contains no vitamins, proteins, nutrients or good carbs. It is also toxic to the stomach’s lining and changes liver metabolism. So why imbibe?
Coffee, Decaf or No
Coffee can easily cause diarrhea in many people because it increases the speed that nutrients move through the GI tract. It can also cause worsening of symptoms such as diarrhea. So ceasing coffee drinking is advised.
Doctors say that switching to decaf won’t do much as it also contains small amounts of caffeine and other coffee ingredients that may cause stomach upset.
Researchers say that they can now isolate stomach irritants in coffee, enabling those who cannot handle the full strength brew to still be able to enjoy the ups of coffee drinking.
Veronika Somoza, PhD, of the University of Vienna in Austria, and Thomas Hofman, PhD, of the Technische Universitat Munchen in Germany, say their finding "is going to help a lot of people who suffer from coffee sensitivity" and that, as coffee lovers, they’re "very excited about this research."
Acid reflux
Experts say if you have a problem with acid reflux, losing as little as two or three pounds could mean the difference between feeling comfortable and feeling bloated.
So in the same way we can loosen a waistband, we can lose the compression band on the waist, our love handles. This allows the natural flow of fluids, like coffee, to move through the GI tract without getting hung up somewhere, to cause problems.
Stress
Stress is a preventable condition, but there aren’t many of us who can completely cut stress from our lives. Everyday living involves stressful situations – that’s just life.
Stress slows down digestion as blood flow is diverted to other internal systems. This increases the chance of acid reflux. Stomach stress releases more epinephrine, which increases acid production. This acid can splash up to the esophagus, irritating it causing nausea and vomiting.
Stress also affects hormone levels, which help in digestion. Stress interrupts digestion and bloating and intestinal pain could be the outcome.
An interesting note about the physiology of the gut -- the abdomen. It has just as many neural cells as your spinal cord, and there are many direct connections between the brain and the stomach. Some researchers refer to it as “the other brain.” So if you ever get a “gut feeling” about a situation you are in, leave. This is your brain and gut getting together to signal you that all is not well.
Food Allergies or Intolerances
Burning sensations in the stomach or chest after a meal could be an indicator of food allergies or intolerance. When these complaints accompany vomiting and/or diarrhea, a food allergy test may be ordered.
One must understand that there are differences between a food allergy and food intolerance with the allergy possibly leading to more serious conditions.
Triggers of a food allergy: happens every time you eat the food; small amounts of the food will trigger an attack; comes on suddenly, and can be life-threatening. Triggers of food intolerance include: may only happen if you eat a lot of the food; signs come on gradually; you can eat the food often, and it is not life-threatening.
Food allergies occur when the body’s immune system senses a food as a foreign body and attacks it. So the symptoms may include shortness of breath, chest pain, hives, rash or itchy skin and sudden drop in blood pressure, trouble swallowing or breathing. At this point, call emergency services, you are going into anaphylactic shock and require immediate medical attention.
The following are the more common triggers that account for 90 percent of all food allergies. Peanuts, shellfish, milk, soy, wheat, tree nuts such as walnuts, almonds and pecans, and fish. Milk is the most common food allergy.
Okay, with a little bit of knowledge, you can nail down what is ailing your stomach. Remember, some of these outcomes from a food allergy are serious and medical intervention may be needed. But mostly, it is a matter of self-awareness of what you are putting in and around your body.