If you've been experiencing gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms for more than a few days or weeks with no sign of improvement, it is important to see a doctor. Persistent symptoms could be a sign of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or a more serious underlying condition, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Common digestive disorders include gastroesophageal reflux disease, cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, lactose intolerance and hiatal hernia.
Upper GI issues often cause heartburn and pain or discomfort in the stomach or chest. Problems with the lower GI tract can cause cramping, constipation, or diarrhea.
Which parts do you think are the most common to cause humans some sort of discomfort? - The esophagus, stomach and the intestines are the most common parts of the gastrointestinal tract to cause discomfort.
Whole grains are rich in fiber and will help to cleanse the colon. Oats, oatmeal, brown rice, and quinoa are all great sources. Try to incorporate 3 – 5 servings per day into your meals. Broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and most leafy greens are fiber-dense and are always healthy choices.
Digestive Discomfort
Constipation, bloating, gas, stomach cramps, acid reflux, or heartburn happen. But, they are symptomatic of an unbalanced gut. A healthy digestive system will have less trouble processing food and getting rid of waste.
Often, your gut is just plain wrong—because it's subject to biases. For instance, we usually overestimate our abilities—failing to get feedback on our decision-making mistakes, and therefore not learning from them. And we conveniently forget about the times when trusting our guts led to poor decisions.
Some people with chronic stomach discomfort are more sensitive to certain foods like dairy, spicy foods, soda, fried foods or alcohol. These foods can relax the muscle that keeps food from traveling backward, increase stomach acid production or keep the stomach full for too long.
Dumping syndrome is a group of symptoms, such as diarrhea, nausea, and feeling light-headed or tired after a meal, that are caused by rapid gastric emptying. Rapid gastric emptying is a condition in which food moves too quickly from your stomach to your duodenum.
Digestion issues, including indigestion, gas, constipation, diarrhea, food allergies, and food poisoning, are all extremely common causes of stomach pain. In most cases, the discomfort will go away within a few hours or a few days. Inflammation caused by an irritation or infection.
Leaky gut syndrome is a proposed digestive condition where the intestinal lining allows bacteria and toxins into the bloodstream. It refers to an increase in permeability of the intestinal lining, which could play a role in Crohn's and other diseases.
Fatty foods, such as chips, burgers and fried foods, are harder to digest and can cause stomach pain and heartburn. Cut back on greasy fried foods to ease your stomach's workload. Try to eat more lean meat and fish, drink skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, and grill rather than fry foods.
Gas, bloating, and chronic diarrhea are all symptoms that point to a leaky gut. Crohn's disease, inflammatory bowel diseases, and any proposed gastrointestinal disorder can also lead to leaky gut syndrome. However, irritable bowel syndrome is probably the most telling.
How long does it take to heal your gut? If you don't have any chronic conditions or food sensitivities, you could heal a not-so-perfect gut in as little as two weeks or as long as 12 weeks.