Stress can cause a whole host of health problems. Stress and digestive problems often go hand in hand, and it goes back to the body’s natural fight or flight response. When in an emergency situation, digestion becomes low on the body’s priority list, which is why things like diarrhea, constipation, heartburn and other problems arise in stressful situations.

Think about what happens to your body in the days and hours leading up to that big presentation you have to give.

• Did you spend a few extra minutes in the bathroom?
• Did you pop a few extra Tums to help settle your stomach?
• Are you feeling the burn hours after the presentation is over?

The problem with chronic stress is that it causes these disruptions on a regular basis, which isn’t healthy. It can wear your stomach lining down, increase acid production and damage your esophagus. That’s why you need to take steps to help your body’s digestion process, and de-stress your life.

First, to help digestion, less is more. By eating less more often you’ll help your body properly handle the amount of food you’ve given it, rather than stressing it out by throwing more than your stomach can handle in the ring. You’ll still get the same amount of food by eating three small meals and two snacks as you would if you ate two giant meals, it’ll just be spread over a longer period, which gives your stomach time to process what’s there.

Second, take steps to lower stress levels in your life. Although some stress has been shown to be good and keep productivity levels high, too much stress can be extremely detrimental to your health. So, reprioritize. You may be concerned about money, relationships, the holidays, work, deadlines, that home renovation that never seems to be done, a death in the family, your kids or any number of problems. But, worrying about them won’t make them better. So, focus on what will make your situation better. If you need help learning some techniques, see someone, i.e. a therapist or counselor. Although you may feel like this adds to your financial stresses and takes time away from your family, it can help you deal with what’s going on, and learn techniques for dealing with future stressors.

You also may benefit from getting a massage. Treating yourself to something like this can help you reduce your stress levels and promote healing in your body if chronic stress has done any damage to your digestive system. Like seeing a therapist, you may view it as a time and financial suck, but it can pay dividends in the long run.

Additionally, you may want to look into adding exercise to your daily regimen. People who exercise regularly are much healthier and are proven to be less prone to stress related illnesses like heartburn and ulcers. So, go for a walk, take up running or tennis, do whatever you can to keep exercise fun and engaging and keep stress at bay.

Stress and digestive problems often go hand in hand. For more information on dealing with stress and helping your body’s digestive disorders heal naturally, visit refluxremedy.com today.

If you experience pain in your stomach after eating, you may have an ulcer. If your pain is intense, or has been going on for quite some time, you should seek the advice of a physician.

Generally, stomach ulcers are caused by bacteria called H. Pylori, not by stress or spicy foods as was once thought. H. Pylori is a corkscrew shaped bacteria that is fairly common among all people, regardless of age, sex or health condition. What causes it to run rampant in some people and not others is still a mystery, but if your ulcer is blamed on H. Pylori, you’ll likely be prescribed a series of medications and tests to make sure the bacteria is eradicated.

Regardless of the cause of your stomach pain after you eat, there are a number of things you can do to help prevent or relieve it.

• First, modify how much food you take in at once. By limiting your intake, but increasing the number of times you eat during the day, you can help your stomach to better deal with the digestion process, and reduce stress on your body.
• Second, make sure you’re not eating foods that will aggravate a stomach ulcer or other digestive disorder. Things like fatty foods, dairy products, garlic, acidic fruits like citrus, caffeine and onions should be avoided. Breads and products that contain whole grains, fish and lean meats and fruit containing antioxidants (like the ‘superfruit’ blueberries) should be targeted if you suspect an ulcer.
• Third, although you may be trying to target certain foods and avoid others, a balanced diet is crucial to maintaining a healthy body. Everything in moderation is vital. Make sure your body gets the nutrients it needs to heal by providing it with essential vitamins found in all types of food.
• Fourth, exercise regularly to keep oxygen rich blood flowing throughout your body. This will help your body heal, and prevent future injuries and traumas like ulcers.
• Fifth, don’t take pain killers if you’re experiencing pain in your stomach after you eat. Although pain killers may be your first instinct when you’re having pain, just don’t do it. Pain killers can often exacerbate an ulcer and take your situation from bad to worse. Even over the counter pain medications have been shown to cause ulcers, so if you already have one, don’t aggravate it by taking additional pain medications.
• Sixth, if you’re a smoker, quit. Smoking has been scientifically shown to cause a host of health problems, including death, so quitting will help your case. It actually increases acid production in your stomach, which can irritate an existing ulcer. So just quit it.
• Lastly, make sure you’re keeping your stress levels down to a healthy amount. Too much stress causes the body to create excess stomach acid, which irritates the esophagus and stomach lining, making it difficult for an ulcer to heal. So, meditate, take deep breaths, listen to music, take up a hobby, or anything else that helps you stay calm in a stressful situation.

Pain in the stomach after eating can be a debilitating symptom of a potentially serious problem. For more information on this disorder and how you can help your body heal from it, visit refluxremedy.com today.

Vomiting with Hiatal Hernia isn’t a terribly typical symptom. More often vomiting causes a Hiatal Hernia, as a result of the pressure that is placed on the abdomen while retching.

To be clear, a hernia can occur in any part of the body, but when it happens to the stomach, it’s called a Hiatal Hernia. Specifically, it happens when the upper portion of the stomach gets pushed through the opening of the diaphragm and into the chest.

Symptoms

As stated before, vomiting is not a typical symptom of a Hiatal Hernia; however that doesn’t mean it won’t happen to you. As a matter of fact, some people don’t experience any symptoms at all of a Hiatal Hernia. However, if you do have symptoms, you might experience a sudden onset of frequent heartburn, including indigestion, acid reflux, burping and hiccupping.

Chest pain can also be associated with a Hiatal Hernia; however it shouldn’t be confused with a heart attack. Chest pain from a Hiatal Hernia will not be associated with anything other than heartburn. If you experience shortness of breath or numbness in one of your arms, seek medical attention immediately. The most important thing here is to be in tune with the signals your body is sending you and understand what they indicate.

Treatments

Generally a Hiatal Hernia just needs time to heal, and doesn’t require surgery. A few simple things you can do at home will help this process along.

• Eat smaller meals. Eating a ton of food at once bombards your stomach with more than it can deal with, creating more pressure on an already sensitive area. By eating less more often you spread the same amount of food over a longer period, allowing your stomach time to handle it all without putting too much stress on your injured digestive system. Additionally, once your hernia is healed, you should maintain this practice, so that the condition doesn’t recur.
• Stop smoking. Smoking is thought to cause, and worsen a variety of health problems, including a whole host of digestive problems. Plus, smoking slows the body’s ability to heal, meaning it will take you significantly longer to get over your hernia. So, just quit! Your body will thank you for it.
• Don’t eat right before you go to bed. This causes food and stomach acid to get trapped in the esophagus, with no natural help from gravity to make its way down into the stomach. Eat at least 2 hours before you lie down, and that way food will have had a chance to start digesting and won’t put unnecessary strain on your stomach and esophagus.
• If you do breech that 2 hour window, prop yourself up when you go to bed. Placing an extra pillow under your head can help give your body the upper hand and keep food moving through your digestive tract.

If none of these methods are productive, your doctor may prescribe medications to help the healing process along. Only in severe cases is surgery necessary. More often than not though, simple lifestyle changes can make a big difference.

Vomiting with Hiatal Hernia isn’t common, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. For more information on Hiatal Hernias and what you can do about them, visit refluxremedy.com.