Stomach ailments are among the most common health issues in daily life. Poor dietary habits or high stress levels can easily damage the stomach. So what are the symptoms of stomach problems?Let's take a look!
Symptoms of Gastric Disorders
1. Liver-Stomach Disharmony Syndrome Symptoms
Poor appetite, epigastric fullness and distension, bloating pain, frequent belching. Emotional distress may trigger or worsen symptoms. Thin white tongue coating, wiry pulse. Common in chronic gastritis with delayed gastric emptying and bile reflux.Treatment Principle: Soothe the Liver and Harmonize the Stomach;
2. Liver-Stomach Damp-Heat Syndrome Symptoms
Epigastric fullness and oppression, chest tightness without hunger, nausea and vomiting, heaviness and fatigue, thirst without desire to drink, loose and unformed stools, thick yellow tongue coating, slippery pulse. Gastroscopy reveals marked gastric mucosal hyperemia, edema, or even erosion.Treatment Principle: Clear and transform damp-heat;
3. Stomach Terminal Blood Stasis Syndrome Symptoms
Persistent epigastric pain resembling needle pricks or knife cuts, localized and aggravated by pressure. Dark purple tongue with ecchymoses,涩 pulse.Treatment Principle: Promote blood circulation and resolve stasis;
4. Spleen-Stomach Deficiency Syndrome Symptoms
Epigastric distension and fullness, worsening on hunger, relieved by warmth. Pale complexion, fatigue, dizziness. Pale tongue with teeth marks on lips, thin pulse.Treatment Principle: Strengthen the spleen and harmonize the stomach;
5. Stomach Yin Deficiency Syndrome Symptoms
Dull or burning discomfort in the epigastrium, rumbling sensations resembling hunger, dry mouth with poor appetite, dry and hard stools, pulse often fine and rapid. Treatment Principle: Nourish stomach yin.
How to manage stomach disorders?
1. Opt for warm, soft foods
Patients should consume warm, soft, bland, simple, and fresh foods. Eat at regular times and in moderate portions, opting for smaller, more frequent meals to avoid excessive hunger or fullness.
Chew thoroughly and slowly. Adequate chewing breaks down food into smaller particles, reducing the stomach's workload. Increased chewing also stimulates greater saliva production, which protects the gastric mucosa.
Avoid irregular meal times and overeating.Avoid extremely cold, hot, hard, spicy, or sticky foods. Food temperature should be "neither too hot nor too cold." Extremely hot or cold foods entering the stomach can irritate the gastric mucosa and cause stomach problems. Avoid late-night snacks. Eating before bed stimulates gastric acid secretion and causes calories to accumulate easily, which is detrimental to both the stomach and overall health.
2. Avoid moldy foods
Do not consume moldy or spoiled rice, peanuts, corn, or spoiled meat, fish, and shellfish. Additionally, limit intake of cured meats like salted pork slices and dried fish to minimize exposure to carcinogens in these foods.
Maintain oral hygiene. Saliva contains nitrates that can be reduced to carcinogenic nitrites by oral bacteria and enzymes. Therefore, rinse your mouth after meals.
3. Avoid rushing to walk after meals
The saying goes, "A hundred steps after a meal leads to ninety-nine years of life." However, "after a meal" does not mean immediately after eating. Start walking 20-30 minutes after eating to aid digestion.
For those with stomach conditions, it's best to take medication after meals to prevent irritation of the gastric mucosa and worsening of symptoms.
The optimal times to drink water are upon waking in the morning on an empty stomach and one hour before each meal. Drinking immediately after eating dilutes gastric juices, while consuming soup with rice impairs digestion. Avoid drinking milk on an empty stomach at night and minimize carbonated beverages.
4. Engage in Moderate Exercise
Moderate physical activity enhances the body's disease resistance and reduces recurrence of illnesses.Beyond physical activities like walking, jogging, or Tai Chi, daily abdominal self-massage is an effective method for preventing and treating gastrointestinal disorders.
Place both hands overlapping on the upper abdomen, centered below the xiphoid process of the sternum. Rub in a clockwise and counterclockwise direction 30-50 times each. Then, using the same method, rub around the Shenque acupoint (the navel) 30-50 times in each direction.
Additionally, extend the massage to the Zusanli points on both legs (located 3 cun below the outer edge of the left kneecap, in the depression above the lateral tibia) for 50-100 times. Perform this twice daily, morning and evening.
5. Quit Smoking and Avoid Alcohol
Smoking constricts gastric blood vessels, impairing blood supply to gastric wall cells. This reduces the resistance of the gastric mucosa and may trigger gastric disorders.Alcohol irritates the gastric mucosa, exacerbating symptoms.
Therefore, avoid smoking, limit alcohol consumption, and reduce intake of spicy foods like chili peppers and black pepper. Increase consumption of vitamin C-rich vegetables and fruits to supplement vitamin C. Vitamin C protects the stomach; maintaining normal levels in gastric juices effectively supports gastric function, safeguards the stomach, and enhances its anti-cancer capacity.