Many people today, especially the younger generation, suffer from stomach issues to varying degrees. When stomach problems persist despite medical treatment—no matter the doctor or medication—some turn to folk remedies. Here are some shared for public reference.
What exactly is a stomach ailment?
The term "stomach ailment" is overly broad. Simply put, any disease affecting the stomach organ is called a stomach ailment. Specifically, stomach ailments fall into two categories: benign diseases and malignant diseases. The most common benign disease is gastritis, including superficial gastritis, atrophic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and gastric ulcers.The other category encompasses functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. These conditions show no obvious organic lesions on endoscopy and are also classified as benign. Examples include gastrointestinal motility disorders mentioned earlier. Malignant diseases are another category, with the most common being what people commonly refer to as stomach cancer. Less frequently seen are gastrointestinal lymphomas. Tumors with low malignancy, falling between benign and malignant, are called gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs).
What are the symptoms of stomach disorders?
Symptoms vary depending on the classification. General symptoms may be present in all stomach disorders, such as bloating, acid reflux, belching, loss of appetite, and early satiety. More specific symptoms include upper abdominal pain (typically referred to as stomach pain), vomiting (a symptom of pyloric obstruction), anemia, and weight loss.These situations vary by disease: anemia and weight loss may indicate gastric cancer. Anemia, occult blood in stool, and regular abdominal pain may suggest gastric ulcer. Professional medical diagnosis is essential.
How to prevent gastric diseases
1. Drink 3000ml to 5000ml of water daily.(Reduce slightly after recovery) Drink when hungry, before bed, during the night, and upon waking. Rationale: Gastric disorders primarily result from excessive stomach acid irritating the gastric mucosa. Drinking water significantly dilutes stomach acid concentration. 2. Adjust sleeping posture—avoid lying on your right side. Sleeping on your left side is optimal.Sleeping on the left side directs bile flow toward the intestines (where it should go to the duodenum) instead of refluxing into the stomach or esophagus.
Principle: Another major cause of gastric disorders is bile reflux into the stomach, which corrodes the stomach wall and esophagus.
Dietary Therapy Plan for Gastric Disorders
1. Regular eating habits are the primary measure for preventing and treating gastric disorders.Eat meals on schedule, avoiding overeating, binge eating, or skipping meals. 2. Select fruits for dietary therapy based on individual constitution. Those with a history of chronic gastric issues should be especially cautious. Individuals with weak spleen and stomach should avoid cold-natured fruits like pears and pomelos. Ulcer patients should steer clear of acidic fruits such as apples, oranges, and pineapples.
3. Avoid excessively acidic, sweet, hot, hard, or sticky foods.Minimize consumption of raw, cold foods and irritants like chili peppers, mustard, alcohol, strong tea, and coffee. These strongly stimulate the digestive tract lining, potentially causing inflammation. 4. Avoid drinking tea or large amounts of water immediately after meals. Do not soak rice in soup, as this may lead to indigestion.