Heavy digestion: symptoms, causes, treatment and natural tips
Surely at some point you have had a heavy digestion. In most cases it appears as a consequence of an excessive and very copious meal, or when we eat quickly and in an hour when we are not used to it. However, there are also other causes that may influence its appearance, despite having enjoyed a healthy and light meal. Heavy digestion occurs when a food reaches the stomach and the process of digestion is not normally carried out, and it slows down. The result is more than evident: our stomach becomes inflamed, producing discomfort and other related symptoms.
Heavy digestion is a relatively frequent problem that many people suffer every day. In the majority of the occasions it becomes something punctual, that disappears with something of rest and not overloading more to the stomach. But when the discomfort and heaviness arise again and again, repetitively, it is advisable to go to the doctor to make a diagnosis, and discard other possible health problems that may be influencing the appearance of a heavy digestion.
What are the causes of heavy digestion?
The causes that can cause the appearance of a heavy digestion are several. We reveal the most common:
- Bad nutrition: maintaining an inadequate and unbalanced diet is one of the most common causes of indigestion and heavy digestion. Certain foods, such as fried and very fatty, have a decisive influence. We can also mention junk food and industrial bakery.
- Copious and excessive meals: When we eat excessively we tend to overload our stomach, so it will take more time to do good digestion.
- Eat quickly: In addition to excessive meals, when we eat quickly we do not give our digestive system time to send the brain signals that tell us that we are full. Therefore, we tend to eat copiously.
- Allergies to certain foods: if we have allergy or intolerance to any food our digestive system tends to swell, producing indigestion, gas and flatulence.
- Stress and anxiety: the nervous tension produced by stress or anxiety affect very negatively when it comes to making a good digestion. We can mention on this occasion the one known as emotional gastritis.
- Diseases of the digestive system: gastritis, gastroenteritis and other diseases of the stomach are a common cause of heavy digestion.
What symptoms produce heavy digestion?
There are a series of common symptoms that appear when we suffer from heavy digestion. They are the following:
- Gases (flatulence): the main cause that causes them is to eat quickly, which causes us to swallow and swallow a greater amount of air during meals.
- Stomachiness of the stomach: it feels as if the stomach weighed, having the feeling of having a full stomach.
- HeartburnIt feels like burning rising from the stomach to the chest, and from there to the throat.
- Nausea and vomiting: although it is not so usual in case of indigestion, it is a clear indication that our digestive system has not accepted well the food or the food that we have eaten.
What is the medical treatment to follow?
As recommended by Eroski Consumer, when heavy digestion is in some sense difficult to bear, the main recommendation is to go to the doctor, who will make a diagnosis and investigate whether there is any cause or disease that has caused indigestion (such as stones in the gallbladder or hepatic colics).
Antacids help slow down indigestion and its associated symptoms, as for example is the case of heartburn. However, if heavy digestion and discomfort continues it is appropriate to perform a digestive endoscopy or an abdominal ultrasound, which will help to discover the existence of some pathology or if the indigestion is chronic.
Precisely when indigestion is chronic, in addition to antacids, the gastric protectors, such as ranitidine or omeprazole after meals, which decreases gastric secretions.
Some very useful natural tips to relieve heavy digestions
- Do not drink excessively during meals: Did you know that drinking too much during meals causes your stomach to eliminate acids and enzymes responsible for the good digestive process?
- Eat slowlyIf you eat without haste, and you do it slowly, you will give your stomach time to send to the brain the different signals that will indicate that we are already satiated, so that we will not continue eating.On the contrary, if you eat fast and quickly, the most common thing is that you also do it compulsively, so you end up eating food in excess.
- Avoid eating and sleeping next: it is advisable to eat and not lie down until after at least two hours, so that our digestive system performs better digestion.
- Chew slowly: In addition to eating slowly, it is convenient to chew food slowly, in this way you will get them to crush better, which will help the process of digestion.
- Infusion of fennel and chamomile: while chamomile is an excellent natural digestive, fennel helps prevent or treat gas and flatulence. You can make a boiling infusion in a saucepan equivalent to a cup of water. When the water reaches the boiling point add a teaspoon of fennel and a teaspoon of chamomile, letting it boil for 3 minutes. After this time turn off the heat, cover and let rest for 3 minutes. Finally sneak and drink.
Images | Eric Chan / Frédérique Voisin-Demery / Tory This article is published for informational purposes only. It can not and should not replace the consultation with a Physician. We advise you to consult your Trusted Doctor. ThemesGastrointestinal disorders
