Stomach pain – causes and treatment
Stomach pain is now as common as back pain. Almost everyone is familiar with stomach pain and has had it at some point or has it latently from time to time. What is behind it and what can I do about it?
Localization
First of all, it should be clarified exactly where the stomach pain is occurring. Many people talk about stomach pain, but when I then ask where exactly in the body it manifests itself, it often quickly turns out that it is actually intestinal complaints and not stomach pain. Stomach pain or stomach problems tend to be in the upper abdomen, between the ribcage and usually radiate upwards or to the left. Of course, I don’t want to rule out the possibility that it can also radiate to the right – but stomach pain or stomach problems usually radiate to the left, if at all.
The tasks of the stomach
The stomach has several functions. Firstly, the acid helps to remove harmful germs from our food. Secondly, certain substances pre-digest the proteins, especially in the stomach – but only to the required acidity level.
The iron is also converted into an absorbable form in the stomach so that it can actually be absorbed in the intestine. This also only works in the presence of acid.
Last but not least, vitamin B-12 is prepared for absorption in the stomach – by a specific substance. If this does not take place here because there is no acid or the stomach lining is damaged, vitamin B-12 cannot be absorbed in the last section of the small intestine.
And, of course, the food pulp is generally digested and broken down further in the stomach so that the intestines can extract the substances from the food and absorb them via the mucous membrane.
Symptoms of stomach pain or stomach problems
Common symptoms that accompany stomach pain or are associated with stomach problems are as follows:
- Acid regurgitation
- Burning sensation in the esophagus (running straight down from the throat)
- Pressure or pain (often stabbing) in the middle of the upper abdomen (occasionally radiating to the left)
- The so-called “fasting pain” or pain during eating
- Feeling of fullness
- Latent nausea
The symptoms naturally vary depending on the actual stomach problem, whether it is gastritis, hyperacidity of the stomach, a stomach ulcer or worse. However, it must always be said that each person develops different symptoms for different causes. Not everyone has the same symptoms, so it is always very clear what the problem is. I would therefore always recommend a comprehensive examination!
Causes of stomach pain or stomach problems
Once you have localized and confirmed that it is actually stomach pain / stomach problems, there are actually a whole range of causes for this.
- Coffee/ Alcohol
Unfortunately, coffee is still one of the triggers for stomach pain and problems. Coffee as such is not even the problem, it is more the quantity and also the fact that most people drink it in the morning on an empty stomach. If you want to drink coffee, drink it AFTER a meal. What’s more, you should limit your coffee consumption to cups rather than pots that you drink during the day.
Alcohol is also a poison for the stomach and the stomach lining! Too much of it – and possibly even on an empty stomach – is extremely damaging to the stomach lining and leads to too much acid and even worse problems. - Poor chewing
In the mouth, the food is broken down and, with the addition of certain substances by the saliva, ideally prepared for further digestion in the stomach and intestines. People fail to realize how important pre-digestion in the mouth is! F.X. Mayr emphasized this in his teachings many decades ago!
The stomach breaks down and digests proteins in particular so well in advance that the intestine or the bacteria and enzymes in the intestine can digest them very easily and thus the mucous membrane can also absorb these small proteins well.
If the stomach receives poorly predigested pieces of protein that have not been chewed often enough and are therefore very large when they end up in the stomach, then the stomach is simply overwhelmed and does not manage to break them down as it should. This can cause stomach pain.
Tip: Chew well and for a long time so that the stomach is relieved and has less to do.
Incidentally, if these pieces of protein, which are still far too large, end up in the intestine, it is also overwhelmed and has to work for a long time to break them down into an absorbable size. As a result, the food remains in the intestine for longer and this promotes the proliferation of harmful bacteria, which leads to so-called putrefactive flora. You then get more air in your stomach, stomach pains, a bad mood and the intestines become too alkaline. - The intestine is too alkaline
As just described, it can happen that the supposedly bad or wrong bacteria multiply significantly in the gut. Due to the wrong type of food, the wrong foods, stress or even antibiotics.
These types of bacteria create an alkaline environment for themselves, as they need it to grow and thrive. This means that the gut will now be too alkaline in sections. And our body is clever – how does it get more acid to restore the balance? That’s right, through the stomach. So it may be that at times the stomach is driven to produce more acid because the gut needs it.
This is one cause of hyperacidity of the stomach. And this hyperacidity of the stomach also often causes stomach pain or stomach problems.
Tip: In my opinion, it would be wrong to give so-called acid blockers. Because, as I said, the body knows what it is doing. So if you are looking at the cause, then the order of the day would be to treat the bacterial flora in the gut or the environment in the gut, not the stomach. - Helicobacter pylori
There used to be such a beautiful fad that has unfortunately still taken hold among doctors and is still being treated. The so-called germ “helicobacter pylori”. When you go to the doctor with stomach pain, this is usually the first thing that is examined. Well, almost everyone carries this germ in their stomach, at least one in two. And in only 15% of cases does this germ actually cause stomach pain or stomach problems. But it is treated by doctors 100% of the time. This means that no attempt is even made to see whether the stomach pain/problems can perhaps be remedied by other means/techniques. An antibiotic is given straight away. And don’t get me wrong: an antibiotic can be life-saving and can also be useful in some cases. However…..
Incidentally, there are now also other ways of treating this Helicobacter pylori germ.
Tip: If I had stomach pain, I would first try all other treatment options and see if the stomach pain changes or even disappears. - Hyperacidity / hypoacidity
Hyperacidity is also a kind of fad – in my humble opinion. Much more common than hyperacidity of the stomach is actually hypoacidity of the stomach. Unfortunately, this is almost never even considered.
You can recognize a hyperacidity type by the fact that he is rather rigid (acidity causes rigidity), hardened, has very firm tissue, is quite inflexible and also unyielding in his mind. One You can recognize the under-acidification type by limpness, flabby tissue, soft and yielding on a mental and physical level.
The hypoacidity type lacks acid. If you also give him the usual acid blockers, you will of course make the problem worse. - Acid blockers – yes or no?
In my opinion, the body is incredibly clever. This means that the body will not cause the stomach to become hyperacidic just because it is bored. It is therefore important to look for the cause. If the cause is treated, acid blockers are generally not necessary.
Acid blockers can and should certainly be given for a short time if actual hyperacidity has led to severe stomach pain and stomach problems. To relieve the stomach and the person. However, in my opinion, the actual cause of the hyperacidity should be treated at the same time.
And: Acid blockers always bring with them the problem of vitamin B-12 deficiency. This means that during the period in which acid blockers are given, the vitamin B-12 status should always be monitored in parallel and supplemented by injection if there is a deficiency. - Medication
Taking certain medications, which some people have to take due to other illnesses, often causes irritation of the stomach lining, resulting in stomach pain. It is important to check whether and in what quantity and duration these medications actually need to be taken.
Tip: If you cannot avoid these medications, there are remedies that protect, protect and regenerate the stomach, which you should take in parallel to create a little balance. - Stress
Unfortunately, the hormonal imbalance can also lead to stomach pain/problems. In fact, the entire gastrointestinal tract is affected by stress. Unfortunately, many people still don’t take it seriously enough. But don’t underestimate the actual effect of stress – and I don’t even mean the psychological effect, but above all the physical effect.
Tip: Always ensure a balance in your life – look for hobbies that suit you, spend as much time as possible in nature and find things, people and habits that are good for you and offer a counterbalance to make the wheel round.
Differential diagnosis of stomach pain – what else could be an alternative?
There are other organs or diseases that lead to a very similar picture of symptoms and should therefore be excluded or examined as well.
These include complaints:
- of the pancreas
- of the liver/gall bladder
- of the intestine – especially the large intestine (the transverse colon)
Conclusion: In my experience, stomach pain and stomach problems mainly arise as a result of intestinal problems or poor predigestion in the mouth. This means: take a look at your intestines, the intestinal flora, the condition of the intestinal mucosa, do a intestinal rehabilitation. In addition, the immune system and the other digestive organs (pancreas and liver/gall bladder).
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