A doctor named 4 non-obvious causes of upset stomachs

certyfikowany genetyk kliniczny, dietetyk, ekspert Akademii Lekarskiej UniProf

What can cause an upset stomach?

When the digestive system starts to “malfunction” after a big feast or unhealthy food, it is not surprising. But what if there are no apparent reasons for an upset stomach, but the upset still exists? We tell you about four not so obvious reasons.

Nervousness

Brain fog and emotional imbalance, sudden mood swings, anxious-depressive state, unreasonable irritability – all this can lead to incomplete digestion of food (especially animal protein and fats).

Stress can involuntarily spasm the sphincters of the gastrointestinal tract. As well as the sphincter of Oddi – responsible for the timely outflow of bile. Bile washes fats and promotes their quality assimilation, is an antiseptic of the entire gastrointestinal tract, and also helps to break down protein molecules.

That is, systemic stress or excessive emotional response to events can lead to impaired fat and protein absorption. As a result, more metabolic byproducts – such as lactate, ammonia or carbon dioxide – are produced. They disturb the permeability of blood vessels, intestinal epithelium and can provoke spontaneous pain and a feeling of distention in the abdomen, especially during meals.

The mental state of a person can significantly affect the condition of the body as a whole. Diseases provoked by problems in the nervous system are called psychosomatic. Read more about them in the article at the link.

Problems with sleep

During a night’s rest with brief awakenings, the lower part of the GI tract is cleared. Therefore, if you ate before going to bed, there is a risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease, GERD (manifested as heartburn, pain in the sternum, flatulence, etc.).

If at the same time you often wake up at night, sleep poorly, you have disturbed phases of deep and shallow sleep, the risks of developing functional disorders of the GI tract increase many times.

Often in the first stages may not appear such vivid symptoms as burning and pain in the stomach – at first may be inflamed tonsils and adenoids. GERD can be subtle and insignificant, but if this condition is left untreated for a long time, there is a risk of more serious GI disorders.

Hormonal imbalance

Stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline) affect the physiological activity of the GI tract – they reduce the motility of the stomach and small intestine, as well as the synthesis of hydrochloric acid and at the same time increase the motility of the large intestine. This is called irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and as a separate diagnosis is usually not distinguished – the disorder is usually attributed to mental, including hormonal.

Incorrect or incomplete formation of thyroid hormones can lead to impaired synthesis of insulin and, as a consequence, to the development of metabolic syndrome, weight gain, impaired glucose absorption and all the diseases associated with this condition.

Excessive insulin demand or insufficient insulin production disrupts the functioning of all endocrine organs. Because of which the pancreas can suffer: it begins to produce fewer enzymes, which leads to insufficient breakdown of food.

There will be an imbalance of digestive hormones: gastrin, secretin and cholecystokinin, which, in turn, can lead to functional disorders of the GI tract. These hormones are secreted into the bloodstream of the gastrointestinal tract and aid in the production of digestive juices and the progression of food. Insufficient or excessive production will manifest itself more quickly than others in symptoms such as bloating, gas, pain and discomfort in the upper abdomen.

Weakened immune system

As a rule, during a cold, various medications are prescribed. Which, in turn, negatively affects the intestinal microflora and its motility, can lead to functional disorders. All this also increases the risks of lack of digestion and absorption by the body of substances, important vitamins and trace elements, especially calcium. About how to recognize the deficiency of this element, read in the material at the link.

Disorder of the digestive system can be a consequence of the most unexpected conditions, which we usually do not pay attention to. It is important to notice them in time and work with the real cause of the disorder, not just the symptoms.