Beat stress to ease tummy troubles
You may have noticed a feeling of unease in your stomach during times of stress. That's because anxiety and worry can upset the delicate balance of digestion.
In some people, stress slows down digestion, causing bloating, pain and constipation, while in others it speeds it up, causing diarrhoea and frequent trips to the toilet. Some people lose their appetite completely.
Stress can also worsen symptoms of digestive conditions like stomach ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Managing and reducing stress can help with your digestion.
Stop smoking to prevent reflux
Smoking can weaken the muscle that controls the lower end of the food pipe and allow acid from the stomach to travel in the wrong direction back up, a process known as reflux.
Reflux causes the symptoms of heartburn, and can bring on or worsen ulcers in your food pipe and inflammatory conditions of the bowel.
Smoking is also an important risk factor for stomach cancer.
Eat properly to help your digestion
Follow some basic rules for good eating habits to prevent problems:
- do not rush your food – take the time to eat slowly and chew each mouthful well
- do not overeat – reduce the size of your portions, or try eating 4 or 5 small meals instead of 3 large ones
- eat regularly and try not to skip meals
- avoid eating a big meal just before you go to bed – try to eat your last meal at least 3 to 4 hours before lying down
- make sure you have plenty of water to drink
Lose excess weight to beat heartburn
If you're overweight, your tummy fat puts pressure on your stomach and can cause heartburn.
Losing weight may relieve digestive symptoms like heartburn and other acid-related stomach complaints.
Check you're a healthy weight with the BMI calculator
Get tips on losing weight from the NHS Better Health website
Drinking too much alcohol can cause acid-related digestive disorders
Regularly drinking too much alcohol increases acid production in your stomach, and can cause heartburn and aggravate other digestive disorders.
If you do drink, it's best to stick to no more than 14 units of alcohol a week, spread across 3 or more days.