The stomach is a muscular organ located on the left side of the upper abdomen. Food that enters through the mouth will go through the esophagus to get to the stomach. When food reaches the end of the esophagus it enters the stomach through a muscular valve known as the lower esophageal valve.
The stomach secretes acids and enzymes to digest food. The stomach muscles contract periodically to churn food and promote digestion. Launching from the Halodoc.com page, the stomach has four functions.
Among them process food with the help of acids and enzymes, the stomach breaks down food into small particles. Second, the stomach functions to store food. Not all food that enters the stomach will be processed at that time. Part of the food consumed will be stored.
Third, sorting and getting rid of harmful substances. The stomach produces an acid known as hydrochloric acid. The function of the acidic liquid is not only to help break down food, but also to sort and get rid of harmful substances or microbes in food.
Fourth, the stomach functions to absorb substances that are good for the body. The stomach also produces other substances that make it easier for the body to absorb good substances, for example vitamin B12. Stomach health must be maintained so that the body’s health is also stable. Especially the intake of food and drinks that enter the body.
Characteristics of a Stress Stomach
The stomach can experience stress, its main feature is the presence of digestive disorders that are not caused by conditions in the stomach, such as emotional changes, including stress and anxiety. Treatment is also related to the management of stress, anxiety, and tension.
In an article entitled Stress and the Gut: Pashipatology and Treatment by Peter C. Konturek, et al revealed that stress can trigger digestive disorders, especially the intestines. Not only that, stress also causes symptoms of stomach disease.
Launching from the Kumparan.com page, the following are the characteristics of stomach stress experienced by someone who has digestive disorders due to anxiety.
- Tingling in the stomach
- Tightness, turbulence, cramps in the abdomen
- Feeling nervous or anxious
- Shaking, shivering, and muscle twitching
- Stomach often feels bloated
- The onset of abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting
- Experiencing indigestion
- It’s easy to feel full quickly
- Stomach feels bloated and warm
- Increased urination and defecation
A stressed stomach can develop into several diseases including stomach cramps, diarrhea, changes in appetite, nausea and vomiting, and constipation. Therefore, to relieve stomach stress, Sinaumed’s needs to break down stress, adjust diet and lifestyle.
Causes of Stomach Stress
Hormonal changes have the potential to impact the stomach. The digestive tract has a special nervous system known as the enteric nervous system. Nerve endings in the stomach will respond to stress hormones released by the brain.
In that condition, the stomach has the potential to receive stress hormones which can cause indigestion. Summarizing from the Kumparan.com page, here are some of the causes of stomach stress that are commonly felt by sufferers.
- Activities that can trigger increased stress levels, such as tests or presentations
- Financial Problem
- Personal issues, such as relationships, family, divorce, and friendships
- Changes in conditions at work or home environment
- Death of a loved one
- Chronic disease
Handling Gastric Stress
Stomach stress must be treated immediately for long-term health. Summarizing from the Kumparan.com and Orami.co.id pages, here are some ways to deal with stomach stress.
1. Therapy
If Sinaumed’s is unable to handle stress on his own, it is advisable to see an expert, either a psychologist or a psychiatrist. They will help Sinaumed’s deal with stress in a professional manner. Not only that, the therapist will help identify triggers and how to deal with stress appropriately.
2. Drug Therapy
It’s not uncommon for someone to need medication to calm down, reduce anxiety, and depression. This also affects stomach stress which will get better.
3. Regulating Diet
Regulating diet can be done by limiting what goes into the body. In particular, foods and drinks that exacerbate stomach stress, such as products that contain milk and caffeine. How to regulate the diet of one individual to another individual is different.
4. Doing Stress Relieving Activities
Various positive activities can be done to reduce stress, including sports, journaling, listening to music, reading, chatting with friends, writing, or other activities. However, some other people relieve stress by doing their daily schedule.
5. Meditation, Practicing Breathing, and Mindfulness
Meditation is a powerful way to reduce anxiety and stress by increasing focus and self-awareness. When meditating, Sinaumed’s will sit or lie down in a quiet room and focus on breathing. Some people do 10-15 minutes of meditation a day to reduce the symptoms of stomach distress.
6. Consumption of Natural Medicines
By consuming natural remedies, such as ginger mixed with tea, it can be a supplement that helps relieve symptoms of mild digestive disorders, including nausea. Not only that, drinking peppermint tea or applying eucalyptus oil can also be aromatherapy which helps reduce stomach symptoms of stress.
7. Use a Diffuser with Essential Oils
Essential oils can be used as air fresheners as well as help relieve anxiety. Sinaumed’s can use a diffuser with relaxing essential oils such as lavender, chamomile, vetiver, rose, or another type of essential oil.
8. Relax For A While
Everyone needs time and a place to relax or take a break. Various activities can be carried out, for example taking a walk alone, chatting with colleagues, family, friends, or anyone, watching movies, and other activities.
Stomach Acid that Makes Mouth Taste Sour and Bitter
When the pit of the stomach hurts, it does not only indicate heartburn. This could indicate stomach acid or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD itself is a condition that can cause pain in the pit of the stomach, heartburn, and various other symptoms in the lower chest and stomach area.
A person with GERD will experience mild acid reflux, at least twice a week. Meanwhile, they also have the potential to experience severe disturbances, at least once a week. Therefore, medication and/or lifestyle changes are needed to reduce the intensity of stomach acid.
In general, a person who experiences increased stomach acid is characterized by a sour or bitter taste in the mouth, a burning or burning sensation in the chest and solar plexus. These symptoms will get worse when the patient bends over, after eating, or lying down.
Launching from the Alodokter.com page. GERD symptoms do just that. Here are some other symptoms that can accompany GERD.
- Respiratory problems, such as coughing and shortness of breath. People who have asthma will often relapse when GERD symptoms recur.
- Hoarseness.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Sore throat.
- Expulsion of stomach contents involuntarily.
- Difficulty swallowing or feeling like you have a lump in your throat.
- Sleep disorders.
- Bad breath.
- Tooth decay due to frequent exposure to stomach acid.
GERD is often confused with a heart attack. This is because both of them cause a burning sensation in the chest and pain in the pit of the stomach. However, the two can still be distinguished.
A heart attack is characterized by heartburn or chest pain that is so severe that it radiates to the neck, arms or jaw, and appears after physical activity.
Meanwhile, GERD is characterized by heartburn accompanied by a sour taste in the mouth. It is not exacerbated by physical activity. It also doesn’t spread to the neck or arms, and it gets worse when you lie down.
Meanwhile, how to deal with stomach acid or GERD, as published on the Alodokter.com page as follows.
- Lose weight, if you are overweight.
- Do not smoke.
- Elevates head while sleeping.
- Do not lie down or sleep for at least 2 to 3 hours after eating.
- Avoid foods or drinks that trigger acid reflux, spicy and fatty foods, chocolate, mint and coffee.
- Don’t wear clothes that are too tight.
Disorders of the Stomach
Stomach health must be a concern because if you are sick it will cause the body to lack nutrition and interfere with daily activities. Launching from the page Alodokter.com, here are some gastric diseases.
1. Gastritis
Gastritis or inflammation of the stomach wall is divided into two types, namely acute and chronic gastritis. There are various triggers for gastritis, such as long-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, excessive alcohol consumption, and the presence of autoimmune diseases.
Some people who suffer from gastritis do not feel any symptoms. However, the most common symptoms that occur in people with gastritis are vomiting, nausea, hiccups, pain in the pit of the stomach, and defecation with black stools. If not taken seriously it will cause more serious diseases, such as stomach cancer, stomach bleeding, and peptic ulcers.
2. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or also known as gastric acid disease is a condition in which food or drink that has been mixed with stomach acid rises back up into the esophagus. Thus, a sour or bitter taste appears in the mouth and a burning sensation in the chest.
GERD sufferers can experience nausea, sore throat, vomiting, and difficulty sleeping. If left untreated in the long term, it will cause irritation and bleeding of the esophagus and even esophageal cancer.
3. Stomach Ulcers
Gastric ulcers are sores caused by erosion of the walls of the stomach or small intestine. However, in general, peptic ulcers are caused by infection with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori or excessive consumption of anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen.
Symptoms that arise in patients with gastric ulcers are nausea, frequent belching, flatulence, heartburn, and even vomiting blood. Some symptoms can get worse when sufferers experience stress, consume excessively spicy or sour foods, smoke, and drink alcoholic beverages.
4. Stomach Cancer
Gastric cancer rarely causes specific symptoms in its early stages. Thus, it is often only detected when entering an advanced stage. The cause of stomach cancer itself is not known with certainty. However, there are several things that can trigger it, such as obesity, consumption of unhealthy foods, smoking, rarely exercising, consuming alcohol, and so on.
5. Gastroparesis
One of the tasks of the stomach muscles is to push food or drink into the small intestine. However, in people with gastroparesis, the stomach muscles are not able to work optimally so that the process of digesting food becomes slow.
Gastroparesis is usually accompanied by several complaints including feeling full quickly when eating, flatulence, nausea, heartburn, and vomiting food that has not been completely digested.
The cause of this disease is not known with certainty, but it is strongly suspected that gastroparesis is caused by damage to the nerves that control the stomach muscles. This disease will be more at risk of occurring in people with certain health problems, such as diabetes, scleroderma, and amyloidosis.
Book Recommendations for Maintaining Body Health
Maintaining a healthy body is a must for everyone. The following are book recommendations and summaries that can be used as a reference or guide to maintaining a healthy body.
1. Towards a Healthy and Longevity Life
In the Blue Zones there are many people who have reached the age of 100 and over (supercentenarians), live in good health and are active and productive. They do not do a special diet, nor do they take supplements as advertised today. Then, what is the secret of their longevity? This book clearly explains the tips for supercentenarians to have a healthy and long life. This book is also equipped with health knowledge as a guide to being healthy, and about the 15 types of diseases that we most often encounter. Also presented is a list of “healthy foods”, to help you be healthy and live a long life.
2. Heal, Healthy, and Longevity
God allows humans to live to be 120 years old (Gen. 6:3). Scientific research also proves that if health. managed properly, we can live long and stay healthy. In Psalm 90:10 it even says, “Our life span is seventy years and if we are strong, eighty years.”
Longevity is a gift from God, but living a healthy life is the responsibility of every child of God because it involves the human lifestyle, including eating patterns and habits. The Bible is God’s voice, a guide for the lives of believers, instructions for us to walk in His design and enjoy this life. The author believes that disease should not occur or can at least be prevented, everything depends on the efforts of humans in managing their bodies. The success of the project “The body is in your hands, so be a good CEO or manager of a ‘body health company’.”
This book is written for everyone, human beings created by God, His beloved treasure, whether in good health or diseased. Learn the basic principles of health taught through the living word of God, so that you can not only avoid illness, but can experience healing, become healthy again, and live a long life. The writer’s longing is for everyone to be healthy, happy and productive. For God’s Kingdom in heaven to manifest in your life on earth.
3. Healthy Living, Soaring Performance
Who is not tempted to be an office person? Clear income, neat clothes, and working in air-conditioned rooms are certainly the main attraction for some people. But, make no mistake! Many diseases and health problems that always threaten office workers. However, you also don’t have to be afraid to become an office person, because this book offers many solutions for you.
4. Healthy Diet Without Hunger
“Healthy Diet Without Hunger” is a book of tips so that someone can go on a diet without feeling hungry and stay healthy. This book is one of Kurniasih’s works. When losing weight is not just a matter of making the body more pleasing to the eye. A body that is too fat or obese can increase the risk of various diseases, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer.
How to lose weight by resisting the urge to eat is not effective. When you eat too little, the body will experience a lack of nutrients, and sometimes also a lack of fluids. This condition can make you weak, even sick. In addition, this wrong way of dieting actually makes the body store more calorie reserves in the form of fat, so you don’t lose weight. So that efforts to lose weight are more effective and don’t actually make you sick, do the right and healthy weight loss.
This book will guide you to diet in a healthy way. Follow the guidelines in this book, guaranteed you will get the ideal weight and perfect body shape without having to torture yourself. Even in this book you will find how you can still eat well while on a diet. Let’s read this book to find out how to have a healthy diet without torturing the body!
5. The Owner’s Manual Diet
Between your full-length mirror and high-school biology class, you probably think you know a lot about the human body. While it’s true that we live in an age when we’re as obsessed with our bodies as we are with celebrity hairstyles, the reality is that most of us know very little about what chugs, churns, and thumps throughout this miraculous, scientific, and artistic system of anatomy. Yes, you’ve owned your skin-covered shell for decades, but you probably know more about your cell-phone plan than you do about your own body.
When it comes to your longevity and quality of life, understanding your internal systems gives you the power, authority and ability to live a healthier, younger and better life. The flagship book of the bestsellers, has now been expanded and updated to make you understand your body even better, perhaps too well. challenges your preconceived notions about how the human body works and ages, then takes you on a tour through all of the highways, back roads, and landmarks inside of you.
In this update, the doctors have included a new chapter on the liver and pancreas, which will finally demystify the most exotic parts of our bodies; a new workout chapter that will finally get you moving; and nearly one hundred Q&As asked by you, the reader. It has also been updated throughout to give you up-to-the-minute know-how to not only understand what to do to keep fit, but also why and how.
The book opens with a quiz, How Well Do You Know Your Body? which sets the stage for the following chapters. After taking the quiz, you’ll learn about all of your blood-pumping, food-digesting, and key-remembering systems and organs, including the heart, brain, lungs, immune system, bones, and sensory organs. Each chapter also contains common myths of the particular body part that the authors will debunk. Just as important, you’ll get the facts and advice you need to keep your body running long and strong. You’ll find out how diseases start and how they affect your body as well as advice on how to prevent and beat conditions that threaten your quality of life.
Complete with exercise tips, nutritional guidelines, simple lifestyle changes, and alternative approaches, gives you an easy, comprehensive, and life-changing how-to plan for fending off the gremlins of aging. To top it off, this new edition includes even more great-tasting and calorie-saving recipes as part of the Owner’s Manual Diet an eating plan that is designed with only one goal in mind: to help you live a younger life. Welcome to your body. Why don’t you come on in and take a look around?