Stomach bloating is the common term given to distension or swelling of the stomach. In some cases it can be as small as a minor irritation, but for others it can be a serious problem involving lots of pain and uncomfortable social situations. Additionally, the existence of stomach pain could be indicative of a bigger, more serious problem. Knowing the possible causes, symptoms, and treatment of the problem can help a patient cope with the common issue of bloating stomach pain.

There are many possible causes of stomach bloating. Perhaps one of the most common causes of a bloated stomach is lactose intolerance. This occurs when a person’s body is not able to properly digest milk and other dairy products. Aerophagia, or the swallowing of air can be one potential cause. Once air has entered the intestinal tract, it becomes trapped there. This entrapment of the air can cause swelling if the pressure is not reduced through flatulence. Another common source is diet. Certain foods naturally increase the level of gases in the stomach and abdominal region. Intestinal obstruction could be a source as well. These obstructions can be tumors, intestinal adhesion, or the presence of a foreign body. Yet another possible cause is irritable bowel syndrome, normally represented by very slow or sudden bowel movements. More serious possibilities also exist. Abdominal distension can be caused by some dangerous conditions such as ovarian cysts, diverticulitis, food poisoning, and miscellaneous cancer-related tumors.

Symptoms of swelling can be a feeling of tightness or fullness, bloating stomach pain, flatulence, chronic burping, and borborygymi, or audible sounds coming from the stomach. In addition to having a bloated stomach, there are common symptoms that are present with many of the underlying causes of abdominal tension. These symptoms include the following: nausea, cramps, diarrhea, intestinal twisting, and constipation. If these symptoms are persistent, a local physician should be contacted to make sure that it is not indicative of a more serious condition.

Depending on the root source of the problem, several different treatment options are available. Prevention is often an effective strategy. If the swelling is food-related, one treatment option is to avoid those foods that cause bloating. Some foods that frequently cause bloating are alcohol, carbonated drinks, beans, cabbage, sweets, starchy foods, sprouts, and many dairy products. Additionally, regular exercise can help to promote proper digestion and can be one possible remedy. For conditions such as lactose intolerance or irritable bowel syndrome, various medications are available to aid in controlling stomach and bloating issues. In cases which involve more serious conditions, a local doctor should be consulted to determine the best option for treatment of the bloated stomach.

Problems involving the stomach and bloating can be both painful and socially awkward. Although the possible causes are many, several treatment options exist as well. A person who takes the time to learn what is causing the stomach bloating and how to deal with it will be rewarded with more comfort and confidence.

It is important to know what is gastritis in order to deal with the problem and improve symptoms. Gastritis is defined as the inflammation of the stomach. There are many reasons for a person to have gastritis and they range from minor to major. Most people will have gastritis symptoms at some point in their life, therefore it is important to know acute gastritis causes and chronic gastritis treatment.

The most common type of gastritis is a result of reflux disease. The stomach produces a large quantity of acid material in order to break down food and process it for absorption by the intestine and colon. This material can easily be handled by the stomach in normal situations, but occasionally the stomach produces too much of the acidic material or the acid contents go to places that are not set up to handle that much acid. In reflux, the acid secretions move the opposite direction and go up the esophagus. This can cause a burning sensation and heartburn, the term most commonly used. While this is not technically gastritis, the symptoms are very similarly and are easily confused.

Reflux disease can be treated with medicines that reduce the acid secretion or that handle the acid once it is created. By coping with the acid in the stomach, the esophagus does no have to deal with it. Long term reflux of acid contents into the esophagus will result in hyperplasia of the villous lining of the wall of the esophagus. This can develop into a condition cause Barrett’s esophagus, a dangerous situation. It is dangerous because Barrett’s can mutate into a cancer and spread. The surgeries and treatments for esophageal cancer are difficult and require extensive intervention.

The extensive gastric acid secretion can cause a condition called erosive gastritis. The acid producing cells create enough acid to eat through the gastric mucosa and erode through the wall. This caused the creation of an ulcer, which can be a deadly disease. If the ulcer begins to bleed, a person can rapidly bleed to death and require emergency surgery to treat the condition. If the ulcer ruptures the stomach, it will allow stomach contents to enter the abdomen and cause a serious infection.

Chronic gastritis treatment is directed at the cause of the gastritis symptoms. For many, this involves the use of acid-suppression medications. These are incredibly effective in reducing the amount of acid that causes damage while still allowing digestion. Anti-acids address the acute gastritis causes while preventing many of the complications. People with gastritis should also be tested for the H. pylori bacteria, an infection that causes overproduction of acid. Eradication of this infection will solve many people’s stomach problems and allow people to resume eating their favorite foods while minimizing the medications that they take. Knowing what is gastritis and how to treat it can be very helpful in minimizing complications and improving a person’s life.

What are gastric cancer symptoms? First, gastric cancer is a malignant tumor which forms in the lining of the stomach. Early on the symptoms are progressive loss of appetite, indigestion, blood in the stools, heartburn, mild nausea, bloated feeling after eating, and vomiting. Late symptoms are pain which is often induced by eating or relieved by vomiting, anemia, weight loss, jaundice, ascites, trouble swallowing, abdominal mass, or epigastric mass. Other symptoms may appear, such as breath odor, excessive belching and excessive gas. It happens more in men than women.

What causes gastric cancer? It is believe that Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), and infection causes the majority of gastric cancer. If you are blood type A, you are at a higher risk of developing gastric cancer. Gastritis, pernicious anemia, gastric polyps, and intestinal metaplasia, diets high in salty foods or low fruits and vegetables and smoking are other causes.

How is gastric cancer diagnosed? First the doctor will take a health history from you. You show state signs of weight loss and fatigue over the months. Your local doctor can perform blood chemistry studies, a CBC (complete blood count), and an occult stool study. An upper endoscopy can be performed which will allow your doctor to obtain tissue samples. Your doctor can order a barium swallow and a CT scan. Bone or liver scans can help to determine the extent of said disease. Most of the time, the disease is in advanced stages when diagnosed. There is little cure for this disease. Gastric cancer prognosis is not good because only a minimal amount of patients are cured from the gastric resection.

What is the gastric cancer treatment? The only successful treatment is gastric resection surgery. It is the surgical removal of part of the stomach and can be removal of all of the stomach and partial removal of the intestines or pancreas. A Billroth I or II may be performed if the tumor is in the lower part of the stomach. Treatment may include chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy.

What are the gastric cancer staging and the survival rates?

• Stage 0 – greater than 90%
• Stage IA – 60-80%
• Stage IB – 50-60%
• Stage II – 30-40%
• Stage IIIA – 20%
• Stage IIIB – 10%
• Stage IV – less than 5%

After surgery, the patient should eat small, frequent meals. The diet should consist of foods that are high in protein and low in carbohydrates. Foods to avoid are milk, chocolate, salt, foods high in sugar, and fibrous fruits (skins and seeds). You must chew your food well. Reduce fluids with your meal. After surgery, you are trying to prevent Dumping Syndrome. Dumping Syndrome is the excessively rapid emptying of the gastric contents. Also, vitamin B12 supplements are essential.

The use of refrigeration has decreased the number of people diagnosed with gastric cancer and caused a decrease in the disease, as well as, gastric cancer symptoms.

Abdominal bloating

Do you need colon constipation relief? Did you know in the US over 4 million people are constipated? Research has shown that the retention of food wastes and toxins that stay too long in the colon can cause constipation. This is because of low fiber diets, which result in a hard, difficult stools to pass. Regular bowel movements are important to your health. Now keep in mind, we are not all on the same schedule. Some of us have bowel movements everyday while some have them every other day. We are all different. The colon and bowel are where all the waste material after food nutrients have been extracted to be deposited. The body normally excretes waste in about 24 hours. Harmful toxins begin to form after this period.

The most common causes of constipation are:

* Low fiber diet
* Not enough exercise
* Not enough fluids

Other causes of constipation are:

* Stress
* Electrolyte imbalances
* Hormone imbalances
* Bowel Obstruction
* Irritable Bowel Syndrome
* Medications – Laxative abuse, opiates, anticholinergics, Calcium, Iron Supplements, Antacids, Diuretics, Codeine type meds, etc.
* Neuromuscular – paralysis, Multiple Sclerosis, Spinal Cord Injuries
* Anorectal disorders – fecal impaction, cancer, fissures, hemorrhoids, rectal polyps, etc.
* And, specific diseases

Great constipation remedies are to eat plenty of high fiber foods, drink plenty of fluids, and exercise. Even if you eat high fiber food, occasionally you may still need help achieving regular bowel movements.

Doctors diagnose you with constipation based upon your constipation symptoms of your poop. You may describe it as difficult to pass and as hard, firm, small pellets. You may tell the doctor that you feel bloated with abdominal pain and distention. These are constipation symptoms. If your condition has lasted 3 months or longer, it is considered chronic constipation.

Your local doctor may prescribe some OTC (over-the-counter) or other medications as constipation remedies, such as:

Bulk-forming laxatives
Stool softeners
Suppositories
Enemas (last resort)
Fiber
Milk of Magnesia
Lactulose – diabetics should avoid
Castor Oil

How do doctors diagnose constipation? Usually it is diagnosed based upon your constipation symptoms, which are discussed above. X-rays, rectal exam, and manual dissimpaction can be used to diagnose constipation. There are tests that can be performed, such as: sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, colorectal transist study, anorectal function test, and defecography test.

The people that are at greatest risk of constipation are: people over 55, infants and children, people who abuse laxatives, people who are terminally ill, people who travel, and people who have inadequate diets.
Lifestyle changes and diet changes are your number one mode in relieving, treating and getting colon constipation relief. Great constipation remedies are foods high in fiber. Those foods are:

Fruits – apples, oranges, peaches, prunes, and berries
Vegetables – any green leafy vegetable, carrots, and any type of squash
Breads – wheat and whole grain (includes cereals) Total and oatmeal
Fiber – most beans: kidney, lima, or black-eye peas

Try these dietary changes to gain colon constipation relief.

Celiac Disease symptoms are over 300. However, most people walking around with the Celiac Disease do not have any symptoms. It is a disease that affects the small intestines because of its inability to tolerate the gluten in your diet. Gluten is a protein. It is found in wheat, barley and rye. There are over 3 million people that are affected by this inherited autoimmune disease. When gluten is ingested into the body, it causes an immune response which damages the villi of the small intestines and causing havoc on the body.

Symptoms of celiac disease can be one or more of the following: chronic diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, weight loss, stools that are pale in color and foul smelling, fatigue, painful joints, tingling and numbness in the legs, and dermatitis herpetiforms.

Antibody tests can be performed to diagnose Celiac disease. Doctors test the blood and measure the levels of certain antibodies. These antibodies are EMA-IgA and TG-IgA. If it is positive, it means that you need a biopsy. The “gene tests” are performed to rule out Celiacs Disease. If a biopsy is needed, the biopsy is taken from the small intestine to see if any damage has occurred. A Marsh Score is used to rate the damage to the villi. The diagnosis is then confirmed using a gluten free diet with a positive response. A gluten free diet is the only known Celiac disease treatment available.

Gluten-free diets can create an overwhelming lifestyle of modification and adjustment; however it is a very necessary one. Just a hint of gluten is enough to trigger the disease and create internal damage. Your local doctor can refer you to a Registered Dietitian that is familiar with the disease and gluten free diets. A Registered Dietitian can be a great resource for your Celiac disease treatment.

What does a gluten-free diet mean? A gluten-free diet means avoiding all foods that contain wheat, rye, and barley. Did you know there are gluten-free breads and pastas? Do you know instead of using wheat flour, that you can use flour made out of potatoes, rice, soy, corn or beans? There are certain foods that do not contain gluten. They are plain meat, fish, rice, fruits, and vegetables. So, eat as much of these foods as they like.

You must be extremely careful about what you buy for lunch at school or work or grab from the refrigerator for a snack. Also, eating out can be a real challenge. You must learn to scrutinize the menu for foods with gluten. Learn to ask questions and if the waiter doesn’t know, ask the chef and avoid any Celiac disease symptoms.