What does the human stomach not digest? How to improve digestion and forget about stomach problems forever Food is not digested in an adult.

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Hello. I'm 52 years old. Height 176cm. Weight 95kg. For 10 years, I have been worried about constant bloating, very slow digestion of food, and general discomfort. The food consumed is lumpy for a long time and I feel heaviness, but I don’t feel pain in my stomach. From year to year it gets worse and worse. Worried about constant heartburn. 2 years ago, my gallbladder was removed (a stone 5-6 cm in size was found, although it didn’t bother me very much) and the hernia mesh was sewn up. After 2-3 months, the condition gradually worsened, bloating and poor digestion of food began again. A month ago, he was examined at the diagnostic center. The doctors diagnosed him with Chronic pancreatitis in the acute stage. fatty hepatosis. postcholycystectomy syndrome. Chronic gastroduodemitis. Treatment was prescribed: Injections; Kvamatel 5.0 IV 5 days 1 time per day, Essentiale "N" 5.0 IV 10 days 1 time per day. Tablets; Nolpaza 40mg. X 1 time 20 days., Essentiale 1 caps. X 3 times 20 days, Creon 25000 units. 1 caps. X 3 times after meals for 20 days, clarithromycin 0.5 1 caps. X 2 times - 7 days., Efloran 400 mg. 1 tab. x 2 times 7 days. Recommended; A diet with a restriction of alcoholic drinks, fatty and spicy foods, canned foods, smoked meats, pickled foods, flour dishes, sour foods, fried foods and sweets. While taking injections, pills and following a diet with restrictions, I felt good. The condition worsened on the first day of non-compliance with the diet. A little exercise didn't help. But I think that the rest of my life to sit on a diet is very difficult. I ask YOU to answer specifically about my illness, I should contact a gastroenterologist, endocrinologist or hepatologist, I don’t know. Please do not reject my question and advise whether it is possible to feel normal without following a diet. What to do for this? How to be treated. Thanks in advance.

In a lice situation, following a diet is the key to your well-being. From your description, it is clear that your pancreas cannot cope with the load that you give it, meaning the food load. And only following a diet can lead to good health. deals with these issues. Diet: it is important to eat often and fractionally, not in large portions - breakfast, second breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. Do not overeat at night. Alcoholic drinks are completely excluded, they are the first to hit your "unfortunate" pancreas. Rich soups are excluded (soup is cooked separately, meat separately), smoked meats, fried and spicy dishes. Outside of exacerbation, you can porridge (except pearl barley), meat and fish of non-fatty varieties in a baked, boiled, stewed form, most importantly without frying, but cooking options delicious meals there are a lot now. And at the beginning of each meal, you need to take enzymes - preferably Creon from 10 to 25 thousand per reception, depending on the nutritional load: breakfast, lunch and dinner for 25 thousand, for snacks for 10 thousand. This dose should be taken as much as your need. body, blurry - but you yourself will determine when you can reduce the dose of enzymes and switch first to 10 thousand for the main meals, and then, possibly, completely abandon the enzymes. But this is over time. Give the body a little more time to normalize, perhaps in a year it will be possible to break a little under the guise of enzymes without consequences.

You difficulty digesting food? Is digestion difficult and slow? We investigate the causes (diseases and bad habits), remedies, and what to do to relieve symptoms when they occur.

First of all, calm down, digestive problems are a very common disorder: suffice it to say that in Russia 20-30% of visits to the doctor are due to difficulties with digesting food!

In most cases, to eliminate digestive disorders, it is enough to follow simple advice such as improving lifestyle or limiting certain foods and drinks; but in other cases, digestive difficulties can hide the disease gastrointestinal tract or even extraintestinal.

The main causes of slow and heavy digestion

Digestive disorders such as heartburn, acidity and heaviness are very common in our time in the Western world, and are mainly the result of lifestyle and diseases such as food or drug intolerance.

Let's look at them in more detail.

Bad habits that slow down digestion

Analyzing the points listed above, it is obvious that the main causes of slow digestion are derived from personal habits, roughly speaking, the wrong way of life. Let's see what aspects negatively affect digestive system.

When you skip meals or eat a large portion at a time, it puts undue stress on the gastrointestinal tract, and given that digestion is much slower and more laborious than usual.

Also fried foods significantly stretch the digestion time, especially those that are 100% saturated with oil.

Alcohol is an important factor that delays gastric emptying (the effect depends on the dose: the more, the longer it takes gastric emptying).

Cigarette smoke also slows down the secretion of acid in the stomach.

In addition, a sedentary lifestyle can increase gastric emptying time and passage through the intestinal tract.

Hard to digest foods

Often, those who follow a healthy lifestyle may complain of digestive disorders associated with the consumption of certain foods or drugs:

  • All starchy foods: You may have difficulty digesting pizzas, breads and cakes made with Saccharomyces Cerevisiae yeast or brewer's yeast. The cause may be yeast intolerance. Often, some sources of carbohydrates with a high glycemic index, such as pasta or rice, can also slow down digestion, especially when combined with high-fat foods: in these cases, it is recommended to eat whole grain foods, as well as keep sugar levels under control. in blood .
  • Milk: People who are lactose or milk protein intolerant often experience bloating, abdominal pain, and diarrhea after drinking cow's milk. You may suspect intolerance when indigestion is accompanied by nausea, dizziness, and constipation. The solution may be to use vegetable drinks such as soy, rice or almond milk.
  • Meat: it is difficult to digest for all people, especially fatty meats (veal, lamb and pork). The fats contained in it complicate digestion, increase the time of gastric emptying.
  • A fish: As with meat, some types of fish can cause poor digestion. The risk zone includes eel, mackerel, salmon and tuna.
  • Onion and garlic: They weaken the tone of the lower esophageal sphincter, the valve that separates the esophagus from the stomach. Their use should be avoided in case of reflux and dyspepsia.
  • Spices: in particular, mint and pepper, which increase the burning sensation and acidity.
  • Cabbage and tomatoes: vegetables in general, being rich in fiber, accelerate gastric emptying, therefore, do not cause digestive problems. Only a few, especially cruciferous ones (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and turnips), can cause gas and bloating. Some people also complain of intolerance to tomatoes, the use of which is accompanied by hives, nausea, fluid retention.

Medication and digestive disorders

Some medicines can cause digestive problems, but they usually appear with long-term treatment:

  • Potassium salts, are suitable for the treatment of hypertension, dehydration and replenishment of potassium deficiency. High doses of potassium salts can cause ulcers, indigestion, and nausea.
  • Alendronates used to treat osteoporosis can cause esophageal ulcers, diarrhea, nausea, and abdominal pain.
  • Antibiotics cause fermentation in the intestines and bloating because they kill the intestinal flora.
  • Digitalis, used in heart conditions, often causes anorexia, nausea and vomiting.
  • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin - one of the most common causes of gastritis and peptic ulcers, because they reduce the protective force of the gastric mucosa and increase the excretion of acidic substances.

Psychological Factors - How Anxiety and Depression Affect Digestion

Scientists have found a strong relationship between digestive disorders and anxiety in people that evoke somatic emotions. Stress and emotional stress may be responsible for digestive difficulties, as in hysterical dyspepsia, but the mechanisms are still poorly understood.

Hormonal changes: pregnancy, cycle and menopause

The hormonal changes that underlie menstrual cycles can interfere with the digestive process: an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone causes excessive intestinal motility, often resulting in episodes of constipation, diarrhea, and digestive difficulties.

Hormonal changes, along with intense levels of stress, are the cause of poor digestion during menopause and pregnancy.

In particular, during pregnancy, the level of progesterone increases, which has a relaxing effect on the muscles and, accordingly, the loss of tone of the lower esophageal sphincter. This makes it easier for stomach contents to rise up into the esophagus. In addition, the intestinal musculature does not contract strongly enough, the contents of the intestine move slowly and constipation occurs.

Difficulties with digesting food appear at the beginning of pregnancy, but the situation worsens with fourth month when the stomach begins to grow and the fetus presses on the stomach and intestines. There are very few remedies for digestive difficulties during pregnancy, since such drugs, due to their high calcium content, cannot be used by pregnant women.

Diseases and symptoms associated with poor digestion

Digestive disorders occur more often after eating and are often associated with banal gluttony.


But, sometimes the same symptoms can be associated with problems of the esophagus, stomach, liver and biliary tract, for example, if in old age there are digestive disorders half an hour after a meal, "intestinal ischemia" can be suspected.

On the contrary, ulcer duodenum gives symptoms directly during meals, and nausea before meals may indicate hepatobiliary dysfunction. Often, poor digestion is associated with a large dinner after fasting all day.

It is not uncommon for discomfort to occur independently of meals, for example during sleep: in the case of people suffering from reflux disease. In this case, it may be useful to raise the head of the bed by 10 cm.

Below we explain what diseases can cause digestive problems and what symptoms they present.

Stomach diseases

Reflux disease, hiatal hernia The reason is the rise of the contents of the stomach into the esophagus. This is due to a decrease in the tone of the lower esophageal sphincter. Excess acidity, bitterness in the mouth, bad smell from the mouth, pain and burning in the stomach, insomnia, high blood pressure and tachycardia.
Ulcer Caused by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which destroys the gastroduodenal mucosa, making the walls of the stomach susceptible to the action of gastric juice Heartburn, pain in the upper abdomen.

Bowel disease

Irritable bowel syndrome (so-called "ulcerative colitis") The cause of this condition is thought to be an imbalance in the intestinal flora, but it is not yet clear how it can cause digestive disorders Bloating, flatulence, diarrhea, side pain
celiac disease Reduces the absorption function of sugar and nutrients; nutrients are not absorbed, remain in the intestinal lumen, ferment and form gas Bloating, flatulence, diarrhea

Diseases of the liver, pancreas and biliary tract

Extraintestinal diseases

Digestive disorders can also cause diseases outside the gastrointestinal tract, such as diabetes mellitus, thyroid disease, inflammation of the adrenal glands and blood vessels, heart and kidney failure.

In all these cases, intestinal transit slows down, bloating and constipation develop, because the action of the autonomic nervous system(part of the nervous system responsible for intestinal peristalsis).

Dyspepsia - a diagnosis of exclusion

If the symptoms are persistent or intermittent, persisting for at least 3 months, then we can talk about functional dyspepsia. This is a diagnosis of exclusion, that is, they talk about it when the doctor excludes all the others. causes of indigestion.

Symptoms of dyspepsia: feeling of heaviness after eating, nausea, vomiting, frequent belching, drowsiness.

Consequences of slow digestion - constipation and bloating

Complications of slow digestion vary depending on the reasons that caused it. If indigestion is based on diseases of the stomach, such as ulcers or reflux disease, then the delay in gastric emptying leads to an increase in the secretion of gastric juice. In case of mucosal ulceration, prolonged food in the stomach can lead to perforation of the stomach wall with bleeding.

slow digestion in the intestines suggests a slowdown in peristalsis and, consequently, the development of constipation. If the waste products of digestion remain in the intestines for a long time, they mechanically irritate the intestinal walls and cause them to swell.

Slow digestion causes obesity

According to some experts, slow digestion can lead to weight gain: mainly due to constipation and water retention, and not due to the accumulation of body fat.

However, this question is not so unambiguous, because all the foods that we eat are well digested and absorbed from the intestines, regardless of the length of the journey, and with slow digestion we absorb as many calories as with normal digestion. Rather, the reverse situation may occur - when the stomach remains full for a long time due to slow digestion, the brain does not receive a hunger stimulus, therefore, as a rule, such people eat less and lose weight.

Effective remedies for digestive problems

Slow and prolonged digestion of food may, as we have seen, be the result of a disease of the stomach, intestines, or, in some cases, may have an extraintestinal cause, but may also be the result of improper food intake.

First digestive aid It's about maintaining a healthy lifestyle in food. Eat slowly, chew properly, reduce stress, move more - in most cases, following these recommendations will solve all digestive problems.

You can also add herbs to tea or use chewable tablets that stimulate bowel function and digestion. These agents are most effective in functional disorders.

If digestive difficulties persist, it is necessary to consult a doctor and do research to find out the causes of intestinal disorders.

What to eat and what foods to avoid

What to include in your diet help slow digestion? In principle, you can eat anything that does not cause bloating and heartburn, the main thing is to make meals too plentiful and high in protein and lipids.

Other helpful tips:

  • Eat a Balanced Diet, in which the nutrients will be divided equally between all meals, so as not to aggravate digestion.
  • With exacerbation of digestive disorders, it may be helpful to reduce main meals and introduce two snacks in the middle and in the afternoon so that the load on the gastrointestinal tract is more evenly distributed.
  • Avoid foods, which are difficult to digest, such as fried and fatty meats, the types of fish mentioned above, fats that slow down the emptying of the stomach and cause a feeling of heaviness.
  • Give up flour, milk and dairy products, in case of intolerance to these products.
  • When digestive problems due to reflux it may be useful to exclude garlic, onions, spicy foods from the diet.
  • If you are suffering from flatulence, avoid cruciferous vegetables.
  • Refrain from alcohol to speed up gastric emptying and from smoking to reduce burning and acidity.
  • Maintain the correct weight- this reduces pressure on the stomach, especially when you sleep, so you can reduce episodes of reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus.

Strategy - food diary

To find out which foods cause digestive problems, you must learn to recognize the signals our body sends. In this light, it is useful to keep a food diary in the following form:

By completing this chart every day for a week, it will be easier for you to understand which foods cause digestive problems, including when to eat them.

Natural remedies - herbal teas and tablets.

To improve digestion, we can use natural herbs in the form of teas or chewable tablets, which should be taken before meals two or three times a day.

Herbs that help us digest food better.

Not proper nutrition, snacking on the run or a heavy meal at night - all this can lead to the fact that the stomach does not digest food. What to do when the stomach cannot digest food, and how to restore the work of the body, excites many.

Basic information about the disease

The stomach is the place where food is digested. Its volume in an adult is approximately 2-3 liters. Food enters the stomach through the esophagus, where it is broken down into its components: proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. When the body feels the need for food, it gives a signal, and the amount of hydrochloric acid increases, which contributes to the breakdown of food. The speed of this process is different: carbohydrates are completely processed in 2 hours, while a similar process for fats takes up to 5 hours.

Poor diet, snacking on the run, or heavy meals at night can all cause the stomach to not digest food.

The deterioration of the stomach, in which it practically stops digesting food, is called dyspepsia and may be accompanied by unpleasant sensations: bouts of nausea, heaviness in the abdomen and a feeling of fullness. If timely effective measures are not taken, the consequences will be very serious.

Symptoms of dyspepsia can manifest as follows:

  • feeling of fullness in the stomach;
  • bloating, distension;
  • symptoms of peptic ulcer: vomiting, nausea, heartburn, "hungry" pain;
  • belching;
  • after eating, there may be a burning sensation in the chest area;
  • heaviness and pain in the upper abdomen, not associated with eating;
  • pain in the upper spine;
  • sometimes there is vomiting, causing relief for a short period;
  • loss of appetite, rapid satiety (associated with undigested food in the stomach).

The disease may develop different ways: according to the ulcerative, dyskinetic or non-specific variant. The dyskinetic variant involves the appearance of a feeling of rapid satiety, overcrowding, and discomfort. With peptic ulcer, there are signs of peptic ulcer, that is, belching, "hungry" or night pain, heartburn. The nonspecific variant combines signs of both ulcerative and dyskinetic course of the disease.

Causes of the disease

The most common causes of dyspepsia are malnutrition and lack of a culture of eating. Dry snacks, in conditions of constant stress and haste, will certainly affect health. The selection of products can affect the functioning of the stomach. There are a number of products that, depending on the individual characteristics of a person, the stomach does not perceive.

The most common causes of dyspepsia are malnutrition and lack of a culture of eating.

Discomfort can arise from fatty, heavy or overly spicy foods. Alcohol can also cause problems, as it stimulates the production of hydrochloric acid, thereby increasing the load on the walls of the stomach.

In some cases, disruption of the functioning of the stomach can be caused by hormonal failure - this phenomenon is often observed in pregnant women. Finally, the secretion of gastric juice may be the result of disorders of the secretory glands.

In some cases, poor health may occur in the morning. This suggests that a person abuses late meals. Like all human organs, the stomach must have time to rest.

There are other causes of dyspepsia:

  • decreased metabolism;
  • the appearance of bacterial colonies in the gastric mucosa;
  • insufficient concentration of gastric juice;
  • gastritis.

Regardless of the reasons why the stomach does not digest food, it is urgent to start treatment and seriously review the diet and food selection.

Types and forms of the disease

There are two main groups of the disease: organic and functional. Organic dyspepsia is a syndrome in which there is no serious violations structures of the digestive tract, only functional, that is, associated with the work of organs. Functional dyspepsia is characterized by the appearance of structural pathological changes organs of the gastrointestinal tract. In this case, the symptoms will be observed more clearly and for a long time.

The main types of the disease are determined depending on the causes that provoked their occurrence.

Dyspepsia caused by intestinal infections can be of several types:

  • salmonellosis - characterized by an increase in temperature up to 39 ° C, the appearance of vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness and headache;
  • dysentery - usually affects the large intestine, the main manifestation is stool mixed with blood;
  • intoxication - develops as a result of poisoning with influenza, acute infectious diseases, poisoning.


Dyspepsia associated with a lack of digestive enzymes can be of the following types:

  • gastrogenic;
  • hepatogenic;
  • pancreatogenic;
  • enterogenic.

Alimentary dyspepsia is caused by an unhealthy lifestyle and has 3 subspecies, characterized by an excess of any component.

Putrefactive develops when eating too many carbohydrate-containing foods, that is, meat, fish, and eggs predominate in the diet. Perhaps the development of the disease due to the consumption of stale meat products.

Fatty dyspepsia is caused by an excess of fats in the diet, especially refractory fats - lamb or pork fat.

The fermentation form is caused by an excess of carbohydrate-containing foods in the diet, such as bread, legumes, cabbage, sugar and some others, as well as fermentation drinks (these include beer and kvass).

Diagnostic methods

The cessation of digestion of food in the stomach can be a symptom of another, more serious disease, so if signs appear, you should consult a doctor.

First of all, the doctor collects an anamnesis. It is necessary to describe all complaints as accurately as possible: how long and how much the pain bothers you, when they appear, whether there is heartburn, whether there are other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

After that, the doctor may prescribe both instrumental and laboratory tests.

Instrumental studies may include ultrasound and computed tomography. With the help of electrogastroenterography, violations of the motility of the stomach, that is, its ability to promote the food mass, are detected. If you suspect more serious illness(tumor), the patient may be assigned x-rays. The inner surface of the stomach is analyzed using an endoscope, often with simultaneous biopsy. Testing for the presence of the pathogen Helicobacter pylori.

TO laboratory research refer biochemical analysis blood, fecal analysis for the presence of dietary fiber and occult blood.

Therapeutic measures

If a violation of digestion in the stomach is caused by the development of another disease (flu and other viral diseases, ulcers, gastritis, pancreatic diseases, duodenitis, etc.), it is he who is treated first.

For the treatment of directly indigestion in the stomach, the patient is prescribed medical preparations different direction. For constipation, the patient is prescribed a laxative, but not for constant use - only until the stool returns to normal. If diarrhea is observed, the patient should take antidiarrheal drugs.

The patient is prescribed some drugs designed to eliminate the main symptoms of the disease:

  1. Enzymatic - improve digestion, the work of the stomach and duodenum.
  2. Proton pump blockers are prescribed for hyperacidity stomach, manifested in the form of heartburn and sour belching.
  3. Histamine blockers are drugs that reduce the acidity of the stomach, but have a weaker effect than proton pump blockers.
  4. Painkillers - antispasmodics that reduce pain in the abdomen.

Non-drug treatment consists of simple measures. After eating, it is advised to walk for at least 30 minutes. At the time of treatment, the load on the press is excluded: twisting, lifting or tilting the torso.

Since one of the reasons that food is poorly digested is malnutrition, it is reasonable to try to improve the condition with the help of a diet. Therefore, at least for the duration of treatment, you need to give up fast food, fried, fatty, semi-finished products, since all of the listed products have a large amount of simple fats.

It is important to have a positive attitude - it helps to improve the production of gastric juice. Therefore, while eating, you do not need to plunge into gloomy thoughts or be distracted by watching TV, reading the newspaper and watching the news on the Internet.

The main rule is to seriously revise the diet. It is important to give preference to natural and high-quality food. If the stomach does not accept any food, then you can switch to a separate diet, since a diet selected in accordance with the rules allows you to unload the digestive system and determine a product that is not perceived by the gastrointestinal tract.

Separate nutrition involves following several rules. The main thing is that you can’t mix carbohydrates and proteins in one meal, since their processing requires a different concentration of gastric juice. In this case, fats can be combined with both proteins and carbohydrates.

It is important not to mix foods that take different amounts of time to digest. For example, nuts take longer to digest, so don't eat them at the same time as an orange.

You also need to be careful with liquids. It is not allowed to drink hot coffee or tea immediately after eating. To avoid problems, you need to drink water 15 minutes before a meal and at least an hour after a meal.

How to improve digestion if you are worried about belching, constipation or diarrhea, bloating and pain in different parts of the abdomen.

First you need to identify the reasons that interfere with good digestion.

If complaints of indigestion are permanent, it is necessary to be examined by a gastroenterologist. Perhaps you have not just functional disorders, but have already developed gastritis, enterocolitis or other pathology of the gastrointestinal tract.

If all the problems are connected only with the fact that you do not eat right, urgently remove everything that is harmful from your diet and improve digestion!

Gradually change the composition of products, for example, replace fatty meat with lean poultry or fish. Eat more dairy products. Baking, i.e. replace harmful simple carbohydrates with complex ones - fruits, vegetables. They do not require the participation of insulin in the processing of food, contain a lot of healthy dietary fiber and clean the intestines well.

What are the causes of digestive disorders

Caries and gum disease.

The process of digestion begins at oral cavity. The food bolus must be thoroughly chewed, moistened with saliva, treated with enzymes.

If a person has bad teeth, bleeding gums, inflammation of the mucous membranes or periodontal disease, this is very bad for digestion. Some people have a bad habit of eating very quickly. They will not have time to chew food, as they immediately swallow it.

What does this lead to? To the fact that insufficiently processed food will enter the stomach, then into the intestines, where the efforts of digestive juices will be spent not on digesting food, but on splitting it. And what does not have time to digest, will begin to ferment and rot.

Power supply errors.

  • Many do not take into account the speed of digestion of foods, so the sequence of eating food is wrong. For example, for many people, fruit is a dessert to be eaten after dinner. In fact, an apple eaten at the end of a meal will only begin to be digested small intestine. Because it is there that the enzymes for digesting carbohydrates are located. And before that, the eaten apple will lie and turn sour, wait for its turn until the meat food is digested under the action of hydrochloric acid and pepsin in the stomach.
  • It is bad for digestion when food is too hot or too cold.
  • Thick foods are not processed enough by enzymes. That is why it is desirable to have soup or borscht on your menu. But you should not drink food with water during lunch, because the acidity will decrease and the meat will be poorly digested in the stomach.
  • Excessive consumption of fatty, spicy and fried foods also contributes to poor digestion.
  • During the day, the main meal should be in the morning and afternoon hours. In the evening, you need to reduce the amount of food, and in no case do not open the refrigerator at night. At night, all digestive processes must end in the intestines and the body must rest.

Physical inactivity.

If you like to take a nap and lie on the couch after dinner and generally move little, this is also very bad. The muscles of the intestinal walls relax, motility and movement of the food bolus through the intestinal tube decreases. The mass of food stagnates, putrefactive processes intensify.

Intestinal dysbacteriosis. The bacterial flora in the large intestine is especially noticeably disturbed under the action of antibiotics. For normal digestion, the composition of the microflora is of great importance. There will be no good bifidus and lactobacilli in the intestines - there will be no healthy intestines.

Photo: What interferes with well-established digestion:


Stress. Any manifestations of neurosis adversely affect digestion. You will lose your appetite, you will stop watching what you eat. You will begin to seize stress with chocolates, useless crackers and cookies. causes increased intestinal motility and food will be poorly digested. Spasms of the gallbladder, esophagus, and large intestine may occur. All this makes the process of digestion very difficult.

Friends! What is the conclusion? You can have an absolutely healthy intestine, but if you are careless about food hygiene, you will first earn yourself digestive problems, which will gradually turn into persistent organic diseases: gastritis, ulcers, pancreatitis, cholelithiasis.

What are the symptoms of digestive disorders

Belching, hiccups, heartburn, nausea and vomiting, pain, bloating and rumbling in the stomach, constipation and diarrhea - this is the gentleman's set that anyone who neglects the rules of digestion can get hold of.

What foods promote good digestion

  • A variety of cereals: oatmeal, millet, buckwheat, rice;
  • Lactic acid products: milk, kefir, sour cream, cheese. But unglazed curds, dairy desserts and yoghurts;
  • Eggs of chicken and quail;
  • Poultry meat, lean beef, but not sausages, sausages and sausages;
  • Sea and river fish. If you want to enjoy salted trout or salmon, salt the fish yourself. Honestly, it will be more useful - no paint, no preservatives;
  • Vegetable oil (various types), butter, but not margarine;
  • Fruits, vegetables, berries - no restrictions (for most people);
  • All food is consumed boiled or stewed, but not fried or smoked. Fruits and vegetable salads - raw;
  • Don't forget about water. At least two liters of pure water should be in your diet per day.

Of course, I didn't list everything. The main thing is to exclude from food all semi-finished products, cuts, flour and confectionery. Food should be simple, not too high in calories.

Observe food hygiene! Three meals a day and two small snacks with fruits, nuts, natural juices. If you still sometimes experience symptoms such as heartburn, bloating, constipation, then do not neglect them. They shouldn't be! This is UNHEALTH! Urgently establish nutrition, go in for physical education and sports, support yourself psychologically.

Otherwise, heartburn will gradually turn into gastritis and ulcers, bloating into enzymatic deficiency and chronic pancreatitis. Do you need it? In practice, constant digestive problems are PRE-ILLNESS!

Therefore, I want to emphasize again - watch your diet and the sensations that you experience during and after eating. To improve digestion and prevent the development of chronic diseases, use time-tested folk recipes.

From heartburn, sunflower or olive oil, potato juice, peppermint, centaury grass, flax seeds will successfully help.

Sunflower or olive oil you should drink in the amount of a tablespoon as soon as you feel the first signs of heartburn. But no more than one or two spoons a day.

Dry mint leaves brew daily in a mug of boiling water and drink as tea several times a day. Take this drink from two weeks to a month. You will feel permanent relief.

potato juice very well extinguishes high acidity. Only it must be freshly prepared and you need to drink it in the morning on an empty stomach in an amount of 100 ml. You can have breakfast after an hour. It is necessary to treat not from case to case, but daily for 10 days.

But crushed egg shell I would still not recommend taking it. Of course, the shell is alkaline and neutralizes acid, but it is impossible to specify the exact amount of shell. Excess calcium is harmful to the body, it is poorly absorbed from the shell, causes constipation, and forms calcifications.

centaury herb in the amount of a tablespoon is poured with a glass of boiling water and infused in a thermos in the evening. In the morning it is filtered and consumed on an empty stomach, 30 ml before meals.

In the amount of a teaspoon pour boiled cold water(250 ml) and insist for several hours. Mucus is formed. The seeds are filtered and the liquid is drunk twice a day, always before meals. To improve digestion, it is advisable to undergo treatment for at least two weeks.

From bloating and flatulence in the stomach, you can help yourself with dill seeds, coriander, chamomile flowers with oregano, bitter wormwood, dandelion root.

Dill you need to put more often in all dishes when preparing food. You can also cook very useful water from seeds. Take two teaspoons of seeds (crushed) in two cups of boiling water, infuse for a quarter of an hour and drink half a cup three times half an hour before meals.

coriander seeds have no less pronounced carminative properties. Take a teaspoon of crushed seeds in a glass of boiling water, insist and filter. You need to drink three times a day before meals, dividing the volume of liquid into three parts.

A mixture of dry chamomile flowers and oregano herb (equal parts) take in the amount of two teaspoons, add a glass of boiling water. Insist for half an hour to strain. You need to drink before meals (30 minutes) for a third of a glass.

Wormwood perfectly soothes the intestines. It is necessary to take dry grass in the amount of a teaspoon and add two cups of boiling water, insist, strain and add honey to taste. Take also before meals (30 minutes) a third of a glass. This recipe is contraindicated for pregnant women.

Dandelion root first you need to grind and take at the rate of two teaspoons per glass of cold water, previously boiled. Insist in the evening. Reception to start in the morning, 50 ml before meals. At least 3 - 4 times a day. This great recipe will not only help with bloating, but will improve liver function, normalize stools and improve metabolism.

From which the infusion is made, it helps digestion well, protecting the mucous membranes from inflammation, improving intestinal motility, and treating constipation. Take 2 tablespoons of dry leaves and half a liter of boiling water, put in a thermos and leave for several hours. Then drink half a cup before meals several times a day.


Remedies such as bran, senna leaf with prunes, vegetable salads, vegetable oils, beets, aloe juice can help with constipation.

Sold in grocery departments, in a pharmacy. Steam a tablespoon in boiling water and add a little to each meal throughout the day. You can take a glass of kefir and add a teaspoon of bran to it, give them the opportunity to swell and eat them before going to bed.

Senna leaf with dried fruits. Take figs, dried apricots, prunes and honey in equal proportions (100 g each). Pass through a meat grinder and add olive oil (50 ml). In a pharmacy, buy a senna leaf and grind 30 gr in a coffee grinder. plants. Also add to the mixture and mix well. Take a tablespoon before bed. Great remedy for constipation.

Salad from chopped raw carrots, beetroot, celery root, apple, parsley, dill, seasoned olive oil and lemon daily include in your menu.

Olive, sunflower or linseed oil drink a tablespoon half an hour before breakfast with lemon water. Duration of reception depends on individual reactions of the person. For some, this remedy will help quickly, for another - you need to take a month or more.

Boiled beets, or juice should also be included in the diet if digestion is required. Do not forget that beetroot juice must be kept in the refrigerator for 2 hours before drinking it. Best used in combination with carrot juice (1:1).

Aloe juice will help not only soften the feces, but also cure the intestinal mucosa from inflammation, improve the production of enzymes and metabolism in general. If you have this plant in your house, be sure to use the following recipe.

Keep a few leaves of the plant in the refrigerator for two weeks, which will enhance the biostimulating properties of aloe. Then squeeze the juice and take two teaspoons of it, mixing to taste with honey three times a day. The course lasts 10 days.

How to improve digestion? The answer is clear: eat right, use the means traditional medicine and move more. Keep your bowels free of symptoms such as heartburn, belching, bloating, constipation, or diarrhea. If these symptoms become persistent, consult a gastroenterologist for a consultation. Do not miss the beginning of serious diseases of the stomach and intestines.

What are the types of dyspepsia, how is the diagnosis made, and how exactly to treat this disease for an adult and a child? These questions will be answered in this article.

Digestion in the stomach

The stomach is a kind of tool for processing food. The capacity of the stomach is about 2.5-3 liters. Food enters it through the esophagus. At the very beginning, food is broken down into fats, proteins and carbohydrates, and what is not digested is sent to the initial section of the small intestine (duodenum). When a person eats food, special acids are produced in the stomach, which help it to be divided into organic substances and digested. The stomach has walls that reliably protect it from the effects of acids. Food can be digested from 15 minutes to several hours. The indicator depends on the composition, calorie content, heat treatment of food.

Reasons why the stomach cannot digest food

Common causes of dyspepsia are oversights in the use of food and insufficient knowledge of the rules of nutrition. Dry food, snacks on the run sooner or later have a bad effect on health. There are some products that the body simply does not perceive and thus rejects, which is why the stomach “stands”. Discomfort and heaviness in the stomach can appear due to too fatty, spicy, or sour foods. Alcoholic drinks can cause a number of inconveniences, as they can induce the production of hydrochloric acid, and burden the walls of the stomach with this.

Here are some other causes of dyspepsia:

  • slow metabolism, when the digestive organs do not work well;
  • the presence of microbes in the gastric mucosa;
  • poor stimulation of the separation of gastric juice;
  • alcohol abuse in large quantities (applies to adults);
  • the presence of a disease - gastritis (can affect both an adult and a child).

There are cases when the normal functioning of the stomach is disrupted against the background of hormonal failure (mostly in pregnant women). If a person does not feel well in the morning, feels heaviness in the stomach long before breakfast, this indicates that he is a lover of a strong meal at night, which is strictly forbidden to do, since the stomach should rest at night just like other human organs. Knowing the reason why the stomach does not process food in any way allows you to start treatment on time, force you to follow a diet, and develop a certain diet.

Types of disease

Dyspepsia is divided into two groups: organic and functional. In the organic process, serious damage to the organs of the gastrointestinal tract is not detected, only malfunctions occur in their work. With functional - pathologies of the stomach and intestines are detected. These are much more serious violations. Dyspepsia is also divided by type of disease and depends on the causes that provoked these diseases. For example, an intestinal infection can become a provoking factor. The dyspepsia caused by it is divided into several types:

  1. Salmonellosis. Accompanied by fever, indigestion, general weakness, vomiting.
  2. Dysentery. It affects the large intestine, manifested by diarrhea mixed with blood.
  3. Intoxication. It is formed as a consequence of poisoning with some harmful substances, with past infections.

Dyspepsia with a lack of digestive enzymes is divided into types: gastrogenous, hepatogenic, pancreatogenic, enterogenic. In addition to these types of disease, there are others:

  • alimentary - a consequence of an incorrect lifestyle;
  • putrid - the result of eating too much meat and fish, perhaps not always fresh;
  • fatty - provoked by an excessive amount of fat in the daily menu;
  • fermentation form - occurs when using food products such as beans, bakery products, sweets, as well as drinks in the form of kvass and beer.

Diagnostics

If the stomach does not digest food, with the characteristic manifestations and symptoms of the disease, you should immediately seek medical help to diagnose and confirm the presence of the disease. First, you need to clearly and clearly, point by point, describe your symptoms and complaints to the specialist. Secondly, the doctor will determine what is better to prescribe - a laboratory test or a computer one. Computer includes ultrasonography, tomography. Laboratory involves collecting blood for analysis, checking feces. Additionally, tests for Helicobacter pylori infection are carried out, analysis of the stomach with an endoscope, if necessary, by means of an x-ray.

What to do?

In the case when the disruption of the stomach caused the presence of another disease (viral type, peptic ulcer, acute or chronic gastritis etc.), it is necessary to treat the second disease, and at the same time get rid of the symptoms of the first. Treatment of a stomach in which food is poorly digested is prescribed by taking medicines different action. Diarrhea can be treated with antidiarrheal medications, and constipation is treated with laxatives. Fever is brought down by antipyretics.

Medications

The doctor prescribes drugs to eliminate the symptoms of the disease, these include:

  • enzymes that contribute to better functioning of the stomach - "Creon", "Gastenorm forte";
  • painkillers that help eliminate stomach pain and normal functioning - "Drotaverin", "Spasmalgon";
  • Antihistamines that reduce the increased acidity of the stomach - Clemaksin, Ranitidine.

If you need to carry out therapy for a child, other, more gentle drugs are prescribed.

Treatment with folk remedies

Dyspepsia can be successfully treated for a child and an adult with the help of folk remedies and recipes. Examples of popular recipes:

  1. Celery. Take 1 tsp. ground celery root, pour 1 liter hot water and insist for 8 hours. Next - filter and drink 2 tbsp. l. during the day. If there is no root, then you can use and make an infusion of celery seeds and juice, the effect will be the same. Celery juice, as a medicine, will please the child.
  2. Dill. The plant is endowed with diversity useful properties which are too long to list. The most significant are the ability to improve digestion in a child and an adult, eliminate bloating and constipation, and have a diuretic effect. To prepare a decoction, take 1 tsp. dill seeds and pour boiling water, then strain and drink a sip during the day.
  3. Collection medicinal herbs can help normalize the metabolism in the body of both a child and an adult. Take honey, aloe and red wine. Honey and wine 600 grams each, aloe - 300 grams. Grind aloe, add honey and wine. Mix the components and take 1 tsp. on an empty stomach

In old age, there is a need for enemas, because with age, the metabolism becomes slower, not like in a child, so the digestive organs wear out, frequent constipation occurs, pain and cramps appear in the stomach, intestinal blockage occurs. It is necessary to force the elderly patient to do an enema at least once a week. Before the procedure, drink a glass of infused herb wormwood, which will have a beneficial effect on the digestion process.

Power correction

With the help of a diet, it is possible to alleviate and improve the condition of an adult and a child, especially during the period of taking medication. It is important to avoid fatty, fried, smoked, spicy, salty foods. This also includes meals. fast food(hot dogs, pizza, hamburgers, etc.), as they contain a large amount of unhealthy fats. If referring to diet food with a positive attitude, the appetite will improve and, accordingly, the production of gastric juice. Why is it necessary to eat in a quiet, peaceful environment, so that no external stimuli distract you from such an important activity.

It is important to pay attention to the menu of the daily table. It is recommended to choose products good quality, without harmful components, such as dyes and preservatives, so as not to burden the stomach. Product compatibility is important, that is, you should not eat meat with apples at the same time, since meat is digested poorly and for a long time, and apples quickly. An online food compatibility table will help. If you follow the recommendations, things will soon get better.

Regarding hot drinks, such as coffee or tea, which people are used to drinking immediately after eating, doctors are categorical - this is not recommended. Drinking hot drinks is allowed only an hour after or before a meal. These are the rules you need to follow for a speedy recovery in order to keep yourself and your child healthy.

Digestive Problems – Causes of Difficulty Digesting Food

Do you have difficulty digesting food? Is digestion difficult and slow? Exploring the causes (diseases and bad habits), remedies, and what to do to relieve symptoms when they occur.

First of all, calm down, digestive problems are a very common disorder: suffice it to say that in Russia, % of visits to the doctor are due to difficulties in digesting food!

In most cases, simple advice is enough to resolve digestive disorders, such as improving your lifestyle or limiting certain foods and drinks; but in other cases, digestive difficulties may mask gastrointestinal or even extraintestinal disease.

The main causes of slow and heavy digestion

Digestive disorders such as heartburn, acidity and heaviness are very common in our time in the Western world, and are mainly the result of lifestyle and diseases such as food or drug intolerance.

Let's look at them in more detail.

Bad habits that slow down digestion

Analyzing the points listed above, it is obvious that the main causes of slow digestion are derived from personal habits, roughly speaking, the wrong way of life. Let's see what aspects negatively affect the digestive system.

When you skip meals or eat a large portion at a time, it puts undue stress on the gastrointestinal tract, and given that digestion is much slower and more laborious than usual.

Also, fried foods significantly stretch the digestion time, especially those that are 100% oil-soaked.

Alcohol is an important factor that delays gastric emptying (the effect depends on the dose: the more, the longer it takes gastric emptying).

Cigarette smoke also slows down the secretion of acid in the stomach.

In addition, a sedentary lifestyle can increase gastric emptying time and passage through the intestinal tract.

Hard to digest foods

Often, those who follow a healthy lifestyle may complain of digestive disorders associated with the consumption of certain foods or drugs:

  • All starchy foods: You may have difficulty digesting pizzas, breads and cakes made with Saccharomyces Cerevisiae yeast or brewer's yeast. The cause may be yeast intolerance. Often, some sources of carbohydrates with a high glycemic index, such as pasta or rice, can also slow down digestion, especially when combined with high-fat foods: in these cases, it is recommended to eat whole grain foods, as well as keep sugar levels under control. in blood.
  • Milk: People who are lactose or milk protein intolerant often experience bloating, abdominal pain, and diarrhea after drinking cow's milk. You may suspect intolerance when indigestion is accompanied by nausea, dizziness, and constipation. The solution may be to use vegetable drinks such as soy, rice or almond milk.
  • Meat: it is difficult to digest for all people, especially fatty meats (veal, lamb and pork). The fats contained in it complicate digestion, increase the time of gastric emptying.
  • A fish: As with meat, some types of fish can cause poor digestion. The risk zone includes eel, mackerel, salmon and tuna.
  • Onion and garlic: They weaken the tone of the lower esophageal sphincter, the valve that separates the esophagus from the stomach. Their use should be avoided in case of reflux and dyspepsia.
  • Spices: in particular, mint and pepper, which increase the burning sensation and acidity.
  • Cabbage and tomatoes: vegetables in general, being rich in fiber, accelerate gastric emptying, therefore, do not cause digestive problems. Only a few, especially cruciferous ones (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and turnips), can cause gas and bloating. Some people also complain of intolerance to tomatoes, the use of which is accompanied by hives, nausea, fluid retention.

Medication and digestive disorders

Some medicines can cause digestive problems, but they usually appear with long-term treatment:

  • Potassium salts, are suitable for the treatment of hypertension, dehydration and replenishment of potassium deficiency. High doses of potassium salts can cause ulcers, indigestion, and nausea.
  • Alendronates used to treat osteoporosis can cause esophageal ulcers, diarrhea, nausea, and abdominal pain.
  • Antibiotics cause fermentation in the intestines and bloating because they kill the intestinal flora.
  • Digitalis, used for heart problems, often causes lack of appetite, nausea and vomiting.
  • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin - one of the most common causes of gastritis and peptic ulcers, because they reduce the protective force of the gastric mucosa and increase the release of acidic substances.

Psychological Factors - How Anxiety and Depression Affect Digestion

Scientists have found a strong link between digestive disorders and anxiety in humans, which trigger somatic emotions. Stress and emotional tension can cause digestive difficulties, as in the case of hysterical dyspepsia, but the mechanisms are still poorly understood.

Hormonal changes: pregnancy, cycle and menopause

The hormonal changes that underlie menstrual cycles can interfere with the digestive process: an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone causes excessive intestinal motility, often resulting in episodes of constipation, diarrhea, and digestive difficulties.

Hormonal changes, along with intense levels of stress, are the cause of poor digestion during menopause and pregnancy.

In particular, during pregnancy, the level of progesterone increases, which has a relaxing effect on the muscles and, accordingly, the loss of tone of the lower esophageal sphincter. This makes it easier for stomach contents to rise up into the esophagus. In addition, the intestinal musculature does not contract strongly enough, the contents of the intestine move slowly and constipation occurs.

Difficulties with digestion of food appear at the beginning of pregnancy, but the situation worsens from the fourth month, when the stomach begins to grow and the fetus presses on the stomach and intestines. There are very few remedies for digestive difficulties during pregnancy, since such drugs, due to their high calcium content, cannot be used by pregnant women.

Diseases and symptoms associated with poor digestion

Digestive disorders occur more often after eating and are often associated with banal gluttony.

Reasons for slow digestion

But, sometimes the same symptoms can be associated with problems of the esophagus, stomach, liver and biliary tract, for example, if in old age digestive disorders occur half an hour after a meal, "intestinal ischemia" can be suspected.

On the contrary, duodenal ulcer gives symptoms directly during meals, and nausea before meals may indicate hepatobiliary dysfunction. Often, poor digestion is associated with a large dinner after fasting all day.

It is not uncommon for discomfort to occur independently of meals, for example during sleep: in the case of people suffering from reflux disease. In this case, it may be useful to raise the head of the bed by 10 cm.

Below we explain what diseases can cause digestive problems and what symptoms they present with.

Why food is poorly digested and how to avoid it

Due to the modern lifestyle, many people do not pay due attention to proper balanced nutrition. This factor provokes various pathologies of the digestive system. Also, such ailments are caused by constant stress, long-term medication.

The main signs of poor digestion are the following: constipation or diarrhea, flatulence, bloating after eating, excessive gas formation, heartburn. How to eliminate the symptoms of such a pathology and normalize the digestive process?

Causes of heavy and slow digestion

Poor digestion is considered a common disorder of the gastrointestinal tract, the treatment of which directly depends on the cause of the ailment. If there are malfunctions in the digestive process, it is necessary to contact a gastroenterologist to find out the root cause of this condition and determine the course of therapy. Poor digestion leads to the fact that vitamins, minerals, macro- and microelements are not absorbed properly. Adequate timely treatment will help to correct the current situation.

Disturbances in the digestion of food are observed with increased acidity of gastric juice. In this case, the symptoms are supplemented by heartburn, a feeling of heaviness in the epigastric region, and pain syndrome. To avoid complications resulting from hypersecretion of gastric juice (development of gastritis, ulcers and other diseases), it is necessary to take timely measures.

In most cases, the cause of slow digestion is a violation in the diet. A sedentary lifestyle also acts as a provocateur of this pathology. Long-term use of antibiotics and other drugs causes intestinal dysbacteriosis and other pathologies that impede the process of assimilation of food by the body.

Before prescribing treatment, the doctor carefully studies aspects that have a negative impact on the gastrointestinal tract.

To avoid failures in the process of digestion of food, it is important to follow some rules:

  • Fight overweight.
  • Avoid alcohol and soda consumption.
  • Chew food thoroughly.
  • To live an active lifestyle.
  • Eat a light, regular and balanced diet.
  • Give up smoking.
  • Avoid stressful situations.
  • Cut down on anti-inflammatory medications.

Meals should be taken regularly and at the same time.

There should be at least 5-6 meals per day. Eat small meals. To avoid stress, reduce your intake of fried, fatty foods, which can significantly lengthen the digestion process.

Alcoholic drinks inhibit the emptying of the gastric cavity. Cigarette smoke greatly inhibits the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, making it difficult to digest even light foods.

Medicines and junk food

Gastrointestinal disorders are caused by certain medications and foods. The following groups are recognized as the most difficult to digest foods:

Milk

If a person has intolerance to milk protein, lactose, then clinical picture when consuming products containing it, it manifests itself as follows: diarrhea, bloating, pain. This symptomatology is manifested against the background of nausea, dizziness, difficulty defecation. The solution to this problem is to replace this product with almond, soy or rice milk.

Starchy products

Some people have trouble digesting cakes, pizza, regular bread, and other baked goods. In some cases, yeast intolerance is the cause. Products that are a source of carbohydrates with a high glycemic index can cause slow digestion. Basically, it's rice and pasta.

Meat products

Digesting meat is a long process. Especially when it comes to lamb, pork. This is due to the fact that meat contains a large amount of fat, which complicates the process of digestion and assimilation.

Tomatoes, cabbage

Most vegetables contain a lot of fiber in their composition, which contribute to the rapid digestion and emptying of the gastric cavity. However, some vegetables cause excessive gas production, which creates difficulties in the process of digestion. These foods include: turnips, broccoli, Brussels sprouts. Some people have an intolerance to tomatoes, manifested by hives, swelling and nausea.

Garlic and onion

Despite useful and medicinal properties these root crops, they help to reduce the tone of the lower esophageal valve. For this reason, garlic and onions are not recommended for use in dyspeptic syndrome, reflux.

With regard to drugs, prolonged or uncontrolled intake of certain drugs leads to a disorder of the digestive function. Like side effect possible with long-term therapy with the following medications:

  • Alendronates - they are used in the treatment of osteoporosis. In some cases, provoke diarrhea, nausea, pain syndrome in the abdomen, the development of peptic ulcer of the esophagus;
  • Potassium salts - used in the treatment of increased blood pressure as well as dehydration. An increased dosage provokes nausea, ulcers and intestinal upset;
  • Digitalis - indicated for the treatment of pathologies of cardio-vascular system. Provokes vomiting and nausea, disrupts appetite;
  • Antibiotics - are able to stimulate fermentation processes in the intestinal cavity, cause bloating and dysbacteriosis, as they disrupt healthy microflora;
  • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Aspirin, provoke various disruptions in the digestive system, as they significantly reduce the protective function of the mucous membrane.

Hormonal changes that occur against the background of normal digestion can interfere with normal digestion. menstrual cycle. Such disorders are provoked by the fact that against the background of an imbalance between progesterone and estrogen, excessive intestinal motility occurs. As a result, there is severe digestion of food products, constipation or diarrhea.

Difficulties with digestion are also observed in the first weeks of pregnancy. In the second trimester, symptoms may increase, as the pressure of the uterus on the gastrointestinal tract increases with the growth of the fetus.

Features of therapy

Treatment of such ailments is carried out under the strict supervision of a physician. Before taking medication, you should establish the true cause of the pathological condition. Based on the provoking factors, as well as the results of the examination, the doctor prescribes the appropriate therapy.

The best effect in normalizing the digestive process is provided by proper nutrition and an active lifestyle. It is important to eat regularly, chew food thoroughly, move more and avoid stressful situations. An excellent solution to the problem is herbal medicine, which helps to quickly stop unpleasant symptoms and restore the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. The following medicines are prescribed for treatment: Mezim, Creon, Pancreatin, Festal and others. These drugs are excellent help with such disorders from the digestive system.

If you are concerned about difficult digestion of food products, consult a doctor to find out the cause of the pathology and begin competent therapy. Do not self-medicate. Otherwise, there is a risk of starting pathology or improper treatment.

Why does an adult stomach not digest food and a method of treatment

Poor diet, snacking on the run, or heavy meals at night can all cause the stomach to not digest food. What to do when the stomach cannot digest food, and how to restore the work of the body, excites many.

1 Basic information about the disease

The stomach is the place where food is digested. Its volume in an adult is approximately 2-3 liters. Food enters the stomach through the esophagus, where it is broken down into its components: proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. When the body feels the need for food, it gives a signal, and the amount of hydrochloric acid increases, which contributes to the breakdown of food. The speed of this process is different: carbohydrates are completely processed in 2 hours, while a similar process for fats takes up to 5 hours.

The deterioration of the stomach, in which it practically stops digesting food, is called dyspepsia and may be accompanied by unpleasant sensations: bouts of nausea, heaviness in the abdomen and a feeling of fullness. If timely effective measures are not taken, the consequences will be very serious.

Symptoms of dyspepsia can manifest as follows:

  • feeling of fullness in the stomach;
  • bloating, distension;
  • symptoms of peptic ulcer: vomiting, nausea, heartburn, "hungry" pain;
  • belching;
  • after eating, there may be a burning sensation in the chest area;
  • heaviness and pain in the upper abdomen, not associated with eating;
  • pain in the upper spine;
  • sometimes there is vomiting, causing relief for a short period;
  • loss of appetite, rapid satiety (associated with undigested food in the stomach).

The disease can develop in different ways: according to the ulcerative, dyskinetic or non-specific variant. The dyskinetic variant involves the appearance of a feeling of rapid satiety, overcrowding, and discomfort. With peptic ulcer, there are signs of peptic ulcer, that is, belching, "hungry" or night pain, heartburn. The nonspecific variant combines signs of both ulcerative and dyskinetic course of the disease.

2 Causes of the disease

The most common causes of dyspepsia are malnutrition and lack of a culture of eating. Dry snacks, in conditions of constant stress and haste, will certainly affect health. The selection of products can affect the functioning of the stomach. There are a number of products that, depending on the individual characteristics of a person, the stomach does not perceive.

Discomfort can arise from fatty, heavy or overly spicy foods. Alcohol can also cause problems, as it stimulates the production of hydrochloric acid, thereby increasing the load on the walls of the stomach.

In some cases, disruption of the functioning of the stomach can be caused by hormonal failure - this phenomenon is often observed in pregnant women. Finally, the secretion of gastric juice may be the result of disorders of the secretory glands.

In some cases, poor health may occur in the morning. This suggests that a person abuses late meals. Like all human organs, the stomach must have time to rest.

There are other causes of dyspepsia:

  • decreased metabolism;
  • the appearance of bacterial colonies in the gastric mucosa;
  • insufficient concentration of gastric juice;
  • gastritis.

Regardless of the reasons why the stomach does not digest food, it is urgent to start treatment and seriously review the diet and food selection.

3 Types and forms of the disease

There are two main groups of the disease: organic and functional. Organic dyspepsia is a syndrome in which there are no serious violations of the structure of the digestive tract, only functional, that is, associated with the work of the organs. Functional dyspepsia is characterized by the appearance of structural pathological changes in the digestive tract. In this case, the symptoms will be observed more clearly and for a long time.

The main types of the disease are determined depending on the causes that provoked their occurrence.

Dyspepsia caused by intestinal infections can be of several types:

  • salmonellosis - characterized by an increase in temperature up to 39 ° C, the appearance of vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness and headache;
  • dysentery - usually affects the large intestine, the main manifestation is stool mixed with blood;
  • intoxication - develops as a result of poisoning with influenza, acute infectious diseases, poisoning with poisons.

Dyspepsia associated with a lack of digestive enzymes can be of the following types:

Alimentary dyspepsia is caused by an unhealthy lifestyle and has 3 subspecies, characterized by an excess of any component.

Putrefactive develops when eating too many carbohydrate-containing foods, that is, meat, fish, and eggs predominate in the diet. Perhaps the development of the disease due to the consumption of stale meat products.

Fatty dyspepsia is caused by an excess of fats in the diet, especially refractory fats - lamb or pork fat.

The fermentation form is caused by an excess of carbohydrate-containing foods in the diet, such as bread, legumes, cabbage, sugar and some others, as well as fermentation drinks (these include beer and kvass).

4 Diagnostic methods

The cessation of digestion of food in the stomach can be a symptom of another, more serious disease, so if signs appear, you should consult a doctor.

First of all, the doctor collects an anamnesis. It is necessary to describe all complaints as accurately as possible: how long and how much the pain bothers you, when they appear, whether there is heartburn, whether there are other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

After that, the doctor may prescribe both instrumental and laboratory tests.

Instrumental studies may include ultrasound and computed tomography. With the help of electrogastroenterography, violations of the motility of the stomach, that is, its ability to promote the food mass, are detected. If more serious diseases (tumors) are suspected, the patient may be prescribed x-rays. The inner surface of the stomach is analyzed using an endoscope, often with simultaneous biopsy. Tests are carried out for the presence of the pathogen Helicobacter pylori.

Laboratory studies include a biochemical blood test, a stool test for the presence of dietary fiber and occult blood.

5 Treatment activities

If a violation of digestion in the stomach is caused by the development of another disease (flu and other viral diseases, ulcers, gastritis, pancreatic diseases, duodenitis, etc.), it is he who is treated first.

For the treatment of indigestion directly in the stomach, the patient is prescribed medications of various directions. For constipation, the patient is prescribed a laxative, but not for permanent use - only until the stool returns to normal. If diarrhea is observed, the patient should take antidiarrheal drugs.

The patient is prescribed some drugs designed to eliminate the main symptoms of the disease:

  1. Enzymatic - improve digestion, the work of the stomach and duodenum.
  2. Proton pump blockers - are prescribed for increased acidity of the stomach, manifested in the form of heartburn and sour belching.
  3. Histamine blockers are drugs that reduce the acidity of the stomach, but have a weaker effect than proton pump blockers.
  4. Painkillers - antispasmodics that reduce pain in the abdomen.

Non-drug treatment consists of simple measures. After eating, it is advised to walk for at least 30 minutes. At the time of treatment, the load on the press is excluded: twisting, lifting or tilting the torso.

Since one of the reasons that food is poorly digested is malnutrition, it is reasonable to try to improve the condition with the help of a diet. Therefore, at least for the duration of treatment, you need to give up fast food, fried, fatty, semi-finished products, since all of the listed products have a large amount of simple fats.

It is important to have a positive attitude - it helps to improve the production of gastric juice. Therefore, while eating, you do not need to plunge into gloomy thoughts or be distracted by watching TV, reading the newspaper and watching the news on the Internet.

The main rule is to seriously review the diet. It is important to give preference to natural and high-quality food. If the stomach does not accept any food, then you can switch to a separate diet, since a diet selected in accordance with the rules allows you to unload the digestive system and determine a product that is not perceived by the gastrointestinal tract.

Separate nutrition involves following several rules. The main thing is that you can’t mix carbohydrates and proteins in one meal, since their processing requires a different concentration of gastric juice. In this case, fats can be combined with both proteins and carbohydrates.

It is important not to mix foods that take different amounts of time to digest. For example, nuts take longer to digest, so don't eat them at the same time as an orange.

You also need to be careful with liquids. It is not allowed to drink hot coffee or tea immediately after eating. To avoid problems, you need to drink water 15 minutes before a meal and at least an hour after a meal.