Symptoms
The symptoms of a irritable stomach can vary greatly and can occur individually or in combination. They can be permanent or only occur in certain situations. The symptoms can either be intensified before or after food intake, or they can be completely independent of it.
Typical symptoms include pain in the upper abdomen, a feeling of fullness, nausea and possibly even vomiting. Digestive disorders, such as flatulence or irregularities in the stool may also be caused by an irritable stomach. Often the symptoms are accompanied by loss of appetite.
Acidic belching and heartburn are further possible symptoms. Circulation problems or heart stabbing within the irritable stomach can also occur. The general condition of the patients is usually impaired by the complaints.
In addition, most are afraid that a serious illness, such as a stomach ulcer or stomach cancer, is behind the complaints. This is often accompanied by rapid fatigue, sleep disorders, headaches, nervousness or lack of concentration due to the stomach problems. As a rule, if the symptoms are mildly pronounced, no drug treatment is necessary.
A change in diet and lifestyle is often enough to alleviate the symptoms. Herbal teas and relaxation techniques can help to calm the stomach and thus above all to avoid cramps. In addition, regular exercise is the best prerequisite for normal activity of the stomach muscles.Several smaller meals a day should be taken to relieve the stomach.
Before going to bed, the last meal should be about three hours ago, as the stomach also comes to rest during the night. It often brings relief if patients avoid coffee, alcohol, cigarettes and hot spices. Excessively high-fat food should also be avoided.
If there are complaints in the form of heartburn, it is helpful to raise the headboard of the bed to prevent the food pulp from flowing back into the esophagus. If the irritable stomach is caused by excessive stress or other psychological factors, it is sometimes necessary to take psychotherapeutic measures to deal with it better. If the symptoms are very pronounced, it may be necessary to start a drug therapy to improve the quality of life.
However, this can only eliminate the symptoms, not the underlying cause. Above all, stomach acid-inhibiting drugs such as proton pump inhibitors are used to treat the irritated stomach. So-called prokinetics can also help to alleviate the symptoms, as they accelerate gastric emptying.
If the symptoms are mainly stomach cramps, antispasmodic drugs can be helpful. Many patients also experience relief of their symptoms when taking the herbal medicine Iberogast. Homeopathic remedies can also be tried to alleviate the symptoms of an irritable stomach.
Depending on which complaints predominate, different remedies can be used. These include Chamomilla (chamomile), Nux vomica (nux vomica), Colocynthis (coloquinte), Natrium muriaticum, Pulsatilla pratensis (pasque flower) and Staphisagria (St. Stephen’s wort). It is recommended to suck these once a day as a tablet in the dosage D12.
In addition, globules or drops can also be used. Here Asa foetida, Asarum, cerium oxalicum and Delphinum Staphisagria can be taken in the potencies D6 to D12 or in lower potencies. Three times daily 5 globules or 5 to 20 drops are the recommended dose.