Stomach Problems

[limitme]

I've been having a stomach problem this past weekend. And I usually have stomach problems several times throughout the year. I woke Sat. with a really upset stomach. It was that feeling you have where your stomach is in knots, the feeling you get before you throw up. I figured I got a stomach virus, because alot of my students were getting it the week before. Anyway, all day Sat. my stomach just hurt (sort oflike that feeling before throwing up). I never did throw up, and I was able to eat some regular food, but it just zapped my energy and my stomached ached all day.

I usually get this about 2-3 times a year. Sometimes at night if I get it, I can't sleep, I just toss and turn and hold my stomach for most of the night. I have found that a hot bath does help a little.

What can I do to build up my stomach? I don't know much about curing stomach problems. Thanks

 

[tuina]

Hello,

one possibility is you may have had an infection that has never quite cleared.

Can you tell me a few more things:

How did it start? Have you had an acute stomach problem at any point?

Where is the pain? Is it actually in the stomach itself (i.e. just under the ribs, near the midline or slightly to the left) or somewhere else in the abdomen?

How severe is the pain? Would you describe it as a feeling of obstruction, a dull ache, a contracting pain, a fixed stabbing pain, or a burning pain?

Is your digestion normally completely comfortable when you are not suffering from these episodes? I.e. any bloating, nausea, or feeling of obstruction after eating?

How are your bowel movements?

For now, try rubbing your stomach in circles with your palm and then gently massage the affected area with your palm. This may help to relieve the pain.

 

[tuina]

Ah, ok, I just noticed the bit about the hot bath. Try a hot water bottle. You could also rub over your abdomen with a cut slice of fresh ginger, or better, grate some ginger, squeeze out the juice and massage your abdomen with it. You could also try a hot ginger poultice. After you do the massage I mentioned above, rub your palms together until they're warm and then hold the affected area.

 

[limitme]

Hello,

one possibility is you may have had an infection that has never quite cleared.

Can you tell me a few more things:

How did it start? Have you had an acute stomach problem at any point?

Just off and on the past several years. I mean about 2-3 times a year. Not very often, but it does come up every year. I always figured its because I'm a teacher and I'm exposed to so many students who are sick. Right now, I'm surrounded by students with stomach problems. Alot of my students have been sick

Where is the pain? Is it actually in the stomach itself (i.e. just under the ribs, near the midline or slightly to the left) or somewhere else in the abdomen?

Its difficult to tell, but i believe it is in the stomach itself. Although, sometimes when I get up and exert myself too much, (like when i was running after my kids) i almost felt like a flare up pain in my lower back area...maybe next to my kidneys, although, it could have just been in my stomach area and just felt like it was back there.

How severe is the pain? Would you describe it as a feeling of obstruction, a dull ache, a contracting pain, a fixed stabbing pain, or a burning pain?

its more of a burning, dull contracting pain, not a sharp pain. like when you're stomach is all twisted before you're about to throw up.

Is your digestion normally completely comfortable when you are not suffering from these episodes? I.e. any bloating, nausea, or feeling of obstruction after eating?

How are your bowel movements?

For now, try rubbing your stomach in circles with your palm and then gently massage the affected area with your palm. This may help to relieve the pain.

Actually, yes, I normally don[t have alot of problems. I've taken the vitamineral green before, and that probably helped to flush out alot of stuff and clean me out a little....that was a few months ago.

My bowel movements are usually good. Usually about once a day, sometimes twice. Its just when I get these stomach viruses, they seem to really get me. I know eating probiotics is good, and I might get some of the vitamineral green again to take, and I try to take stoneyfield yogurt with their probiotics, but what else is good for the stomach?

I saw in your post you were talking about ginger. I have some ginger pills from the vitamin shoppe? So, if you're stomach is aching, and you think it might be a virus or something, is it ok to take oregano oil (for the virus) and then take some ginger (for the stomach and digestion issues)?

I'll try that raw ginger thing. Shredded ginger and taking the juice and rubbing it on the stomach. I never heard of that before. I'm sure they sell some ginger root at the store.

 

[tuina]

I can't give any advice on internal herbal medicine as I'm not qualified in it. Just be careful of using anything too strong unless you are very sure of your diagnosis and prescription.

A gentle, food-based therapy is barley water. Not the sugary crap you get in bottles, but made yourself from barley grains. Ratio about 8 parts water to 1 part grain (e.g. 1/4 cup grain to 2 cups water), simmer for an hour or so, drink the liquid. Very warming and soothing for the digestive system. You can take this several times a day for a long time. It's especially good if you can't eat much. I think barley water would be very helpful.

Ginger juice massage is good, but I think in your case a warm ginger compress would be even better. Make a strong infusion of fresh ginger root, let it cool to a comfortable, warm temperature - like a nice hot bath - soak a cloth in it, wring out, place on the affected area and cover with a folded towel to keep it warm. Change it before it gets too cold.

When you're not having an attack, you could also massage the abdomen with toasted sesame oil. This has a generally strengthening effect. Also for a daily treatment between attacks, locate the point on the midline of your upper abdomen, halfway between your navel and the lowest point of your sternum (the breast bone that goes vertically between the ribs). Gently massage this point with your palm in circles, using just enough pressure so that the tissue moves with your palm, not just sliding over it.

Avoid cold foods such as iced drinks, ice cream, and excessive amounts of raw fruit and veg. Avoid eating food straight from the fridge.

Finally, are you wearing the right clothing to keep your abdomen and lower back warm, especially in winter?

 

[limitme]

What about flora? Someone was saying something about flora in the stomach...and junk food destroying them....
what helps to build flora back up? Are flora the tiny hairs int he stomach?

 

[tuina]

No, that's villi. They're part of your body.

Intestinal flora are not genetically part of your body, they're beneficial micro-organisms that live in our guts. It's a whole eco-system in there. Again, this is not my field of knowledge so don't take this as expert advice, but pro-biotic supplements are supposed to replenish them. I don't know if this is true. I rely on good old-fashioned dirt. I have also seen the opinion that if we create the correct internal environment, mainly by correct diet, the intestinal flora will repopulate.