Dyspepsia: What do You Need to Know?

Dyspepsia, also known as indigestion, is the pain that arises in the upper abdomen, especially after eating or drinking. According to medical practitioners, it’s not a disease but a symptom. A research study highlights the fact that dyspepsia affects up to 30% of the population. The common symptoms of dyspepsia include bloating, nausea, feeling full quickly, and gas. Dyspepsia treatment is possible with a few lifestyle changes and OTC medications.

Symptoms of dyspepsia

If you suffer from dyspepsia, you will experience symptoms like:

1. Pain in the digestive system
2. Burning sensation in the digestive tract
3. Feeling full quickly during eating

Besides these symptoms, a patient may also experience nausea and bloating.

Causes

Dyspepsia may occur due to improper lifestyle or dietary habits, a medical condition, or the use of certain drugs. The common reasons for indigestion are listed below:

1. Dietary aspects
2. Obesity
3. Smoking
4. Stress

When there is no metabolic cause, a medical practitioner will diagnose functional dyspepsia. Under such circumstances, supplements containing lactobacillus reuteri will come to your help.

Treatments

Dyspepsia treatment depends on the cause and severity. In most cases, treating an underlying condition or altering a person’s medication will minimize dyspepsia.

Lifestyle treatments

For those with mild and infrequent symptoms, lifestyle changes can come in handy. It includes:

• Eating slowly
• Drinking water instead of soda
• Maintaining a moderate weight
• Curbing the intake of caffeine and alcohol
• Avoiding trigger foods like fried and spicy foods, chocolate, garlic, and onion
• Avoiding tight-fitting clothing
• Quitting smoking

Medications

If you are suffering from severe or frequent symptoms, your doctor may recommend certain medications. The patients should speak to their doctor regarding suitable options and possible side effects. For dyspepsia treatment, the medication options include antacids, H-2-receptor antagonists, proton pump inhibitors, prokinetics, antibiotics, and antidepressants.

Counseling

Counseling can also be a great help to individuals who suffer from chronic indigestion. Such problems affect a person’s quality of life and overall well-being. Counseling can help people to manage these issues. Given below are some of the counseling options:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Hypnotherapy
• Biofeedback
• Relaxation therapy

When to visit a doctor

The symptoms of dyspepsia may range from mild to severe. Some individuals may experience mild dyspepsia over time and manage the same with OTC medications, lactobacillus reuteri supplements, or lifestyle changes. However, those with frequent indigestion and worsening symptoms should resort to a doctor. In most instances, people tend to go to a doctor when they experience the following besides indigestion:

1. Severe stomach pain
2. Frequent vomiting
3. Changes in bowel movement
4. Black stools
5. A lump in the abdominal area
6. Unexplained weight loss

Dyspepsia is a term for persistent symptoms of indigestion with no actual cause. Mild to moderate dyspepsia can be tolerated without any medicines, but when it crosses the limit, you have to consult a doctor. When it comes to dyspepsia treatment, he can give you the necessary suggestions regarding the intake of medicines. Also, it’s important that you lead a healthy lifestyle to minimize the symptoms.

6 Important Health Benefits of Probiotics

 

In simple words, probiotics are live microorganisms that human beings can consume through supplements or fermented foods. According to studies, the balance or imbalance of bacteria in your digestive system is connected to overall health and disease. Probiotics like lactobacillus reuteri facilitate a healthy balance of gut bacteria and have been linked with an extensive range of health benefits. These encompass benefits for digestive health, the immune system, weight loss, and more. Given below are some of the important health benefits of probiotics:

1. Balances the friendly bacteria in the digestive system: Probiotics are referred to as good bacteria. If you consume these live microorganisms, you can experience a myriad of health benefits. With these probiotics, you can restore the natural balance of gut bacteria. An imbalance suggests there are several bad bacteria and not adequate good bacteria. More often, it happens due to illness, poor diet, certain medications like antibiotics, etc. When there is an imbalance, the consequences will be digestive issues, mental health problems, obesity, allergies, and more. By consuming probiotic supplements, you can optimize gut function by balancing the bacteria in your digestive system.
2. Prevent and treat diarrhea: Probiotics like lactobacillus reuteri are popularly known for their ability to treat diarrhea and minimize its severity. Diarrhea is often considered to be a side effect of taking antibiotics. It arises because antibiotics can significantly impact the balance of good and bad bacteria in the gut. Probiotics also treat other types of diarrhea not associated with antibiotics.
3. Improve gut integrity: The digestive system comprises a thin but strong wall of cells known as the gut barrier. This wall enables beneficial particles like water and electrolytes to pass from the intestines to the bloodstream. If the gut barrier is inflamed, bacteria and proteins may leak through the barrier. This phenomenon is known as increased intestinal permeability or leaky gut syndrome.
4. Minimize gas and bloating: The most common digestive problems are gas, bloating, and acidity. When there is an imbalance in your gut microbiome, yeast overgrowth, and food intolerances, instances of gas and bloating will occur. It may also show signs of a serious condition like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Probiotic supplements comprising lactobacillus reuteri play a great hand in rebalancing the gut microbiome while releasing bad bacteria.
5. Reduce stress: In this fast-paced life, every individual has to deal with anxieties. However, too much stress and anxiety will have an adverse impact on your health. The gut bacteria produce neurotransmitters that serve as the messengers of your body. These neurotransmitters control your bladder and heart function and also help with sleep and mood swings. Stress levels alter the gut bacteria which may impact the function and quantity of neurotransmitters.
6. Protect against antibiotic resistance: Antibiotics play a great hand in fighting bodily infections. However, they can disrupt the gut environment. Antibiotics reduce the variety of beneficial bacteria in the gut, which can hinder their ability to fight against other disease-causing microbes. Sometimes, harmful bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics and thereby, posing a real threat to treatment.

There are several health benefits of probiotics like lactobacillus reuteri. You need to take them on a regular basis to experience the difference. Besides promoting your gut health, probiotics also address the issues relating to your mental health and immune system.

H. Pylori Infection: Some Critical Aspects You Need to Know

H. Pylori is a certain kind of bacteria that can lead to gastritis and peptic ulcer. The germs enter your body and reside in the digestive tract. If left untreated, they can cause sores in the stomach lining or small intestine. But fortunately, H. Pylori treatment is widely available nowadays. H. Pylori infection is a common phenomenon across the globe. According to research, around two-thirds of the entire world population has H. Pylori bacteria in their bodies. For most, it doesn’t lead to ulcers and other severe symptoms. If you take proper medicines and control your diet chart, you can manage H. Pylori infection in your body.

Symptoms of H. Pylori infection

When you have an H. Pylori infection in the body, the symptoms may range from mild to worse. Given below are some of the common symptoms associated with H. Pylori infection:

1. Burning pain in your stomach
2. Loss of appetite
3. Nausea
4. Frequent burping
5. Bloating
6. Unintentional weight loss

How can H. Pylori infection be detected?

In case you don’t have symptoms of an ulcer, your doctor may not recommend any tests. The doctor may prescribe certain nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for a specific period to make things better. However, consuming too many of these drugs can damage your stomach lining. So, it’s necessary to find out the root cause of the symptoms. To detect the presence of H. Pylori in your intestine, your doctor may request you to undertake a blood/stool test or urea breath test. Your doctor may also recommend an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, upper GI tests, and a Computed Tomography (CT) scan to look more closely at your ulcers. The treatment of H. Pylori will depend upon the outcomes of these tests.

Treatment of H. Pylori

When you have ulcers due to H. Pylori, you have to undergo H. Pylori treatment that will kill the germs and heal your stomach lining. Generally, it takes 1 to 2 weeks of treatment to experience the difference. Your doctor will advise you to try different types of drugs. These options include:

• Antibiotics like amoxicillin and tetracycline can kill the bacteria in your body.
• Drugs like esomeprazole, omeprazole, and rabeprazole reduce the amount of acid produced by your body.
• Bismuth subsalicylate plays a great hand in eradicating H. Pylori
• Drugs that block the chemical histamine and thereby, instigating your stomach to make more acid. Some of these medicines are famotidine, Pepcid, and cimetidine. The treatment of H. Pylori depends a lot on these medicines.

Prevention techniques

Protecting yourself from H. Pylori infection isn’t a big deal. You can do so with a few simple techniques:

• Clean your hands before eating. Remember to do the same after using the washroom.
• Avoid contaminated food and water.
• Don’t eat anything that isn’t cooked well.
• Don’t allow people to serve foods who haven’t washed their hands.

You need to know that anxiety and spicy foods don’t lead to ulcers, but they can prevent the ulcer from quick healing and make the pain worse. So, you should talk to your doctor about techniques to manage stress and improve your diet. This way, you can ensure that your H. Pylori treatment is going in the right direction.

As stated above, H. Pylori infection is present in 50-75% of the world’s population. It doesn’t cause serious illness, but if left untreated, it may result in persistent gastrointestinal issues. H. Pylori infection is more common in developing countries and is prevalent among children. Yes, medicines are there to cure H. Pylori infection, but the key to good health lies in your diet and daily hygiene practices.