Poor Digestion? There May Be Many Diseases Behind
Poor digestion or a feeling of discomfort in the stomach is a disorder that usually occurs when a person eats too much or inappropriate foods.
The problem manifests itself in that the upper abdomen begins to feel uncomfortable, and this includes a burning sensation, heaviness, and pain.
In most cases, the problem comes on suddenly and is usually alleviated with easy treatments and a healthy diet. Some, on the other hand, experience chronic, poor digestion as well as regular onset of symptoms.
When this happens, it is very important to pay attention to the warning signs and contact your doctor to determine the cause of the problem.
Sometimes then the reason may be that a person has another problem that manifests as indigestion and has a lot to do with stomach health.
This is why it is very important to pay attention to recurring symptoms as well as to get information about the disorders that may be behind the discomfort. Poor digestion can be caused by serious problems, which we will list next.
Poor digestion – possible causes:
Stomach ulcers
These are ulcers that form in the lining of the gut and stomach. There are several things that can lead to a stomach ulcer, and these include:
- excessive use of anti-inflammatory drugs
- excessive alcohol consumption or use of tobacco products
- excessive acidity in the stomach
- inflammation caused by Helicobacter pylori
When such a wound is small, it often goes unnoticed. However, it requires treatment because the stomach ulcer may progress so badly that it results in significant bleeding.
Gastritis
This condition results from irritation or inflammation of the abdominal cover and can be either an acute or chronic ailment.
The symptoms of gastritis are as follows:
- stomach ache
- inflammations
- nausea and vomiting
- heartburn
Possible causes include:
- eating very cold, hot or spicy food
- eating high-fat foods
- food allergies
- excessive use of drugs
- hard stress
- heavy drinking
Stomach cancer
Although, in general, digestive problems do not indicate that it is a stomach cancer, in some cases, those symptoms may be the first sign that this is indeed the case.
The tumor almost always begins to develop in the intestinal mucosa. As it progresses, other symptoms result, such as vomiting of blood, marked weight loss, and exhaustion.
The European Oncological Society warns that men are more likely to get this disease, and the risk increases when a person is over 60 years old.
Possible causes of stomach cancer include:
- genetic abnormalities
- Helicobacter pylori inflammation
- obesity
- smoking
- excessive salt intake
Hyperthyroidism
This is a disorder of the thyroid gland and occurs mainly in women over 50 years of age. It involves a decrease in thyroid hormones, which are vital factors for good blood circulation, digestion, and metabolism.
This explains why digestive problems cease when it becomes clear that they have been caused by a change in thyroid function.
Abdominal symptoms often occur in addition to sudden weight gain, fatigue, anxiety, and in extreme cases, as well as memory loss and impaired heart function.
Parkinson’s disease
This degenerative disorder causes damage to the nervous system and alters the signals sent by the brain.
When the disease affects the peripheral nerves, the digestion is unable to receive signals from the brain and thus does not receive them properly. This then results in a worsening of digestion.
Diabetes
An increase in blood sugar has a lot to do with a number of indigestion disorders, as it increases the amount of work coming to the stomach. This may change the movements that take place in the digestive tract. Thus, the intestinal contents are not able to move forward in the normal way.
In fact, 50% of people with diabetes repeatedly experience problems with their digestion.
Inflammation of the gallbladder
Cholecystitis or inflammation of the gallbladder involves severe abdominal pain that can radiate to the back or under the right scapula.
This disorder occurs when bile is trapped in the gallbladder, and the problem is almost always due to a blockage caused by gallstones that prevents fluid from entering the small intestine.
When bile fluid then accumulates behind the blockage, the result is irritability and pressure in the gallbladder, which can even lead to inflammation.
If abdominal pain and other symptoms of poor digestion are very severe in your case, it is important to go to the doctor immediately, because if you leave your problem undiagnosed, it may become chronic.
