Abdominal Pain
Information on the causes of abdominal pain, upper and lower stomach pain and discomfort.
Select a Topic
- Why is Abdominal health important?
- What Causes Abdominal Pain?
- Help for Abdominal Pain
- More Information for Abdominal Pain
Why is Abdominal health important?
The abdomen contains all our vital organs. This makes it an important site of the body, as a large concentration of delicate body systems are together, housed in the abdominal cavity. This is why it is important to maintain a healthy weight, especially if you tend to become ‘rounder’ around the belly area. If you are overweight or obese this can put an added strain on the abdominal cavity and internal organs.
What causes Abdominal pain?
Abdominal Pain can by symptomatic of a variety of conditions, ranging from the less serious ones such as indigestion, heartburn, intestinal gas, excess stomach acid, acid reflux, nausea and stomach ache – to the more serious conditions such as Gastric ulcers, Diverticulitis, Peptic Ulcers, Duodenal Ulcers, Gallstones, Irritable Bowel Syndrome IBD, Dyspepsia and Tympanites. If abdominal pain is chronic, or does not go away, it is always advised that you consult your doctor for further investigation.
Help for Abdominal pain
A large part of natural health is adequate nutrients from a healthy diet. Fiber is an important component of a healthy diet. Remember that fiber plays a huge role in helping to prevent and address the following conditions:
- Chronic constipation
- Coronary heart disease
- Hemorrhoids
- Diabetes mellitus
- Diverticular disease
- Elevated cholesterol
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Colorectal cancer
More Information for Abdominal Pain
Tips for healthy digestion:
- Try to double your daily fiber intake. The Average American intake is between 10-15 grams per day with the recommended intake being between 20-35 grams per day.
- Understand what fiber is and where it comes from. There are two kinds of fiber: Insoluble fiber (Cereals, Wheat/wheat bran, Whole grains) and Soluble fiber (Brans, Fruit, Oatmeal/oat bran, Psyllium, Vegetables)
- Substitute high-fiber foods for high-fat and low-fiber foods.
- Keep your daily fiber intake stable. It is a good idea to consider a fiber supplement if you travel, eat away from home often or find it difficult to get enough fiber through food choices alone.
- Don't shock your system! Always increase fiber levels slowly and sensibly into your diet.
- Always remember to increase fluids too (water, soup, broth, juices) when you increase fiber.
- Add both soluble and insoluble fiber, from a variety of sources.
- Compare fiber content of foods.
- Choose foods high in fiber content.
