Bloating, burping, bad breath... don't ignore it, your stomach is telling you

Audit expert: Wu Xinsheng

Deputy Chief Physician, Department of Gastroenterology

After a hard day's work, many people would like to relieve fatigue and relax themselves with a hearty meal. On weekends or holidays, many friends want to relax their stomachs and have a big meal.

However, after enjoying the stimulation of taste buds for a while, some people's stomachs begin to churn: either bloating, or rumbling, and in severe cases, acute gastroenteritis may occur.

Are stomach problems related to mental state? There are many reasons that may cause stomach discomfort, but you would never imagine that stomach problems are often closely related to a person's mental state.

Studies have shown that the human brain and intestines are connected through the central nervous system. The enteric nervous system regulates gastrointestinal function and establishes a direct connection between the human brain and the gastrointestinal system. This connection may lead to abnormal physiological processes, causing pain to the human body under stress or anxiety. The body is equivalent to experiencing a small "inflammatory storm", causing congestion of the gastrointestinal mucosa and slowing digestive motility.

Mental stress causes stomach discomfort

Source: theawkwardyeti.com

When we are stressed, hormones and neurotransmitters are released in our bodies that can negatively impact intestinal motility. In addition, stress can also affect the delicate balance of bacteria in our stomachs, leading to stomach upset.

It may also be due to eating more unhealthy foods containing natural or artificial sugars, as well as smoking, drinking, etc., which can cause stomach discomfort. After the gastrointestinal tract is affected, the main symptoms are acid reflux, hiccups, bloating, abdominal pain, etc.

Is it a stomach problem if you burp too much? Burping is medically called belching. Occasional belching is a normal phenomenon, but frequent belching may be a symptom of stomach problems. Many people with poor stomachs belch frequently. Belching after meals is normal, but some diseases can cause you to burp constantly. Common causes include:

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or acid reflux, is when acid in the stomach flows back into the esophagus and causes heartburn, leading to belching;

GERD causes belching

Source: jianshu.com

Indigestion, which causes pain or discomfort in the upper abdomen and may be accompanied by belching, bloating, heartburn, nausea, or vomiting;

Gastritis occurs when the stomach lining becomes irritated and can lead to belching;

Helicobacter pylori is a bacterium that can cause stomach infections and lead to ulcers. It hydrolyzes urea through urease to produce foul-smelling ammonia, which is often accompanied by belching.

Electron microscope image of Helicobacter pylori

Source: Wikipedia

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can also cause abdominal cramping, bloating, diarrhea or constipation, and possibly belching.

Clinical manifestations of IBS

Source: mr-gut.cn

Bad breath just because you didn't brush your teeth? Bad breath originates primarily from inside your mouth, usually from bacteria on your teeth and debris on your tongue. So it's no surprise that most cases of bad breath are related to poor oral hygiene, gum diseases like gingivitis and periodontitis, and dry mouth (where the salivary glands don't produce enough saliva to keep your mouth moist).

However, respiratory infections such as tonsillitis, sinusitis or bronchitis and some gastrointestinal diseases (such as sphincter insufficiency, hiatal hernia and Helicobacter pylori infection) can also cause bad breath. In addition, advanced liver and kidney disease and uncontrolled diabetes can also cause bad breath.

Helicobacter pylori infection in the stomach can cause bad breath

Source: geysers.eu

Is gastritis a "minor problem"? Here we need to distinguish a concept: what is the relationship between gastric cancer and gastritis? When you go to the doctor, sometimes you get the conclusion that it is benign gastritis. How do you distinguish between gastritis and gastric cancer?

First, the nature of the diseases is different. Gastritis is a benign disease, while gastric cancer is a malignant disease. Second, the treatment methods are inconsistent. Gastritis can be gradually improved through anti-inflammatory and maintenance, or it will not expand, but gastric cancer requires comprehensive treatment with surgery as the main method to cure or prolong life. Third, from the symptom point of view, early gastric cancer has no typical symptoms, which can be manifested as nausea, acid reflux, indigestion, and upper abdominal discomfort, which is difficult to distinguish from gastritis. However, for patients with high-risk factors, such as those with a family history of gastric cancer, irregular diet, irregular life, and those who often eat moldy or pickled foods, once upper abdominal heartburn and fullness occur, it is recommended to perform gastroscopy at an early stage to clearly distinguish between gastritis and gastric cancer.

In addition, will chronic gastritis develop into gastric cancer? Many people with chronic gastritis are very worried that chronic gastritis will turn into cancer. According to foreign studies, chronic superficial gastritis is related to the incidence of gastric cancer, but chronic gastritis itself, whether chronic superficial gastritis or chronic atrophic gastritis, will not directly develop into gastric cancer, unless chronic atrophic gastritis develops atypical hyperplasia many years later.

The following situations may require special attention:

1. Atrophic gastritis: The final outcome of most atrophic gastritis is gastric cancer. Some people even believe that atrophic gastritis is the "pre-cancer stage of gastric cancer." It is recommended that patients with atrophic gastritis undergo a gastroscopy every two years to detect gastric cancer earlier.

2. Large gastric ulcer: A large gastric ulcer is an ulcer with a diameter greater than 2 cm. Once a large ulcer is found, it should be treated immediately and for at least 6 weeks. After the ulcer is cured, it should be re-examined regularly, with an interval of half a year or one year.

3. Polyps: Once polyps are detected in the stomach, no matter how big or small they are, they must be removed and a pathological examination should be performed.

4. Remnant stomach: The stomach after part of the stomach body is removed due to a certain disease is called a remnant stomach. The remnant stomach is closely related to gastric cancer. Some studies have shown that if the remnant stomach exists for more than 5 years, the probability of gastric cancer increases. Therefore, patients with remnant stomach who have undergone gastric surgery are recommended to undergo a gastroscopy every year.

If we want to have a strong stomach, we must pay attention to our diet in our daily life, eat less cold, spicy, greasy, overheated food and other foods that are not good for stomach health, eat a light diet, eat more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, eat slowly, and chew food thoroughly before swallowing.

Regular meals three times a day contribute to the health and improvement of the digestive system; taking a walk after meals is also a good way to relieve hiccups. The above methods help digest food and have a stronger stomach.

Therefore, in many cases, stomach discomfort is not a serious problem, nor does it require medication to solve it. Adjusting your emotions and developing good living and eating habits are the correct ways to stay healthy in daily life.