Capture

From Able Magazine’s September/October issue:

Pain is a subject that comes up in a variety of forms, time and again. Lots of people experience pain but those experiences can be very different from one another making it a real challenge to find solutions.

Pain is a real problem. It’s difficult to live with, it’s difficult to explain and it’s difficult to resolve.

One of the major issues is that there are so many different causations and so many different manifestations. Words like: shooting, throbbing, stabbing, sore and ache have all taken their place in the great pain lexicon. Words can give an idea of what we’re going through and in some instances can help to describe symptoms familiar enough to base a diagnosis on; nevertheless, there is still so much we don’t know about pain and it’s causes.

The difficulty we have in explaining our pain, and that can include pinpointing exactly where it is, makes it tricky to treat effectively. The pain that you identity as muscular might actually be caused by a trapped nerve, meaning that a tube of Deep Heat isn’t gong to touch it. Similarly, a headache caused by tension in the neck and shoulders cannot be treated effectively in the same way as a headache caused by eyestrain. Pain is pain but cause is elusive and often prolongs the agony as we go about trying to find fixes.

For disabled people, pain can be very bad news indeed. As we all know, it takes a level of grit and determination to get the best out of our bodies. For certain disabled people, the care that they have to take to prevent their conditions from sliding takes effort. Another burden, like pain added into the mix will almost certainly make life that bit harder.

In certain situations pain is not the cause or the ultimate consequence. Let’s say for example, that an illness causes headache, it’s the illness that’s the cause. The pain of the headache might mean that the patient can’t concentrate and so cannot go to work or drive a car etc. That’s the consequence – not the pain. The pain in this case is merely the conduit. The trick in tackling the consequence is to attack the cause and in this simple case it’s the illness, but it isn’t always that easy to get to the bottom of things.

Pain can cause issues way beyond itself. Lots of people that experience pain become anxious, depressed, have interrupted sleep and a lack of appetite – all indicators towards further problems, some of them dangerous. Lack of sleep or concentration for example, might lead a disabled person to forget vital medication or to take a fall.

On the flipside pain can also lead to different problems with medications. What starts off as an occasion paracetamol can become, in a short a time, a daily dose of more potent substances. The danger is that you become reliant on a larger dose that in fact, still doesn’t really do a job in dealing with the underlying pain, whilst at the same time isn’t doing any favours for your kidneys or liver.

The key to understanding pain is to understand the causes. Isolating these might take a little detective work but will be worth it. Other good advice is to act now. If you’ve only just started experiencing pain, deal with it immediately, before it sets in and becomes part of your life. If you’ve been experiencing pain for some time it’s also a good idea to act with haste. Go back and look at the evidence again and try something new.

The following pages concentrate on a few of the more common causes and types of pain, suggesting where possible ideas that might just make things better.

Headaches

‘Headache’ is another broad-brush term for pain, this time, as it affects parts of the head. Again the causes are various but most frequently down to lifestyle choices and so happily are preventable or treatable.

Most people will agree that the severity of a headache can stretch from mild to those that prevent us from being able to get out of bed. Tired eyes from watching a flickering screen all day can give us a bit of a headache but at the other end of the scale, a migraine is something far more serious, especially when it’s something that occurs frequently.

As with other sources of pain, it’s important to identify the precise causes of headaches. Once these causes are tackled the process of reducing pain becomes easier and more effective. Headache can also become cyclical and haunt people on a daily basis. In these cases it’s important to disrupt the cycle by trying something new. You might be surprised at how well this simple measure works.

The biggest cause of headaches is stress. Anecdotally, 80% of all headaches are attributed to it in some way. The thinking then, has to be centred on reducing stress and anxiety in the logical belief that it will reduce incidences of pain. Although, our lives are busy and stressful it is also worth keeping in mind that stress can also be cyclical contributing to regular headache symptoms.

Symptoms

Although one headache feels very much like the next, with variations of severity, by tracking back and looking at your lifestyle (and the incidences of headache) you’ll have a good chance of ascertaining the cause of it, and therefore, treating it.

Tension headaches

Since stress is the most frequent cause of headache it isn’t a surprise that tension headaches are the most frequent manifestation. Muscles in the neck and scalp contract and cause tension producing a constant ache especially around the temples or back of the head.

Cluster headaches

Cluster headaches affect men far more frequently than women. The term ‘cluster’ describes headaches that occur in cycles that usually attack one side of the head. They can even be accompanied by a watery eyes and nasal issues. People that experience cluster headaches may have a genetic predisposition to them.

Sinus headaches

Sometimes the sinus area within the front of the head becomes infected which in turn causes inflammation and pain. Sinusitis as it also known, can also be accompanied by fever.

Rebound headaches

Bizarrely, rebound headaches occur as a result of over-using medication. Even over-the-counter medication like aspirin can be a contributing factor. The theory is that too much medication over-stimulates the brain and causes further headaches that are then treated by more drugs until the whole situation spirals. Other scientists have suggested that routine use of medication can bring on withdrawal symptoms between dosing.

Migraine

Migraines are perhaps the most dreaded form of headache. They can last anywhere from four hours to 72. The pain can be so severe that it can prohibit people from going about their usual routine. Associated symptoms include: nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound.

………………………….

Treatment

Whilst there are plenty of pharmaceutical remedies around, you might find that avoiding trigger factors such as certain foods or environments can make a significant difference. The same can be said of lifestyle choices.

Reducing stress

Make time to relax away from disturbances. Seek to shelter in silence once a day for at least 10 minutes. Some people find meditation and deep breathing exercises helpful.

Stress can also cause your muscles to tighten up which pulls on your shoulders and neck that can contribute to headaches.

Be good to yourself

Treating your body well is going to help. Take proper rest and sleep. This will help your mind and muscles to recuperate from exertion. Even when you’re relaxing, make sure that you get up and stretch from time-to-time to prevent strain and stiffness.

Take exercise to improve general wellbeing, circulation and respiration, all of which will help you to avoid pain.

Routine

Eat meals and snacks by routine and go to bed at a regular time. Your body will operate more efficiently and you’re sleep and digestion processes will improve.

Skipping meals can trigger migraines because the brain is very sensitive to fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Best advice is to drink plenty of water and eat a decent level of protein.

Stop smoking

Smoking can trigger headaches and make existing conditions worse.

Find triggers

Track back to see if there are any foods that could be triggering your headaches. Take them out of your diet one at a time to ascertain which ones are problematic.

Hormones

Fluctuations in hormone levels around the time of women’s periods can lead to headache. These can be treated with over-the-counter medication including ibuprofen. If you are pregnant, you need to seek the advice of a doctor before taking medications.

Weather

Migraines and sinusitis can coincide with changes in barometric pressure. Whilst you can’t change the weather you can cut down on other triggers on hot and humid days to reduce symptoms.

Smells

Even a noxious smell can produce a headache. Some people have linked their headaches to strong smelling to perfume, soaps and cleaning products.

Lights

Cutting down on screen glare and avoiding flickering lights will help. Change to incandescent bulbs rather than using fluorescent lights and purchase a non-glare screen to place over your monitor.

Massage

Massaging your own face or having somebody massage the rest of your body can relax muscles that might be pulling down on your head, causing pain.

Glasses

There may be times when you haven’t strictly got a headache, you’ve got eyestrain. This might mean that you need prescription glasses to stop your eyes becoming tired and painful. Your prescription should be checked annually.

Trapped Nerves

Just like other causes of pain, a trapped nerve can be a relentless source of misery. A trapped nerve can occur in any joint on the body but is more readily associated with the back, neck and wrists. The severity of the issue can vary wildly from cases that can be solved in minutes to those that will take ongoing specialist treatment to make better.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that up to 90% of people, who experience back pain, are more accurately, experiencing the symptoms of a trapped nerve. Brighter news is that 90% of the people presenting symptoms will make a recovery from simple measures including over-the-counter medication to soothe the inflammation and good old R&R (rest and relaxation).

A trapped (or pinched) nerve is a term that exactly describes the situation. The trapped nerves will then fire pain signals that tell your brain that there’s a problem, by giving you painful sensations. It is sometimes the case that the site of the trapped nerve will not be the ‘problem’. A trapped nerve in the lower back, for example might manifest itself by sending pain signals down the legs (often named for the sciatic nerve that runs down the leg – sciatica).

The causes are usually simple and avoidable but due to our ‘lifestyles’ we think nothing of putting ourselves at risk as part of our everyday routine. Common causation includes poor posture (which at work, may be exacerbated by the length of time we sit at a poorly configured desk/workstation) exercise/sport, genetic predisposition and other indicators such as obesity.

One of the clues towards causation is that symptoms occur frequently in sportspeople. Most sports require some form of repetition such as striking a ball with a racket or bat or otherwise using the same group of muscles again and again. With this in mind, we can start to police ourselves as to what kind of things to avoid or adapt – typing, lifting heavy boxes and so on can be adapted to make them less likely to cause injury.

…………………………….

Symptoms

Millions of people in the UK live with backache. In order to treat it effectively it’s important to correctly identify what sort of backache it is. Sore muscles and trapped nerves are both painful but are not the same thing. The following symptoms will help you to accurately diagnose if you have a trapped nerve.

Numb

Look out for times when limbs go numb – as if they’ve ‘fallen asleep’.

Tingling

The opposite sensation to numbness – think ‘pins and needles’.

Radiating pain

Pain radiating through parts of the body – commonly through the legs or down the neck.

Lack of power

Reduced strength and flexibility of your body when you need to do basic movements such as walking, twisting and lifting. Sometimes, you might experience a loss of muscle mass.

Pain in the neck

Sometimes symptoms can include shooting pains and headaches. (If these symptoms are acute, do not assume immediately that they are the result of a trapped nerve – they are very similar to those experienced by people having a heart attack.)

………………………..

Treatment

There are a few very basic measures that patients can take:

Stop and think

Try to retrace your steps to the point where you find out what might have caused your injury. Once you’ve got a good idea of the cause – stop it. Cease the activities that are putting pressure on the affected area and rest those joints/muscles. Invest time thinking about alternative ways of doing things or asking for help with the tasks that are putting you in harm’s way.

Particularly in cases where repetitive actions are responsible it is unwise to push too hard (or resume usual duties) for anything up to two weeks. (If surgery is involved in your treatment, you need to speak specifically to the surgeon or an OT (Occupational Therapist).

Even when you do return to action, take time to do so gently. Make sure you mobilise your muscles through stretching or prescribed exercises designed to prevent further shock and trauma to your body.

Rest

The nerve that you have trapped is likely to be inflamed and possibly swollen. Just as you would with any swelling, in say feet, stay off it and give it a chance to return to normal by itself. The hardest part might be convincing your employer that this is a sensible move.

Hot and cold

Some say hot, others say cold, some say both: there is anecdotal evidence to suggest that all three options have some kind of impact on the nerve. It might be time to ‘heal thyself’ and try a few different experiments – assuming you’re careful, you won’t do any further harm.

Medication

Ask your pharmacist to help you to select appropriate medication to tackle the two major issues: the inflammation and the pain. It’s entirely possible that over-the-counter medication such as: aspirin and ibuprofen might help.

Massage

Your GP or Specialist will be able to refer you to a physiotherapist but there are plenty of places offering massages. Avoid intense deep-tissue or heavy pressure massage as this can make the situation worse. (It is a good idea to drink plenty of water after a massage to flush toxins released by the therapy.)

Don’t let it happen again

Once you’re feeling better you need to become more aware that you’re at risk of relapse. There are steps you can take to avoid experiencing this sort of pain again

Be responsible

Take responsibility for thinking through projects that might put you at risk and find the best way to complete tasks. You are the world’s leading expert on you – your strengths and limits. (Don’t push your luck; it’s not worth it.)

Repetitive activity

Limit repetitive activities wherever possible or ask for help and/or reasonable adjustments to be made in order to prevent injury (when in the workplace).

Take regular breaks

This will help reduce the repetitive nature of an activity and give your joints and muscles a little time to rest.

Good posture

Lots of us slouch: at work, in front of the telly, whether sat down, or stood up. Keeping head up and shoulders back might seem a little awkward to start with but once it becomes a habit you’ll be taking yourself out of the line of fire.

Exercise

Yes, I know that exercise might have caused your trapped nerve but low impact exercise such as cycling and swimming will help to gently mobilise and strengthen muscles and joints.

Arthritis

Arthritis is a very common complaint, with around 10 million people living with the condition in the UK.

The numbers are striking and the impact huge; arthritis is thought to be the main cause of disability in people over the age of 55 years (although it can affect people of any age, including children).

Arthritis is a type of musculoskeletal problem that produces inflammation and pain within the joints when cartilage in the joints wears away causing bones to rub together (or grind).

Cartilage is the material that prevents the surfaces of bones from direct contact with each other and allows the joint to work smoothly and efficiently. The cartilage relies on the synovial fluid that nourishes it and the joint and when this depletes the joint begins to rub, causing pain. The nature of the condition has different variables including: cartilage that’s wearing away, a lack of fluid, autoimmunity, infection or a combination of factors.

Symptoms

Joint pain

You may experience stiffness in joints, most commonly: hands, knees, back and hips. The joints may also become weaker.

Inflammation

A sore feeling and sometimes swelling indicates inflammation.

Skin

Changes in the skin can indicate arthritis. Look out for redness around the affected joint as well as muscle wasting.

Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis

Although there are many different types of arthritis the two most common types are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Osteoarthritis

This is the most common form of arthritis in the UK and affects around 8.5 million people.

The cartilage that acts as a connective membrane between bones gradually wears away. Bones become exposed and begin to rub against each other causing pain, which in turn, affects mobility. Osteoarthritis is most common in people over the age of 50 although it can affect younger people as a result of injury or different joint conditions.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition. (Autoimmune describes a process when the body attacks itself.) Although this form of arthritis is less common it is more severe with the body’s immune system destroying affected joints causing inflammation and pain. Again the bones rub together without the cartilage cushion.

The condition usually starts with people between 40 and 50 years old, with women being three times more likely to experience symptoms than men.

Treatment

There is currently no cure for arthritis and no way of preventing certain types from occurring but there are methods that can be applied to reduce symptoms to a manageable level and slow down the progress of the condition. Osteoarthritis is usually treated in line with reducing pain and inflammation and rheumatoid arthritis treatments are used to slow down the condition’s progress and protect from further joint damage.

Medication

Analgesics (painkillers), anti-inflammatory (NSAIDS) and corticosteroids remain the most frequently prescribed medications since they deal with the pain and reduce the underlying inflammation.

DMARDs

‘Disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs’ are used specifically to slow down the progress of a condition.

Biological therapy

Abatacept is an example of a biological therapy. This drug works by stopping the function of a cell in the immune system called a T-cell. This not only prevents inflammation but also the immune activity that causes the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. (New research is focused on the autoimmune aspect of the condition. It is hoped that this might lead to a breakthrough in rheumatoid arthritis as well as other autoimmune conditions.)

Surgery

Invasive procedures (surgery) are usually a move left until other therapy choices have been exhausted. Severe osteoarthritis can be tackled with three main procedures: arthroplasty (where the joint is replaced), arthodesis (where the joint is fused) and osteotomy (where bone is cut and re-aligned).

Exercise and physiotherapy

Lifestyle changes including exercise and diet are often advised under the ‘self care’ of the patient.

………………………………………………………………

Backache

The back or spine is so complex that it’s hardly surprising that there are so many things that can go wrong with it and end up causing pain. As we’ve already explored, one of the best ways to halt pain is to find the real underlying cause(s) of it.

One of the difficulties with tackling backache is that the causes might lie in any one of several areas: bones, joints, muscles and nerves. Although the end-result: pain, might feel the same or similar the cause might be any one of a variety of issues. In fact, such is the difficulty of pinning down backache or back pain some patients even have a challenge pinning down exactly where it hurts.

In any case the number of people with back pain in the UK is astonishing. Research conducted by the Institute for Occupational safety and Health estimates prevalence at somewhere between 59% to 90% with 5% of the population reporting back pain in any one year.

The upside is that anecdotal evidence suggests that up to 95% of patients with back pain have their issues sorted out within six weeks without specific treatments. In other words, lots of people that report backache see their symptoms disappear without trace as swiftly as they appeared and without any explanation as to why.

Symptoms

Back pain or backache has a number of different manifestations since it’s quite a large portion of our bodies and given that it can affect any given portion from lower back pain through to shoulder and lower neck pain too.

Before aiming to find a solution it’s important to concentrate on the pain in order to use it’s characteristics to find the cause, which, as we’ve already seen, might be the key to solving it. To this end, try to locate where exactly the pain is and if any part of the back is unusually stiff or immobile whilst also noting the nature of the pain: sore, aching or acute. These descriptors are likely to help in eliminating certain causes and confirming others.

Some of the more frequent incidences of back pain are the result of:

Whiplash

Whiplash is a term that describes a neck injury caused by a sudden or violent movement of the head. Ligaments and tendons responsible for connecting muscles and bones can be damaged causing pain and stiffness and in some cases, headaches.

The condition is relatively easy to diagnose although symptoms sometimes occur after a period of six to 12 hours. Road accidents are the most common cause of whiplash, again providing a point of obvious reference with diagnosis but the condition can also be caused by a sudden blow to the head or a slip or fall where the head has been knocked (or rocked) back suddenly.

Whiplash is a self-limiting condition, meaning that it can disappear without specialist intervention although in rarer cases patients can experience pain for up to six months.

Shoulder pain

There are several different causes of shoulder pain including poor posture, fracture and osteoarthritis. Other more specific issues include those pertaining to joint or muscle problems with the pain sometimes being the result of an issue in another part of the body such as the neck.

Treatment is usually based on painkillers and physiotherapy although there are sometimes grounds for using corticosteroid injections and surgery. Most shoulder issues will reduce and disappear, usually over a matter of a few weeks. As with all pain, it’s important to get the correct diagnosis leading to the most effective treatment.

Frozen shoulder

A familiar term used to describe a scenario where the shoulder is painful and has severely reduced mobility. Frozen shoulder is a joint issue.

Ankylosing spondylitis

This is a form of chronic arthritis that affects the spine. Arthritis is a common condition that affects inflammation and pain in joints also causing stiffness and a lack of flexibility. Ankylosing spondylitis is a severe arthritic condition with around 10% of patients becoming disabled as a result.

This specific form of arthritis inflames the joints at the base of the spine (sacroiliac) leading to pain in the lower back and the buttocks. Causes are unclear, though it is thought that some people carry a genetic predisposition to it. Treatment is based on pain controlling medication and specialist massage.

Slipped disc

The spine is made up of 24 individual vertebrae (bones) stacked up in a column. Between the bones, discs filed with gel prevent grinding and absorb shock when walking or running etc. A slipped disc describes a situation when one of the discs ruptures (becomes herniated or prolapsed) and the gel leaks out. Having moved (or slipped) the disc then puts pressure on nerves found in the spine causing pain, tingling or numbness.

In many cases the disc shrinks back to size although this might take four to six weeks during which time painkillers are usually prescribed. Physiotherapy can also be effective and surgery is an option for the most severe cases

Sciatica

(See also trapped nerves) Sciatica is a condition named after the longest nerve in the body that connects the spine with the legs. If a nerve becomes trapped it can cause pain sensations to ‘shoot’ down the limb.

Bladder control

If you haven’t already seen a doctor about your condition you should definitely do so if you lose control of your bowels and bladder.

……………………………………..

Causes

Bending awkwardly

This might be either contrary to the way the spine would ‘prefer’ to be used or suggest that you’ve overdone it and been bending over for too long. It’s also possible that you are putting yourself in a position that you wouldn’t normally and are using an unaccustomed set of joints and muscles.

Lifting and carrying – work, children (repetition or not being used to it)

Moving boxes around or carrying heavy shopping or children can be a bad move if you don’t do it correctly. It’s well worth looking up lifting and handling techniques to suit the job you’re doing. Remember to take plenty of breaks to give your muscles some recovery time.

Posture

Slouching puts pressure on muscles and joints that can become inflamed and painful.

Twisting

Although the spine can twist and turn muscles, tendons and ligaments become momentarily stretched and are unable to take the kind of pressures that they can when properly aligned.

Stretching

The specific diagnosis will determine what sort of exercise or stretching you do. Do this under advice from your doctor since the wrong move can make things worse.

Driving or seating

For postural reasons it’s well worth configuring your driving position or work desk properly. It may feel unusual to start with but it does have benefits.

Repetitive strain

If you can relate your pain back to a certain activity – stop doing it. It may be typing, digging or lifting etc – find a way to do it more efficiently or use adaptations.

Obesity

Your skeleton will be designed to a limit of a certain weight. Excess weight therefore will put pressure on the spine

Smoking

Smoking can damage tissue in the area of the back (and smokers are more likely to be overweight).

Pregnancy

The extra weight of carrying an unborn child is significant and can put strain on the back.

Medication

Steroids and other medicines can weaken bones and lead to conditions such as osteoporosis.

Stress

Muscles are known to become tense under stressful conditions and can contribute to backache.

Depression

Can be stressful adding to muscle tension and is an indicator of obesity.

…………………….

Treatment

The nature and priority of your treatment package will depend largely on the specific nature of your condition and it’s causes.

Rest

If you’ve hurt your back, don’t try to get back to your normal routine too soon. You should give your joints, nerves and muscles time to recuperate fully or risk making your pain more severe.

Avoid risk

You probably can lift that heavy box – but at what cost? It probably isn’t worth the pain you’re risking.

Get comfortable

Make sure you stand, sit and sleep in positions that don’t compromise your posture and are comfortable. One popular position that provides respite to the lower back is to lie on the floor or bed with lower legs propped up slightly with pillows.

Medication

Ibuprofen and naproxen are both available over-the-counter and will tackle inflammation and pain.

Hot and cold

The jury are yet to give a final verdict on whether it’s best to apply hot or cold to an injured area – there are tales promoting both. You may need to run a few experiments to see what works best for you.

Stretches

Be careful to get good advice before doing stretches or other activity. You can make the situation worse.

Physiotherapy and massage

There are several types of massage that will achieve different things. A correct diagnosis will help you select the correct type (or you may be referred to a specialist). Just as with stretching, the wrong type of massage can add to your discomfort.

Chiropractors

Some people swear by them and have reported at least a temporary improvement in their condition having been treated by a chiropractor but they are not fully qualified medical professionals.

Acupuncture

Alternative remedies aren’t for everyone but they continue to be popular. The best advice is to follow trusted recommendations and see for yourself.

Stomach ache

Stomach ache or abdominal pains aren’t usually as severe as those associated with other acute conditions but can be an annoyance if they return regular. Furthermore, if they are acute, it may be that the severity of the condition is such that it should be treated as a medical emergency.

Causes of abdominal pain are extremely varied, with triggers including: diet, drugs, stress, illness, bloating or pulled muscles. Whilst the pain is not of an acute nature it is still likely to prevent you from going about your everyday the way you would like limiting concentration and energy in it’s wake. It can also be very tiring sand you may feel sleepy but restless.

Other causes of acute abdominal pain can be very serious indeed and include: appendicitis, peptic ulcer, gallstones, kidney stones and diverticulitis. (Indeed if your lower right abdomen is causing you pain and you suspect that you are experiencing a swelling of the appendix you should call for an ambulance without hesitation)

Because of the variety of causes of abdominal pain it’s very difficult to pin down a specific fix for everyone but there are lifestyle choices that people can make that might help.

Prevention and treatment

Preventing stomach ache is usually far more effective than treating the consequential pain. Here are a few tips:

Stress

There is no clinical problem to tackle. Stress can manifest itself in a number of ways from ‘having butterflies’ to throwing up before a speech. Tackle the cause of the stress and aim to relax more.

Make sure that you rest well; this will naturally reduce stress and allow your muscles to become less tense as well. (Think about resting your stomach from eating for a few hours to see if that helps.)

Diet

You may be eating foods that you are allergic to or that trigger some kind of unwanted response in the stomach. Eliminate suspect foods one at a time until you find the culprit and replace it within your diet.

Likely candidates for upsetting your stomach are spicy or fatty foods, alcohol and caffeine. You should try to eat bland foods that contain more water such as fruit and vegetables. (Beware: some fruits can be triggers to stomach ache and allergies.)

Alcohol can also be problematic since it increases stomach acid that can cause heartburn and aggravate existing digestive issues.

For the sake of your digestion, it is advisable to eat smaller amounts of foods more often than relying on a larger meal in the middle of the day. Try to keep to a meal schedule and take your time when eating.

If you don’t particularly feel like eating a clear soup based on chicken or vegetables can give your body nutrients.

Medication

Over-the-counter remedies are available to reduce the symptoms of indigestion and wind. Milk of Magnesia is particularly effective and will calm your stomach.

Stomach muscles

Pregnant women are sometimes advised to mix in very cold things and very hot things into their diet. This practices the muscles in expansion and contraction (ready for the birth). It works for everyone, men included.

Sometimes heat can be used to relax muscles. Heat pads are often used by women to combat period pains – a hot bath will have a similar effect.

Herbs

Ginger has been shown to be effective at reducing nausea. You can either purchase it in capsule form or make a ‘ginger tea’ by mixing a couple of grams of ginger with honey and hot water. (Ginger also promotes appetite for when you’re fighting back.)

Peppermint can also be used as an infusion that will help to calm stomach muscles and id digestion. (Beware: some people are allergic to peppermint and other herbs.)

Stop smoking

Smoking can weaken the muscles in the lower end of the oesophagus, leading to heartburn.

Weight

Overweight people are adding to the pressure on their stomach which can make digestion more difficult and can lead to heartburn.

Dairy

Experiment with avoiding dairy products for a while. If you notice an improvement in your condition you may be either allergic to dairy products, lactose intolerant or simply consuming too much.

Bloating

Some foods including beans, cauliflower and broccoli can cause uncomfortable bloating (trapped wind) whilst too much salt can lead to water retention.

Symptoms

Stomach ache

Usually refers to cramps in the tummy (abdomen) and can be caused by an upset stomach or bug.

Stomach cramps and diarrhoea

This is likely to be a viral/bacterial infection in the stomach, or bowel (gastroenteritis). This usually clears up in a couple of days.

Severe stomach cramps with fever (or chills) and diarrhoea/vomiting

Quite possibly food poisoning due to poorly prepared food or bacteria on a kitchen surface, for example.

Long term stomach cramps and diarrhoea

You may have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Acute stomach conditions

Appendicitis

The appendix is a small pouch connected to the end of the large intestine (and is all but useless). Swelling of the intestine is very painful and is a signal that the organ needs to be removed since a rupture (or tear) can lead to infection that can be fatal.

Peptic ulcer

A sore can occur anywhere on the body but a peptic ulcer describes one that develops in the stomach or small intestine. These can cause severe discomfort and are usually related to poor diet and are aggravated by drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen.

Gallstones

Small ‘stones’ can develop in the gallbladder. The gallbladder can be removed under these circumstances or action taken to break up or dissolve the crystalline formations.

Kidney stones

Very similar to gallstones, kidney stones can someties be small enough to be evacuated during urination. In severe cases they may be observed as ‘blocking’ the kidney, in which cases surgery is required to break them up. Most incidences of kidney stones are found in men.

Diverticulitis

The inflammation of small pouches that occur in parts of the bowel. The treatment can be surgical or dietary. The diet is switched to give the digestive system a ‘rest’ and afterwards based on high fibre to prevent recurrence.

Long term (or recurring) stomach conditions.

The stomach and intestines usually clear their contents within three days. Happily, this means that bugs or viruses that aggravate people are flushed out and require no further intervention. However, there are a few stomach conditions that become long-term issues and need to be treated regularly to prevent symptoms from becoming problematic.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

The stomach wall tightens (and goes into spasm). Pain is usually relieved after the patient goes to the toilet. IBS can be influenced by diet and doctors will recommend an increase in fibre as well as possibly prescribing laxatives to make the toileting process easier.

Crohn’s disease

Inflammation of the lining of the digestive tract. Treatment is applied to reduce inflammation, and lifestyle choices such as quitting smoking and diagnosing food allergies are recommended.

Urinary tract infection

Produces a burning sensation when urinating. Treatment will be based on the complexity of the condition but I simple cases this may just be antibiotics. Cranberries (tablets or juice) can help to reduce symptoms.

Constipation

This is a condition where bowels become clogged. It can be addressed through dietary changes that will soften stools.

Heartburn and acid reflux

Naturally occurring stomach acid can sometimes leak into the oesophagus (a tube linking mouth and stomach) causing heartburn. It’s usually tackled through dietary adaptations and if persistent, antacids.

Period pain

Muscle cramps can accompany a woman’s menstrual cycle. They are usually treated with over-the-counter painkillers or heat patches.