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How to Understand Your Body’s Messages Part 5 (of 6): The Digestive System

Fitness

How to Understand Your Body’s Messages Part 5 (of 6): The Digestive System

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How To Protect Your Digestive System

This is Part 5 of 6 in “How to Understand Your Body’s Messages” Series. Catch up on Part 1 (The Skeleton System) or Part 2 (The Respiratory System) or Part 3 (The Cardiovascular System) or Part 4 (The Nervous System) or Read ahead for Part 6 (The Immune System).

Don’t tell me, you’ve never been through digestive disorders and filthily dull stomach. No need to be embarrassed about this because it is completely empathized that you carry along a hard working lifestyle and therefore, tend to lose control over what you eat. Because the more one works, the more energy is incurred and therefore, we feel hungry and gulp in anything that satiates our hunger. However, popping in anything that comes your way can harm your digestive system to a serious extent. So don’t take it for granted.

What follows is a system check for your digestion and know how to maintain it for a long and comfortable life.

Contents

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM:

This may not seem like a critical system to everyone, but don’t ignore it. A little neglection and its workings can go horribly wrong. So knowing, how much is it likely to breakdown will help keep your digestive ailments in check.

Colo-rectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is one of the most preventable and curable cancers if it is caught early. So it is important not to ignore digestive ailments.

Heartburn

This seems innocuous, but it actually causes patients more emotional distress than diabetes or high blood pressure, according to a study.

SYSTEM CHECK FOR DIGESTIVE AILMENTS:

This one’s pretty simple. A change in bowel habits is the most important sign to look out for. If you suddenly get constipation or diarrhea without a change in your diet, something could be wrong.

MAINTENANCE PLAN FOR DIGESTIVE SYSTEM:

Keep yourself hydrated

The main reason people become constipated is that they’re dehydrated. Hard stools can increase the pressure in your colon, and in some cases they can cause part of it to actually “blow out,” painfully poking through surrounding muscle. So re-hydrate yourself i.e drink more water. Eating more fiber (from such sources as vegetables, unpeeled fruit, and whole grains) can also help soften stools.

Squash heartburn

If you suffer heart-burn more than twice a week, you could have bigger problems. Chronic heartburn can damage the lining of the esophagus, it can cause esophageal cancer (one of the fastest-growing types of cancer in Western Countries [1]), and it has been linked to asthma. The best remedy is a combination of an antacid (such as Mylanta or Tums) and an H2-blocker (such as Pepcid AC). The antacid works immediately to neutralize existing acid, and as it wears off, the H2-blocker kicks in to prevent further acid buildup.

Now, you’ve read this far than give yourself a pat on the back because you’re just a fraction of seconds away from knowing how to improve your Immune System. Just click on the link and read it to complete your understanding of your body’s messages.

References:

[1] Jianyuan Chai and M Mazen Jamal. Esophageal malignancy: A growing concern. World J Gastroenterol. 2012 December 7; 18(45): 6521–6526.Published online 2012 December 7. doi:  10.3748/wjg.v18.i45.6521. PMCID: PMC3516225.

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