What is a lazy stomach?

1. Which stomach complaints are common?

A burning, stinging feeling behind the breastbone or in the throat (heartburn), but also pain or a burning, unpleasant feeling in the upper abdomen are common. Like many burps, bloating and nausea. These complaints can occur in combination. Based on these complaints alone, it is very difficult to say exactly what is wrong with someone.

2. How many people are affected by it?

About one in four people sometimes suffer from stomach problems. A large part of these people suffer from heartburn. This causes a burning or pressure sensation behind the sternum and belching. However, they do not have to taste sour.
Some people have a stomach ulcer. They mainly suffer from pain in the stomach area, but they often cannot pinpoint exactly where. Sometimes the pain is more intense after eating, sometimes more on an empty stomach. Other people have a lazy stomach.

3. What is a lazy stomach?

A stomach that moves less than desired. Normally, the stomach moves as soon as food enters it. The stomach muscles knead the food and mix it with juices that the stomach produces. The complaints due to a lazy stomach vary quite a lot: pressure on the stomach, bloating, feeling full quickly, belching, belching, nausea and sometimes vomit after dinner. The lazy stomach can be a cause of heartburn.

4. What Causes a Lazy Stomach?

That is not yet known. It is known that some medicines, such as tranquilizers, can slow down the stomach action. Also, the stomach works more slowly when you are tense and people with diabetes suffer from it.

5. And heartburn?

Heartburn can be caused by the malfunction of the valve from the esophagus to the stomach, causing stomach contents to flow back into the esophagus. It’s called backflowreflux‘. This valve can slacken with age, but also with obesity, for example. It can also relax due to certain substances, such as alcohol, coffee, peppermint, chocolate and nicotine. Two other causes of heartburn are a lazy stomach and a… fracture in the diaphragm.

6. What Causes an Ulcer?

For a long time it was thought that gastric juice or stress were the culprits. But in 1982 Marshall and Warren discovered another cause: the bacteria Helicobacter pylorie. In 2005 they received the Nobel Prize for this discovery. We now know that over 90 percent of duodenal ulcers and over 80 percent of stomach ulcers are caused by this bacteria.

7. What can you do about it yourself?

Stomach complaints often go away on their own. The following measures can help:

• Do not eat hastily, but chew the food well.
• Take several small meals
• Don’t eat three hours before bedtime
• Do not constrict the abdomen

In addition, avoid foods that aggravate the symptoms. What that is varies from person to person, but you will find some of the culprits here. It can help to quit smoking, relax and – if you are overweight – lose weight. You can try over-the-counter remedies, but only use them for a few days to weeks. If you are having trouble, ask your doctor for advice.

8. When do you have to go to the doctor?

Immediately in case of severe pain, vomiting blood or a jet black stools (unless you have used activated charcoal as a diarrhea inhibitor). Also make an appointment if the complaints get worse, if it is difficult to eat, if you have stomach complaints every day for several weeks or if you lose weight for unexplained reasons. The same applies if the own measures do not help within a few weeks. The general practitioner can make a diagnosis immediately or after further examination and prescribe the appropriate rules of life and medicines. For heartburn, a stomach ulcer and a lazy stomach there are medicines that help in many cases.